American has been flying their new 767 business class product since April when they launched it on the New York JFK – Zurich flight. It currently flies JFK – Madrid and Barcelona and it will be getting added to JFK – Paris and Chicago – Paris soon. I still haven’t flown it.
Unquestionably the old 767 business class needs to be replaced.
In fact, the joint venture with British Airways and Iberia (and Finnair) requires it. They weren’t going to retire the 767 fast enough, so some of them had to get a new business class lie flat product.
Back in March, American released photos of the new business class product.
It’s not the same seat they’ve put onto their new 777-300ERs. The Boeing 767 isn’t a wide enough aircraft to put in that same seat and still have 4 across seating. But the new 767 seat retains all-aisle access — a seat at each window and two seats in the middle, in many ways similar to what Delta has on its 767 and several European carriers offer as their standard.
Last Spring I declared the 777-300ER the best business class seat across the Atlantic. This isn’t that seat. But it’s a vast improvement.
I still haven’t flown the new product 767, but I have an upcoming roundtrip with American which uses a 767 both ways where my upgrades cleared both ways. The return (day flight, sadly) is with the new product.
Here’s American’s new video of the offering:
(HT: AAdvantage Geek)
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It’s a shame they won’t do this with all their 76’es. I am flying the family on AA DFW-OGG in business and this would be a gigantic upgrade over the current product.
This is an incredibly poorly designed seat 🙁 the controls are misplaced, for example the light indicator on the arm does not work for the overhead light, this control is hidden in the arm. FA don’t know where it is and I’ve lost count of the ones I’ve had to educate – hope they are better educated about safety!
The tray tables are difficult to impossible and require FA assistance most of the time, which isn’t fair to them. The seat is narrow and THE SIDE ARM DOES NOT move down which would have made sleeping a bit more comfortable. The seat adjustment location and sensitivity means that if you just rest your arm on the armrest you are likely to trigger a seat movement you did not intend
On the bright side not having to climb over someone is a real advantage I think if the people who design these seats had to use them or work as a FA using them they would end up with a better product.
The armrest does move down. I think the biggest issue with this seat is that it’s a bit narrow. I generally don’t like this class of lie-flat seats given i’m 6’3″ and find the foot cubby a bit restrictive, but it’s a very handsome cabin and the seat is a big improvement over the old 767 product.
The one thing which I think is a bit of a cop out is their IFE; IFE wasn’t upgraded and instead the seats were built to hold the Samsung tablet. That makes the in-arm controls a bit redundant, but whatever. Couple inches too narrow, overall massive improvement, slightly silly.
Do you know of a target date for upgrading the Chicago to Paris flights? I have a flight next May and was not looking forward to the old biz seat.
When do the ex- CDG routes get the update? Is there a link for further info?
thanks
Chicago-Paris goes new 767 in the second half of December. JFK-Paris gets it within the next month I think
AA38/39 between MIA and LHR goes from a 772 to a 763 starting next January. Any idea when that might go to the new 763? I’m booked in August 2015 and it still shows the old seat map. Also is there a projected date when they aim to have the update completed?
I wonder why they didn’t fit with personal TV’s. I guess its too expensive to add the inflight entertainment. I personally don’t mind, except that you have no moving map which I quite like.
Also what about WiFi Or is that also too expensive to add in.
@Greg – no wifi on the 767s, they are going to be retiring the birds in a few years but were contractually obligated to have lie flat seats. And AVOD is heavy equipment and expensive.
Dave just did the DFW-OGG flight. Those planes stink
@raf. On four out of four flights neither I nor the flight attendant could lower the arm there is no apparent release. How did you lower it?