Skytrax names SAA’s flat-bed the best

SOUTH African Airways' (SAA) business class flat-bed seat has been named the best in the world by a Skytrax survey, beating British Airways and Virgin Atlantic for the top spot. "The past couple of years we have seen a fairly constant battle of words between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic about who had the best business class seat, and I am sure it will come as a surprise to many that we selected the new South African Airways flat-bed business class seat over both of these airlines," said Peter Miller of Skytrax. Skytrax is a British-based leading specialist advisor to the airline industry which provides intensive product and service research, quality evaluation audits to airlines and airport operators and the world. "The product tests for this flat-bed analysis were conducted independently by Skytrax Research, over a two month period from July to August 2004. Long haul flights to evaluate the different airline seats were compared on a like for like basis with similar flight durations. The same research staff applied identical comfort testing to each of these finalist airline's flat-bed seats," added Miller. "In naming the SAA seat as the best, we have taken into account the different uses and stages of a long haul flight - sitting and dining positions, sleep comfort, sleep privacy, cabin ambience etc. The more spacious cabin layout - combined with a top quality seat - takes SAA into this prestigious position, and the accolade for the World's Best Business Class Seat," said Skytrax. (Lucy Siebert)