Nicknamed the “Jumbo Jet” or ‘Queen of the Skies’, the Boeing 747 aircraft is one of the world’s most successful long-haul planes. This wide-body, four-engine jet has a distinctive “hump” Upper Deck along the forward part of the aircraft, which was designed by Boeing to serve as a First/Business Class lounge or space for extra seating. The last B747-400 rolled out of the production halls in 2005, but the legend lives on with the B747-8 International. Here we take a look at some of the airlines with the best Business Class on a B747.
Virgin Atlantic
Throughout 2012 Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 747’s flying out of Glasgow, Manchester and London Gatwick was refitted at a cost of £50 million. The ultimate spring clean required 125 project staff from start to finish working over 95,000 hours to fit over 32,000 new parts.
While Virgin’s new Upper Class Suite is only available on select A330’s, the Upper Class available on the B747 is still one of the best in the skies. The Upper Class seats are 22” wide and turns into a 33” wide, 6’6” long, fully flat bed at the touch of a button. Every single Upper Class suite has its own aisle access too, so you can get in, out, and back in again without disturbing the passenger next to you. There’s even space for a friend or colleague to come over and chat in comfort.
Virgin Atlantic business class cabin on a B747
On boarding the plane you’ll be treated to a pre-flight tipple – a glass of Bucks Fizz or Lanson Black Label champagne in a fabulous coupé glass. Before dinner you can order your favourite drink served in brand new glassware or be adventurous and try the regularly changing signature cocktail. The meal service boasts a number of new features including a modern table setting using designer linen and elegant, specially designed crockery and cutlery.
For dinner, the Upper Class menu offers a delicious selection of hot and cold cuisine and delectable desserts. There’s also a choice of fine wine, plus cheese and port to finish your meal.
Lufthansa
Business Class on the Lufthansa B747-8 stretches over two floors linked by a staircase. On both floors, the re-worked cabin design opens up a completely new feeling of space and the overhead bins are spacious too, meaning more room to store your hand luggage.
The stairs in business class on a Lufthansa B747
The exceptionally comfortable Business Class seat offers numerous functions that enable you to adjust it to suit your preferences and you can extend it into a full-length, fully flat bed. The personal entertainment system has a 15” display and the screen can now be moved and turned on its bracket to suit your personal sight line, meaning you’ll be able to enjoy the best possible picture from any angle.
Qantas
If you fly Business Class on Australian airline Qantas, you’ll be able to enjoy A380 comfort and a state-of-the-art cabin environment on the Boeing 747-400. In the Business cabin you can enjoy new cabin mood lighting and the award-winning fully-flat Skybed designed by Marc Newson, which measures 24 inches wide and provides an 80 inch seat pitch and bed length. It also features a powerful back massage feature, enhanced privacy divider, softer leather armrests, a larger 12.1 inch entertainment screen and additional personal storage. You can also enjoy the latest in-flight technology with over 1500 entertainment options including digital games, Lonely Planet destination guides and a dedicated kids section, as well as PC power and USB ports for charging electronics.
Business class seat on Qantas B747
The B747-400 Reconfiguration Program includes the complete fit out of the aircraft interior including new seats and new cabin configurations. The newly-configured aircraft are fitted with 364 seats: 58 Business, 36 Premium Economy and 270 Economy. The seats in all three cabins have won awards for their design and comfort, including the 2009 Australian International Design Award for the Economy seat.
Delta
Delta’s re-engineered 747-700 has been designed to offer state-of-the-art amenities and world class comforts for the business traveller. The Business Elite cabin features private, all-front facing flat-bed seats with spacious seat areas and direct aisle access. Travellers can enjoy the convenience of generous storage, a 5-course signature dining menu, and an improved in-flight entertainment experience including more than 1000 on-demand movies, TV, gaming and music choices through an oversized, swivelling, 15-inch monitor. When it’s time to sleep, each seat fully converts to a flat bed, complete with full size pillow and quilted duvet comforter.
Business class cabin on Delta B747
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