Customers flying from Jeddah with British Airways can now relax on board the airline's Boeing 787-9 aircraft complete with new generation first class cabins. British Airways' 787-9 aircraft touched down at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah for the first time yesterday morning. For customers looking to fly on board British Airways' 787-9 from Jeddah, return fares to London are available starting from as little as SR 2435. The 787-9 is now a mainstay of the expansive British Airways fleet following the launch of the aircraft on the Delhi route in October 2015. The UK airline started flying the Dreamliner on two Middle Eastern routes, Abu Dhabi and Muscat, in November last year, which was shortly followed by Kuala Lumpur in December and the Texan city of Austin in February 2016, and San Jose, California, in May. The 787-9 is 20ft longer that its 787-8 predecessor (of which the airline has eight), so as well as offering World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and Club World (business class), there's also room for a new First class cabin — a first for the airline's 787 fleet. Paolo De Renzis, head of Middle East, Africa and Central Asia Sales for British Airways, said, "British Airways has a long history of flying to the Kingdom going back to 1965 when we first launched flights to the city. Fast forward to today and our daily flight from Jeddah to London Heathrow's Terminal 5 — the home of British Airways — is now a gateway for thousands of customers who want to explore London, Europe, North America and further afield. "Our premium options have always received high demand on the Jeddah route. The Dreamliner is a new generation aircraft that is the perfect home for our luxurious new first cabin and the spacious seats and cabin environment offers even more exclusivity and privacy to our Saudi Arabian customers." The new first suites reflect a new generation in premium travel. The first cabin has just eight seats in comparison to the 14 available on other British Airways long-haul aircraft, giving even more exclusivity and privacy to customers flying from Jeddah. Created specifically for the Boeing 787-9, the new first suites have been painstakingly designed based on feedback from first customers, to put comfort at the heart of the experience and make the very best use of the more intimate space. 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 handy mirror has also been fitted to the inside of the locker door for personal grooming. Customers who need to charge any devices can now do so in a discreet stowage area next to their armrest. Great 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 travelers can control their in-flight entertainment. During flight, the handset can be docked so that customers are also able to watch one item, such as the moving map, on the handset and another, such as a film, on the 23inch fixed screen. This also means travelers will be able to enjoy gate-to-gate entertainment, without having to stow their television for take-off and landing. The smart ‘jog-dial' now manages six different functions of the seat, including the recline, headrest and lumbar inflate and a ‘global' lighting control to manage both ambient and reading lighting. The new first cabin on the Boeing 787-9 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 787s are the most technologically advanced aircraft in British Airways' fleet. Different pressurization 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. The bespoke lighting in every cabin can be set to reflect the time of day, helping to lull travelers 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 that travelers arrive feeling fresher and the effect of jet-lag is lessened. With a total of 42 Boeing 787 Dreamliners destined to join British Airways, the aircraft is to become the mainstay of the airline's fleet. —SG
