Taking luxury to new heights for British Airways First Class

Concept vision

First class it’s about making the experience for customers truly extraordinary. Together with British Airways, we recognised that the most powerful way to achieve this is by taking into consideration customer preferences to the finest detail, together with cabin crew delivering a world-class service.

Drawing on our 25+ years of experience, working with British Airways and from insights into contemporary luxury hospitality, we created a design that would form the perfect backdrop to impeccable service, providing cabin crew with the space and tools they need, while also perfecting comfort by giving passengers complete control over their in-flight experience.

The airline listened to colleagues and customers to help shape design elements and specific features to suit preferences, such as buddy dining and carefully placed stowage with useability and purpose in mind. The airline also introduced its fully rectangular bed following customer feedback that replicates all the comforts of a home environment.

The central suites open into each other to create a shared space for travelling companions. A motorised floor-to-ceiling central panel and console move away to reveal side-by-side armchairs, creating a spacious yet cosy shared lounge to enjoy together.

Design development

We worked closely with British Airways’ design team and Collins Aerospace to develop the First seat’s aesthetics, ergonomics and seamless technology integration. The suite is designed to evoke the atmosphere of a modern luxury hotel, combining home comforts and thoughtful British touches, resembling a plush armchair rather than a typical aircraft seat, immersing passengers in familiar, refined luxury comfort. We even consulted theatre lighting experts, gaining insight into illuminating surfaces flatteringly, which influenced the location and positioning of the lights.

Reflecting the British ethos of quiet elegance, every detail supports a discreet, intuitive experience. For instance, a digital panel interface located on the outside of each suite provides details for the crew to attend to passengers with minimal disturbance. With the seat set back from the door a high degree of privacy is provided, even when the suite door is open.

A huge amount of attention was given to the design details to ensure they were beautifully considered rather than bold and brash, embodying the quiet elegance expected from British service,” says tangerine’s creative director, Dan Flashman.

“Everything looks right and works effortlessly, but beneath the surface, we made countless adjustments to get the forms and surfaces just right.”

Final design

Upon entering the suite, passengers find a private, spacious environment where comfort and convenience are prioritised. The curved doors open and close flush, blending seamlessly into the suite’s walls, ensuring privacy without compromising elegance.

The generously sized armchair offers the ultimate relaxation experience, with an industry-first, fully variable recline mechanism inspired by the automotive industry. Operated via a touch interface, this system allows passengers to customise posture and recline positions in addition to selecting from predefined options.

Passenger wellbeing is further elevated by unprecedented control over suite lighting and pre-selected moods tailored to different cabin moments, such as ‘relax’ when winding down for sleep, or ‘cinema’ when settling in for a film.

A key insight from competitor benchmarking highlighted many first-class suites feel boxy — the antithesis of luxury hospitality, which is soft, rich, and generous. We changed the suite dimensions through sweeping the surface forms, subtly nodding to Concorde’s s-shapes from British Airways’ heritage. This influences the curvature of the side console, lamp, and repeated patterns on the wall panels, which all contribute to transforming the suite with elegant refinement.

Achieving a modern interpretation of British luxury required the finest attention to detail. Every element and feature are thoughtfully considered, supporting an intuitive, luxurious experience that reveals itself through special touches throughout the journey.

For instance, storage compartments have hidden red leather accents with white stitching reminiscent of Savile Row tailoring, adding a dash of British eccentricity and the seat controls were designed to feel like playing piano keys on a Steinway: delicately responsive and to be treated with care. For its quality and durability, sustainably-sourced Muirhead leather was chosen for the seat headrest and armrest, with suede walls and soft foam accents that evoke a warm and inviting ambience.

 

British Airways and tangerine’s design of the new First seat embodies understated luxury by providing the optimal sense of space and privacy. The design invites passengers to feel naturally at ease, capturing the very essence of British modern travel at 35,000ft.