凯特·达菲（Kate Duffy）和西德哈斯（Siddharth）菲利普英国航空公司（Philip Airways）将在其升级的双层空客SE A380喷气式飞机上推出所谓的全球最大商务舱，瞄准优质乘客，因为航空公司急于从高档旅行中获利。
Airways will introduce what it called the world’s biggest business class on its upgraded double-decker Airbus SE A380 jets, targeting premium passengers as airlines rush to cash in on upscale travel.
IAG SA旗下的英国航空公司周一在伦敦举行的一次活动上表示，该航空公司将更新其由十几架A380组成的机队，配备一个横跨飞机整个上层甲板的新商务舱。首架升级后的A380将在未来几个月内投入使用。
IAG SA-owned British Airways will update its fleet of a dozen A380s with a new business class cabin spanning the entire upper deck of the aircraft, the airline said at an event in London on Monday. The first upgraded A380 is due to enter service in coming months.
该航空公司表示，还将升级头等舱座椅，并配备可折叠的隔板，以便将中间座椅改造成更大的客舱，供一起旅行的乘客使用。
The carrier said it will also upgrade its first class seating with dividers that fold away, enabling the conversion of middle seats into larger cabins for passengers traveling together.
这些变化将使A380上的座位数量减少11%，从469个座位减少到417个，其中大部分减少是以经济舱为代价的。经济舱泊位将减少约30%，至215个座位。
The changes will reduce the number of seats on the A380 by 11%, from 469 seats to 417, with the bulk of the reduction coming at the expense of the economy class cabin. Economy berths will be reduced by about 30% to 215 seats.
英国航空公司首席执行官肖恩·多伊尔表示：“这是航空公司有史以来最大的一笔投资，用于重新配置从机头到尾部的飞机，并触及机上体验的各个方面。”
“This is the largest single investment that any airline has ever made in reconfiguring an aircraft stretching from nose to tail and touching every single aspect of the experience on board,” British Airways Chief Executive Officer Sean Doyle said.
他说，改装一架飞机大约需要100天，第一架升级版A380将在未来几个月内投入使用。
Retrofitting one aircraft takes about 100 days, he said, and the first upgrade A380 is due to enter service in coming months.
英国航空决定斥资数百万美元改造其A380机队，这使得英国航空成为行业异类，因为世界各地的竞争对手正在逐步淘汰这家四引擎巨头，转而生产更小、更省油的双引擎喷气式飞机。然而，伦敦希思罗机场的舱位限制意味着该航空公司无法轻易地用较小的飞机取代超级巨型客机。
The decision to spend millions on transforming its fleet of A380s makes British Airways an industry outlier when rivals around the world are phasing out the four-engine behemoth for smaller, more fuel efficient twin-engine jets. However, slot constraints at London’s Heathrow airport mean that the carrier can’t as easily replace the super jumbo with smaller aircraft.
美国和欧洲航空公司一直在向头等舱和商务舱座位投入资金，以瞄准富裕乘客，在伊朗战争导致航空燃油价格飙升、推高成本之际，这些乘客是弹性现金来源。法航荷航旗下的La Premiere最近在Skytrax年度航空公司排名中荣获全球最佳头等舱奖，并计划将该服务扩展到更多美国城市。
US and European carriers have been pouring money into first- and business-class seating to target well-heeled passengers who are a resilient source of cash at a time when the war in Iran has caused jet fuel prices to soar, driving up costs. Air France-KLM’s La Premiere recently won an award for the world’s best first class in Skytrax’s annual airline rankings and has plans to expand the service to more US cities.
大西洋彼岸，达美航空公司。和联合航空控股公司通过迎合高端客户，产生了该行业的大部分盈利能力。
Across the Atlantic, Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. have generated the majority of the industry’s profitability by catering to premium customers.
英国航空公司于2024年11月首次公布了新A380头等舱座椅的计划，并计划在今年年中推出该产品。
British Airways first unveiled its plans for the new A380 first class seating in November 2024, and had planned to launch the product in the middle of this year.