VantageDUO: Innovative New Narrow Body Business Class Seat

Thompson Aero has a new seat. I don't think the market for it is that huge, or that there aren't also some drawbacks, but it's innovative and has potential.

Thompson Aero’s new single aisle business class

The new business class seating concept is called VantageDUO. Long haul flat beds with doors are one of the most popular business class innovations. This is not the same as the other one. It is intended to be an alternative to your typical regional recliner business class seat and it is also designed for narrow body aircraft.

Some of the basics of the seat are listed here.

• Seats are in a 2-2 configuration on narrow body jets, and have 41″ of pitch (for context, domestic first class seats in the United States generally have 36-37″ of pitch)
• Seats are angled away from the aisle, in order to reduce seat pitch
• While most seats with a similar footprint feature up to 110 degrees of recline, these seats feature 130 degrees of recline
• Seats have a fixed shell, so you won’t be reclining into anyone else’s space
• When reclined, seats have a zero gravity position, “taking pressure off the heart and allowing a stress-free position”
• Seats can feature 13.3″ personal televisions, AC and USB power outlets, wireless charging, storage pockets for water bottles and tablets, and the ability to have seat numbers written into the seat fabric
• While window seats don’t have direct aisle access, they have a larger counter space, thanks to the footwell underneath that area

Some of the highlighted features of the seats are listed below.

My take on the Thompson Aero VantageDUO seat

The market where we don't see much creativity is where it's exciting to see a new regional product. Delta recently launched a new first class seat on its A321neos, which is just about the most innovation we've seen in this space so far.

Which airlines would be interested in a product like this? There is a need for more comfort due to the fact that narrow body aircraft are continuing to fly further and further. It's generally speaking.

• I wouldn’t expect to see this in domestic first class on any US airline, because US airlines likely wouldn’t be willing to increase seat pitch from 37-38″ to 41″
• I could see some more premium airlines using this as their regional business class seat; for example, the pitch is comparable to Turkish Airlines’ A321neo and 737 MAX business class, so this seems like a good replacement there
• In theory this also seems like it could be a good premium economy product for airlines that choose to install that on A321XLRs, but again, the pitch is just a bit too much

Would this be a big upgrade for passengers? The benefits here are obvious. There are also possible drawbacks.

• The fact that the airline is “saving” space by angling seats away from the aisle also raises concerns about seat width, since there’s only so much usable space without cutting into the aisle
• Part of the efficiency from this product comes from the use of a footwell, and I haven’t yet seen a picture of what the footwell would look like in this seat; nobody likes having to place their feet in a small footwell
• While a fixed shell is nice in terms of not intruding into the space of the passenger behind you, it raises more concerns about how spacious this product actually is
• I feel like the best comparison to this might be Cathay Pacific’s regional business class seat, which also features more recline than standard and a fixed shell; however, I’m not sure I love it, as it kind of feels like being in a dentist’s chair

Bottom line

A new business class seat has been unveiled. The seat has 41′′ of pitch and will feature 130 degrees of recline, way more than comparable seats. The fixed shell means no one will be sitting in your space.

I can't help but wonder if this product might just feel a bit claustrophobic because of the increased recline. I am curious to see if any airlines order this product, and I will wait until I can try it.

What do you think about Thompson Aero's new idea?