Carry on: New cabin fever, inflight live sport, laptop ban options and more

Biggest plane seats more
The big news from Airbus from the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg this week was a new, narrower design for the front staircase of the double-decker A380, creating space for 20 more seats.

The new design is one among a number of ways that Airbus is offering to fit up to 80 additional customers in a plane that now carries up to 497. Other changes include changing a spiral staircase at the back of the plane and removing some cabin stowage space.

Another Airbus offering was a "Day&Night" zone for A380s and A350s. Made up of several suites, each one offers up to 4m² of private space and features two separate areas: a "day" living zone and a private quiet "night" environment. 

New cabin fever

Airlines due to take delivery of the new generation of the Airbus A320 family have been showing off new cabin designs.

Hawaiian Airlines will start getting the first of its 18 new A321neo (new engine option) aircraft at the end of the year. The Premium cabin by JPA Design (pictured) will have 18 seats and Extra Comfort (premium economy) will have 45. That leaves 128 in economy for a total seating of 189. The single-aisled aircraft will be used mainly on medium- and short-haul flights between Hawaii and mainland US cities.  


Seats in all cabins will be equipped with complimentary USB outlets for device charging, while the Premium and Extra Comfort seats will have an additional AC power outlet. Pivoting overhead bins provide extra space for carry-on luggage.

Wider seats on Air New Zealand

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand says its new A320neos and A321neos due for delivery from 2018 will feature wider slimline seats from UK-based Acro Aircraft Seating (pictured). The window and aisle seats will be 1cm wider than those on A320s that are flown internationally, while the middle seat is 3cm wider.

The new seats were unveiled at the Hamburg expo and also feature a new seat cover developed with New Zealand-based Flight Interiors. Air New Zealand has ordered 13 Airbus A320neo family aircraft comprised of nine A320neos and four A321neos.

Live sport in the air
Cathay Pacific is adding two live sport channels – Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra – to the entertainment offering on its new A350 aircraft for a two-month trial period. The channels will cover most of the world’s top events in soccer, rugby, rugby league, Australian rules, motor sport, tennis, golf and yachting.

The service will be available on all routes serviced by the A350, including Auckland-Hong Kong as well as multiple destinations in Europe and Southeast Asia.

More laptop ban options
Emirates is offering extra choices for those wanting access to table and laptop devices during direct flights from Dubai to the US (some 110 flights weekly to 12 east and west coast destinations). Apart from the “drop off” service – which means devices can be used right up to boarding if not already stowed in luggage – this now includes the use of Microsoft-equipped laptops for premium travellers.

All travellers from New Zealand to Dubai can still carry devices aboard but they can be rechecked there for the onward journey. Travellers can stay still connected in the air with mobile phone connectivity, in-seat telephones with SMS and email and live TV on most flights. Flights to the US via Milan and Athens are not affected.

Route news of the week
Cathay Pacific is stepping up its new Hong Kong-Tel Aviv route only a week after launching it. A fifth flight will operate between September 1 and November 17. The service uses an Airbus A350-900. Dutch airline KLM will expand its travel options to New Zealand through a new codeshare service with Korean Air. The Seoul Incheon-Auckland route will be codeshared from May 31. KLM also codeshares with China Southern to Auckland via Guangzhou and Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur. Jetstar Australia is returning to Vietnam with direct flights from Melbourne and Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City. These will start in May and it marks a return to the fifth-biggest aviation market in Southeast Asia after a failed attempt 11 years ago. United Airlines is ending its service between Japan and Korea, The Tokyo Narita-Seoul Incheon route is served daily by a Boeing 737-800. The last flight will leave Tokyo on October 27 and return from Seoul on October 28.