British Airways’ new 787-9 Dreamliner will start flying to Abu Dhabi and Muscat from November 5, 2015.
Seats are now on sale at ba.com, with special return Club World fares to Abu Dhabi from £1,546 and Muscat from £1,878 while First seats are on sale from £2,546 to Abu Dhabi, £2,878 to Muscat. The sale runs until September 22, 2015 for travel until June 19, 2016.
The announcement comes after the airline confirmed last month that the first route to benefit from the new aircraft will be Delhi from October 25.
December will see the new 787-9 start flying to Kuala Lumpur, February will see it welcomed on to flights to Austin, Texas and May will see it travel to San Jose, California.
The 787-9, the first of which is due to arrive with British Airways at the end of September, is 20ft longer than its 787-8 (of which the airline has eight), and offers four cabins including the new First.
Created specifically for the Boeing 787-9, the new First suites have been designed based on feedback from customers.
The suites now include four new storage areas. A new ottoman next to the adjustable footstool has enough room for shoes, handbags and personal items, while the personal suiter for jackets and coats is now accessible without the customer having to move from their seat.
A new locker positioned at eye-level is perfect for smaller personal effects such as tablets, spectacles, passport and wash-bags. A mirror has also been fitted to the inside of the locker door.
Customers who need to power to devices can now do so in a discreet stowage area next to their armrest.
Attention to detail has also been paid to how the customer uses their suite, with each function being controlled by simple, intuitive touch.
The seat and in-flight entertainment console has been updated with a new handset, much like a smartphone, integrated into the seat from which customers can control their in-flight entertainment. During flight, the handset can be docked so users can watch one item, such as the moving map, on the handset and another, such as a film, on the 23-inch fixed screen. This also means customers can enjoy continue watching without having to stow their television for take-off and landing
The smart ‘jog-dial’, that previously controlled the seat’s recline, now manages five additional functions including the headrest and lumbar inflate and a ‘global’ lighting control to set both ambient and reading lighting.
The new First was developed by Forpeople, London, working together with the airlines’ in-house teams and leading British suppliers, including Prototrim, which developed the high quality soft leather and fabric trim within the suite and London based Pritchard Themis who worked on the suite and cabin lighting.
The bespoke lighting in every cabin can be set to reflect the time of day, helping to lull travellers to sleep at night and to wake them in the morning. Customers can also enjoy much larger windows, offering views of the horizon from every seat. These collective features mean the effect of jet-lag is lessened.
The 787s are the most technologically advanced aircraft in British Airways’ fleet. Different pressurisation means the internal cabin altitude is the equivalent of 6,000ft, which is 2,000ft lower than on other aircraft. This leads to greater humidity, reducing the drying effect of the cabin air, so customers arrive feeling more refreshed. The aircraft’s smooth ride technology also provides extra comfort during any turbulence.
With a total of 42 787s destined to join British Airways, the aircraft is to become the mainstay of the airline’s fleet.