The new ‘no frills’ business class seats with no TVs, privacy doors or reclining seats
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.