This week, AirBerlin’s redesigned business class has finally taken to the air on a select number of routes offering premium passengers a true business class experience. It is no surprise that AirBerlin installed the same lay-flat seat in business class that their partner and 29% owner Etihad has on their long-haul aircrafts. The new lay-flat business suite offers all the luxuries of flying including 180° full flat seats with direct aisle access, 15” personal LED monitor with over 200 hours of in-flight entertainment, noise-absorbing headphones, as well as a power outlet and a USB port in every seat. The entire long-haul A330 fleet will make the transition over the course of the year and before long all long-haul flights will offer this new product.
The first flights that will see this product are, again no surprise, routes that connect Abu Dhabi (Etihad’s base) to Germany and onwards. Hopefully planes connecting the US and the rest of AirBerlin’s network will be launched by the years end.
The current schedule of routes can be located on Air Berlin’s webpage, and the list will be updated as more planes are refurbished and more routes are added.
If you are looking to take advantage of a free flight on AirBerlin to experience the new business class suite, consider using your American Express Premier Gold or Platinum Membership reward points and transfer them to either British Airways or Iberia. A quick search on BA.com shows many of these routes with 1 or 2 seats available on most days this spring! Flights between Germany and Abu Dhabi cost as little as $76 + 50K miles roundtrip on BA! Other redemption options are available through any of Air Berlins partners (including AA)! Or for an even better deal use SPG points for their Nights & Flights Awards and select AirBerlin as the transfer partner and for 60,000 SPG points, you’ll get 50K TopGuest miles (45K are needed for 1 roundtrip Biz class seat Europe-AUH, meaning you’ll get to pocket 5K miles) and 5 free nights at a category 3 hotel, including the Le Méridien Abu Dhabi!
The new suites are now flying and AirBerlin is the latest of the airlines to follow the industry trend of layflat seats in the forward cabin. If anyone does fly any of these routes, I would love to hear your thoughts of the new product!
