There’s a photo going around today of a passenger in United Polaris Business putting up a curtain for added privacy. First seen on Facebook, and the same was uploaded to Reddit.
This “Homemade Polaris Suite” sure gave me a laugh:
It’s safe to say that this creative passenger wanted some extra privacy, which can be a bit lacking on some Polaris seats (for business class standards, of course).
This made me think about business class doors in general. Many airlines have implemented privacy doors these days, and many airlines that don’t have them yet have plans to install them for their next-gen suites. Are they a must-have in today’s business class world?
Let me give a few airline examples before my thoughts on business class doors.
American Airlines
American Airlines will soon begin flying its new Flagship Suite Business Class seats on newly delivered Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR.
One of the features of these seats will be privacy doors, both on the on the A321XLR’s herringbone and the 787-9’s reverse herringbone seats.
This is an improvement from a privacy point of view which American’s current seats lack, especially the “Concept D” seating on the 787-8.
Related: What American Airlines is planning for their A321XLR aircraft
Japan Airlines
Aisle seats on Japan Airlines and its (now) old Apex Suites lack privacy, as they’re fully exposed to the aisle. These seats are still in the air on the 777s and 787s, although the 777s will soon be retired, and the 787s are rumored to be retrofitted with newer seats.
I’ve always been a huge fan of these seats, but they’re definitely past their prime.
JAL’s new business class seats not only feature privacy doors, but the build of the whole suite is like a privacy box. A far different experience from the former Apex seats on the 777s and the 787s from a privacy point of view.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand is an interesting one. They recently introduced a new business class product that will replace their outdated 1-1-1 herringbone configuration seats. However, they’re still sticking to herringbone seats and won’t feature privacy doors.
I was particularly puzzled by the introduction of these seats.
Reverse herringbone seats are superior to herringbone seats in terms of privacy, and yet Air New Zealand won’t feature doors on this new herringbone seat. These seats are a rare example of going in a different direction from today’s industry standard.
The Industry Standard
Air New Zealand is an exception, though. In addition to the American and JAL examples I gave, I can go on and on and name airlines that have shifted towards a “privacy first” business class product.
In business class, I (and I assume many others) value two things: privacy and sleep. These go hand in hand as well. In fully enclosed suites, I have fewer distractions around me when I’m trying to sleep and fewer chances of people bumping into me while they walk down the aisle. I don’t need an entire ceiling-to-floor curtain, but some personal space to a certain degree works.
Airlines are seemingly catching up to this idea, and it has become a growing trend to match this standard when introducing next-gen business class suites.
Now, back to the question: is this a must-have for airlines? I’d say mostly yes. I talk a lot about and stress the importance of allowing passengers to choose their own experience onboard. I’ve discussed this idea regarding free Wi-Fi + IFE screens many times in the past, and it’s the same thing here. Some passengers may not care for a privacy door and may not even notice it if one is offered. However, many other passengers do and value the privacy that comes with it. For either type of passenger here, they’re able to choose their experience for themselves when business class doors are installed. In today’s industry, I think it’s better for airlines to offer them instead of not.
Featured image by American Airlines.
