While most airlines with long-haul routes offer business class on their flights, it is unusual to see it as an option for low-cost airlines like flydubai. According to the aviation data and statistics website ch-aviation, flydubai has an all Boeing fleet of 88 aircraft comprising 29 Boeing 737-800s, 56 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and 3 Boeing 737 MAX 9s.
While it is quite unusual to find a business class offering on a Boeing 737 and even more so on an airline that bills itself as being low-cost, several other airlines like Panama’s COPA and Aeromexico have Boeing 737s with a business class. If you fly business class with an airline in Europe, it usually means that the only difference between business and economy is that in business class, the middle seat is not for sale.
The flydubai business class offering
Marketed as the ultimate way to fly, the Dubai International Airport (DXB)-based airline listened to customer feedback and began moving away from its initial no-frills business model in 2013. The first step was to reconfigure the seating layout in 20 of its Boeing 737-800s to accommodate 12 first class seats at the front of the cabin. In November 2017, the airline went a step further by introducing fully lay-flat seats in the business class section of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9s.
Photo: flydubai
On May 1, 2023, during the Arabian Travel Market international travel trade show, flydubai unveiled its new premium business class seat designed exclusively for single-aisle aircraft. Similar to the business class experience on widebody jets, all flydubai Boeing 737s fitted with the new Safran Seats will have direct aisle access.
Features of the flydubai business class seats include:
- Privacy: Unlike traditional business class seats that were open plan for more significant social interaction, flydubai business class passengers can select their level of privacy based on their mood by leaving a partition wall open or closed.
- Personal belongings: The new business class seats provide passengers ample storage and accessibility for personal items while maintaining a clutter-free living space.
- Ambient lighting: Lighting is incorporated throughout the suite to ensure a relaxing ambiance.
- Entertainment system: All business class suites feature a built-in 17-inch 4K touchscreen, which allows passengers to use Bluetooth headphones to watch hours of blockbuster movies and popular television shows.
- Dining options: On flydubai flights, business class passengers are offered a selection of delicious meals and snacks along with complimentary hot and cold beverages. Note that hot meals are only available on flights longer than 90 minutes.
Photo: flydubai
When speaking about its new business class offering in a company statement, flydubai Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ghaith Al Ghaith said:
“flydubai is committed to exceeding expectations. Our business and product offerings have evolved from the initial no-frills model over the past 14 years to cater to the ever-growing needs of our customers and the markets we operate to. We have come a long way since the introduction of our first Business Class offering in 2013, which has served us well.
“Today, we are proud to unveil a new premium product that rivals the business-class experience offered by many airlines on wide-body aircraft. We will continue to invest in innovation to enhance the customer experience across our growing fleet.”
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Adding to the comments, flydubai Vice President of Inflight Product Daniel Kerrison said:
“The new business suite will take comfort on board to the next level. The increased height of the back-shell, a sliding suite door and direct aisle access for every passenger create a level of privacy never before seen on Boeing 737s. We have been working with Safran Seats and JPA Design over the past three years to develop an experience that meets the growing demand for premium air travel services across our network, offering passengers wide-body comfort on our narrow-body fleet.”
How business class came to be
Once upon a time, many airlines offered a premium cabin on their long-haul flights that they affectionately called “first class.” In 1976, the Netherlands national flag carrier Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. (KLM) introduced a service for its full-fare economy passengers that allowed them to sit in the front rows of the economy class directly behind the first class cabin. The idea soon caught on, and other airlines began configuring their seating in a three-class layout.
photo: flydubai
This way of thinking changed after Concorde’s introduction, and airlines assumed that their first-class passengers would choose flying supersonic over flying first class on non-supersonic aircraft. In 1978, British Airways introduced “Club World” for its full-fare-paying economy passengers to separate them and offer them a better onboard experience than passengers traveling on discounted fares.
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The move worked and was soon copied by Pan American and Air France. On November 1, 1981, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) ditched its first class option to offer two classes of service: business class and economy class. Today, some carriers still offer a first class cabin, but the vast majority have made business class their premium offering, followed by premium economy and economy.
About flydubai
Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, flydubai is an Emirati government-owned low-cost airline operating mainly from Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport (DXB). With its Boeing 737s, flydubai flies to 124 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Flydubai’s shortest flight is to Kish Island, a free-trade area and a special zone of Iran, and its longest flight is a six-and-a-half-hour flight to Penang, Malaysia.