BEIJING, May 7 (AFP) : Air France unveiled its new first-class seat in Shanghai on Wednesday, fuelling an international luxury-armchair race to win over Asia's rising number of high fliers.
The airline's "haute couture" suite will feature a seat that reclines into a bed stretching 2.01 metres long and 77 centimetres across (6 ft 7 ins and 30 inches) -- one of the most spacious in the world.
A total of 76 such seats will be fitted into Boeing 777-300 jets at a cost of 50 million euros ($70 million), the company said as it showed off the new offering in an expenses-paid trip for journalists to China's commercial hub.
Air travel in Asia is set to take off as growing middle classes take to the skies, prompting increasing competition for well-heeled passengers, and industry expert Didier Brechemier, of the Roland Berger Strategy consultancy, said that "first class is a tool in terms of image".
Air France unveils luxury first-class seat
FE Team | Published: May 08, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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