class

BUSINESS class is a rare luxury – a chance for those with deep pockets to sip champagne, lie flat and catch the latest movies at 35,000 feet.

But what if the option to recline was taken away…

As well as the large TV screen… Would you even be left with a business class seat? One airline thinks so.

Trinity Airways’ new business class seat features a sofa-like chair and a wraparound privacy screen… And that is it.

There is no recline option nor a TV screen.

The plane does have WiFi onboard so you can watch films on your own laptop or tablet though.

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This ‘no frills’ seat is the new option on the South Korean budget carrier’s rebranded cabins on its new Airbus A330-900neo jets.

The seat is called SoFab and is despite being around since 2023, Trinity recently adopted the seat and is currently the only airline to have it onboard its planes.

Unlike most business class seats that recline, have a large – and usually – LED screen and a cosy lie-flat bed, SoFab instead takes it back to basics.

When you do want to sleep, you will have to pull a tab and a cushioned ottoman will slide out, filling the gap between the seat and the footwell to create the long bed.

This means you can sit upright with your legs stretched out or slouch down into the chair, lying across it and the ottoman.

Reports claim that SoFab’s bed is around 25 per cent larger than other business class seats.

In total it stretches, 198cm long (roomy enough for someone who is 6’5 to lie flat) and 102cm wide.

Across the cabin, these seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 layout so that each passenger can directly access the aisle.

Instead of each seat featuring a door, a curved shell wraps around the passenger acting as a privacy screen,

And for the two passengers in the middle of the plane, there is also a privacy divider between them.

Of course, like most seats, there is air conditioning as well as a USB socket.

As for when it comes to meal time, the tray table can also be a side table – which means passengers don’t have to fully collapse the table just to get up and pop to the loo.

And because the seats down have a screen, the plane is cheaper to fly, which also means cheaper tickets.

While Trinity Airways doesn’t fly direct from the UK, a one-way trip from Rome to Seoul for example, costs around £1,296.21 for a business class seat in December.

In comparison, a one-way trip from Rome to Seoul with Korean Air in business class costs around £1,816.96.

JET2 is launching a fancy new plane with sleek seats and loads of legroom.

The airline’s new VIP plane will be used for charter customers with a total of 76 seats which are all business class.

Each seat has a minimum leg room of 42 inches – compared to the average 30 inches in an economy seat.

Each seat features a black leather-like fabric with wide armrests and collapsible tray tables.

Images also suggest that a foot rest raises from the seat.

Passengers can also expect higher levels of comfort across the cabin as well as upgraded catering, with pictures showing champagne served alongside meals.

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The Boeing 737-800NG is based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport and will be used for sports, music and entertainment event groups.

It marks the first plane the airline has configured an aircraft with a business class layout – usual layouts have 189 seats.

The airline is currently accepting bookings on the plane for the winter season.

Trevor Caplis, Head of Charter & Airline Sales at Jet2, said: “This is the first time that we have featured a dedicated business class specification on our aircraft, so this is an incredibly exciting development for charter customers.

“The feedback from charter customers who have flown on it has been exceptional, with the premium feel, space and comfort onboard really shining through.

“This luxurious cabin environment, alongside the award-winning Jet2 customer service, looks set to be a huge hit with charter clients this winter.”

FANCY travelling through Europe in the comfort of your own private cabin rather than a cramped plane? This new sleeper train might be the answer.

Nox Mobility is launching next year as an alternative to short-haul flights – and they’re pretty cheap too.

The sleeper train will launch in March next year with its first journey between Hamburg and Munich with stops in Bremen and Augsburg.

The inaugural run will leave Hamburg at 9.22pm and arrive at 8.14am – there will go in each direction three times per week.

Tickets are affordable too with one-way fares starting from €65 (£55).

Rather than regular train carriages, inside will be Nox Suites – a private area for each passenger with a seat that opens into a lounge to work or unwind.

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Inside is also a two-metre-long bed, storage, charging ports and a window to gaze out of.

There’s also no restaurant carriage on Nox Mobility, however you can pre-order meals to be served in your cabin and breakfast is available as an optional add-on.

