Sky beds (flat beds) - rolled out by Malaysia Airlines and Gulf Air

Malaysia Airlines rolls out the sky-bed

Malaysia Airlines began rolling out its new lie-flat beds (sky beds) this months in first and business class on the Kuala Lumpur-Tokyo, Zurich and Sydney sectors, with the new seats soon to follow on London routes.
The airline has installed the seats as part of a 90 million pond upgrade to its fleet of Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 747-400 aircrafts, which also includes cabin redesigns, fewer seats in first class and a new video-on-demand entertainment system. The refitted aircraft will be introduced at a rate of two per month from February 2005, with the first retrofitted boeing 747s being brought onto the London route in mid-February.

Described by managing director Dato Ahmad Fuaad Dahlan as “ third generation seats” (British airways being the first and airlines such as Cathay Pacific and Singapore airlines considered the second), the new seats will be in a dedicated two-class configuration for the Boeing 777-200 aircraft (business and economy) and three-class for the 747s in Malaysia’s fleet, with the number of first class seats reduced to 12.
First class seats will have a 203cm pitch, fully flat recline, electrically operated head rest and a privacy " pod". The business seats will recline into an angled flat bed, with seat pitch of 147cm. The airline has installed a Matsushita entertainment system across all classes which features 40 films and 200 CDs that can be stopped and started on demand.

Malaysia Airlines flies 22 times a week from the UK to Kuala Lumpur, including four times a week from Manchester, but the airline is seeking greater frequency from Heatrow and is also looking at increasing its Manchester frequency and starting flights from Gatwick.

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A whole new definition of comfort

Gulf Air Sky beds - coming in 2005 to first and business class

So that your flight is nothing less than perfect, our first Sky Beds will be available on all Airbus A330 flights between Gulf and Europe. Learn how we've taken comfort into a new realm when you stretch out on these, the newest, most advanced and ergonomically sound Sky beds. Enjoy a good night's sleep and complete privacy in cocoon style cabins. It's another of the many ways in which Gulf Air has earned your confidence and an Excellence Award as the most improved airline. That's why Gulf Air is better for business. For more information visit www.gulfairco.com