SIA lets you lie back in the sky

SIA lets you lie back in the sky

SINGAPORE (JP): Singapore Airlines (SIA) plans to introduce a
new-generation business-class seat on 45 of its aircraft, with a
total investment of US$100 million.

Called the "SpaceBed", the new seats can recline into flat
beds 198 centimeters long and incline at an angle of eight
degrees.

The SpaceBed is believed to be the longest bed in the sky and
also the widest, by up to 20 cm more than any other business-
class seat or bed.

The new seats will be installed in the business-class sections
(Raffles Class) of 45 Boeing 747 Megatops and Boeing 777-200ER
aircraft serving Europe, North America and Australasia.

The SpaceBed is expected to make its first appearance in early
November, in a Boeing 747 Megatop serving the Singapore-London
route.

The longer seats mean that the airline will have eight fewer
seats in its Megatop 747 business-class cabins than the 58 seats
it has at present.

Asked if this would lead to an increase in fares, Yap Kim Wah,
SIA's senior vice president for products and services, only said
the company would review the situation nearer the launch date.

The SpaceBed uses a cushion developed for the United States'
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and conforms
to the contours of the passenger's body.

The new seats will also come with a new-generation in-flight
entertainment system called KrisWorld, which offers a choice of
40 movies and 50 games on high-resolution monitors.

A new AC power system will also be built into the SpaceBeds,
allowing passengers to send and receive e-mail and browse the
Internet on their laptops using a normal power cord. (hdn)