British Airways new First Class product claim is misleading say Skytrax

LONDON, UK - 16th February 2010


British Airways new First class was launched last week on a Boeing 777 flight to Chicago. The airline says that it has invested £100 million in the First Class modernisation, as it hopes to create an exclusive experience.

One of the trumpeted, new features in this First Class cabin is that customers will benefit from "Personal electronic blinds" - with British Airways going on to claim that this product is a "first" for a commercial airline.

According to Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, the independent airline ranking organisation, "we were bemused by this statement issued by British Airways, which calls into question how much background research they and their designers carry out before making such claims. In 2004/5, Malaysia Airlines launched a new First Class product on their fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft, and one of the features they installed was personal electronic blinds. Here we are six years later, and British Airways is claiming a 'first'. I wonder if Willie Walsh signed off the budget for this on the assurance of BA's innovative thought process coming to the fore."

For information and further media products, please contact:

Mr Peter Miller
Director Marketing - SKYTRAX
Email :  miller@airlinequality.com