On Nox, children under the age of four are allowed to travel for free with an adult passenger. 

It also teased future rooms which are actually private cabins.

The Single Loft has a seat and desk for the day with a bed for during the night.

The Double Loft is the most spacious room with a 170cm wide bed, two seats and a panoramic window to take in the views.

The Double Vista has ‘two seats by day and two beds by night’ in a private room with a full window.

It also hopes to launch more journeys later on to cities like Stockholm, Vienna, Amsterdam, Toulouse, Barcelona all the way to Reggio di Calabria in Italy.

In fact by 2035 it aims to connect 100 European cities.

Thibault Constant, co-founder of Nox said: “Sleeping while a train gets you across Europe is a great concept. But today people have to share their cabins with strangers, beds are tight, and it’s often more expensive than air travel.

“We want to change that and make night trains an essential part of European travel.”

A U.S. Navy F-35C has made the first arrested landing for the type aboard a Ford class aircraft carrier, with the milestone taking place aboard the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) in the Western Atlantic on October 13, 2026. The milestone marks a major step in testing the Navy’s stealth fighter aboard its newest carrier class, following years of challenges integrating advanced launch and recovery systems.

Two F-35C test pilots assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23), part of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), flew to the carrier as part of an ongoing Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) campaign. A team from the Patuxent River-based F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF), detached to the ship, is conducting the evaluation using a specially instrumented example of the carrier-capable stealth fighter. The imagery released shows two jets, although only one is seen landing on the flattop. The other is seen carrying inert Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs externally.

The Navy took preliminary acceptance of the carrier from Newport News Shipbuilding on September 29, following successful acceptance trials in August. That development allows the ship and its crew to conduct at-sea testing and build underway proficiency while the shipbuilder completes final systems testing ahead of formal delivery, scheduled for spring 2027.

The test is an important step in validating the integration of the F-35C with the Ford class. The Navy’s newest carriers use electromagnetic catapults and advanced arresting equipment, replacing the steam-powered launch systems and conventional arresting machinery found aboard the preceding Nimitz class.

Aircraft Compatibility Testing assesses the operational capabilities of a ship’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment with U.S. Navy aircraft. The process helps engineers evaluate how the carrier’s systems interact with individual aircraft and collect data needed to validate their performance.

The F-35C is specifically designed for carrier operations, with larger wings, reinforced landing gear and a beefier tail hook compared with the Air Force’s F-35A. Its ability to launch from a carrier and recover through an arrested landing is central to its role in the Navy’s carrier air wings, which also include F-35Cs operated by the U.S. Marine Corps.

The use of a specially instrumented aircraft is particularly relevant to the test campaign. Instrumentation allows test teams to record data during flight-deck operations, helping them assess system performance and identify any issues requiring further evaluation.

The first arrested landing aboard John F. Kennedy demonstrates that the ship has reached an important F-35C compatibility milestone. It does not, however, establish that all testing, certification, or operational qualification requirements have been completed.

The milestone comes against the backdrop of the Ford class program’s difficulties integrating some of its advanced aviation systems. The lead ship, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), introduced the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), technologies intended to improve aircraft-launch flexibility, recovery performance, and overall sortie generation. Development and reliability challenges with both EMALS and AAG have contributed to delays in the class’s progress. In a 2019 report, TWZ highlighted concerns that Ford class carriers would not be ready to operate the F-35C for years.

USS Gerald R. Ford was designed and built before the F-35C’s full carrier-integration requirements were sufficiently mature, so the Navy deferred several upgrades to a later modernization period rather than delaying the ship’s delivery. Following congressional pressure, the Navy adopted a single-phase delivery approach for USS John F. Kennedy, incorporating these modifications during construction instead.

The USS Gerald R. Ford completed its Aircraft Compatibility Testing in January 2020, following 16 days at sea, during which the crew launched and recovered 211 aircraft, testing five different airframes — but the F-35C was not included.

Beyond EMALS and AAG, integrating the F-35C on Kennedy requires modifications to the carrier’s maintenance infrastructure and support systems. These include specialized spaces for handling the aircraft’s sensitive mission systems and classified data, computer networks and interfaces linking its maintenance and logistics systems with the Navy’s existing infrastructure, and facilities and equipment to support the upkeep of its low-observable coatings and materials. The Navy has also identified the need for more robust jet blast deflectors (JBDs), which protect flight-deck personnel and equipment from the F-35C’s intense engine exhaust.

Earlier F-35C integration work aboard Nimitz class carriers included JBD modifications to improve heat resistance and cooling, while planning for John F. Kennedy explicitly included both JBD upgrades and changes to maintenance spaces and information systems.

The latest test represents progress toward resolving the compatibility question, although the full scope of the remaining work will depend on the results of the ongoing evaluation.

The development also comes as China advances its own carrier aviation capabilities. Unlike the U.S. Navy, its Fujian aircraft carrier has demonstrated electromagnetic catapult launches and arrested recoveries involving several aircraft types, including the J-35 stealth fighter.

In contrast to the U.S. Navy, which accumulated decades of experience with steam-powered catapults before adopting electromagnetic launch technology, China chose electromagnetic catapults for its first catapult-equipped carrier.

Although China’s demonstrations aboard Fujian and the F-35C compatibility testing aboard Kennedy involve different aircraft, ships, and stages of development, both underscore the technical demands of integrating advanced aircraft with modern carrier launch and recovery systems.

For the U.S. Navy, the immediate priority is to demonstrate that the Ford class can reliably support its intended aircraft. The F-35C’s first arrested landing aboard Kennedy is a significant step in that process, with further testing — not least an EMALS takeoff — needed before the milestone can begin to translate into an operational capability.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

Pualani Olotoa-Le’au, a 15-year-old sophomore at Carson High, has become a major contributor in flag football and softball for the Colts.

She’s the starting safety and linebacker for the flag football team. She’s also a catcher for the softball team.

She’s excelling off the field by being a dual enrolled student, taking classes at L.A. Harbor College and Carson.

She’s part Samoan, Filipino, Mexican, Japanese and Native American.

Carson is 11-4 overall and 4-1 in the Marine League for flag football.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

MINI bars at your seat, fancy amenity kits and the ‘world’s biggest business class’ – British Airways’ latest announcement is transforming the way Brits will fly with the flag carrier.

The airline’s huge new upgrades are part of the A380 retrofit programme.

Set to cost millions, it will see new seats in every single cabin, including in World Traveller – economy – and its premium economy, World Traveller Plus.

It will also have what they are calling the world’s biggest business class as well, with 106 Club Suite seats which will be on the upper deck.

This is alongside 12 seats in First, 84 in World Traveller Plus and 215 in World Traveller.

The new amenity kits have been rolled out as well – First Class passengers will get bags designed by Swaine with Wildsmith toiletries, and Business Class will get unique patterned bags with anatome products.

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First passengers will be getting a few other upgrades as well.

This includes new pyjamas with a bespoke tartan pattern design, along with slippers and blankets.

A built in mini bar will also mean First passengers can get their own snacks without having to go to the galley, with chocolates, mints and even electrolytes.

A new dining experience will include onboard Bollinger, and a wide cocktail menu. Even racks of lamb and grilled salmon will be on the menu.

British Airways boss Sean Doyle said: “This is a major milestone for British Airways and the future of our A380 fleet, marking one of the most significant transformations we’ve ever undertaken on any aircraft.

‘We’ve completely reimagined the customer experience, introducing new and updated seats in every cabin, all carefully considered to deliver greater comfort and an elevated customer experience.

“From redesigned interiors and upgraded dining to new amenities and service delivery, every detail has been thoughtfully designed with our customers front and centre, helping them to have a more seamless and memorable experience when they fly with us.”

Off the plane, new airport lounges are also being introduced.

A new lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 C will open by the end of 2028, while the Heathrow Arrivals lounge is being redesigned.

Lounges across the US including Boston, Newark and San Francisco are being updated, along with Geneva.