South Korean low cost carrier T’way Air recently rebranded as Trinity Airways. With Korean Air and Asiana merging, the airline is increasingly launching long haul flights to compete with the airline group, and offer a lower fare alternative.
Along those lines, the airline will soon start taking delivery of Airbus A330-900neos. Ahead of that, the company has unveiled the new business class product it will introduce on these planes, which strikes me as being the world’s most basic flat bed business class (thanks to S_LEE for flagging this).
In this post:
Trinity Airways introduces Optimares SoFab business class seats
Trinity Airways will soon take delivery of its first of five Airbus A330-900neos, which the airline will use for its expansion. The airline plans to equip these planes in a two-cabin layout, with a total of 336 seats. This includes 12 business class seats and 324 economy seats.
What’s fascinating is the business class product the airline opted for. Trinity Airways is the launch customer for the Optimares SoFab seat, which is quite something. The good news is that the seat is fully flat. The bad news is that the seat doesn’t actually have any recline, and Trinity Airways also isn’t installing any seat back entertainment.
Below you can see a video about the seating concept (this is promoting the seat as such, while Trinity Airways obviously customized it with its finishes, etc.).
I would imagine that this is a very efficient seat for the airline, in terms of the cost of the seat as such, its weight, and its ongoing maintenance costs. By eliminating all the electrical systems in the seat, it reduces the weight, and also makes maintenance much easier.
For context, Trinity Airways’ wide body fleet otherwise consists of some Airbus A330-300s with angled flat seats in business class, along with some ex-Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ERs with reverse herringbone seats in business class (these are simply inherited interiors, like what you’ll find on Turkmenistan Airlines).
This is somewhere between Finnair and ZIPAIR
This new cabin feels like a hybrid between the premium products of Finnair and ZIPAIR, in terms of having something comparable to the seat on Finnair, and the entertainment situation on ZIPAIR.
Finnair has the Collins Aerospace AirLounge seat, which is also a non-reclining flat bed. As much as that concept might sound unpleasant, I actually think it’s pretty innovative and don’t mind it, assuming the bedding is decent enough (so that you can position yourself correctly and get support for situations where you don’t want to sleep).
Up until now, I’ve argued that ZIPAIR has the world’s most basic flat bed business class. I mean, I guess technically it’s not even business class, as the airline just markets it as “Full Flat.” However, the idea is that the airline has reverse herringbone seats produced by JAMCO, with no seat back entertainment.
To be clear, while I’m labeling Trinity Airways’ new cabins as the most basic flat bed business class out there, that’s not to say it’s the worst. At least the seats all offer direct aisle access, so I’d take this over most products that don’t offer that. Or at least that’s what I think — I can’t say so definitively, since I haven’t actually flown this product yet.
Bottom line
T’way Air is now Trinity Airways, and coinciding with that, the airline has unveiled its new business class for the Airbus A330-900neo fleet. The airline will offer a unique product, as it’ll be the launch customer for the Optimares SoFab seat. This is a fully flat seat that doesn’t recline, and Trinity Airways also elected not to offer seat back entertainment.
I must say, I’m mighty curious to try this seat, so once the airline takes delivery of the plane, I’ll be planning a Trinity Airways trip!
What do you make of Trinity Airways’ new business class?
The biggest difference with ZIPAIR is that they have WiFi – no WiFi, no entertainment is going to be a recipe for a very long 14h flight to BCN or FCO.
Their economy class seats also look strangely similar to Ryanair's newer stock.
"Trinity Airways" sounds like they should have their fortress hub in Vatican City.
It remains to be seen if it offers the same comfort like the Finnair seat, which is great. The lack of a screen is really irrelevant for me, I have not watched a movie on a plane for at least 20 years.
I actually like the seat a lot. As mentioned, the general layout is quite similar to Finnair's business class seat and I don't mind the missing entertainment screen. I usually bring my own entertainment. Of course, the missing flight map will be an issue for some. Offered at the correct price, I would book it.
Reminds me of the bare bones Air Asia X A330 business class. now that was a fun ride! everything was an add on, even basic food!
Much prefer 'premium' seats that partially recline on the way to lie-flat (like most lie-flat; the Zip Air example, even if it doesn't have IFE/AVOD screens), over what Finnair (and now Trinity) has. Even SQ's older J has that 'fold down' to lie-flat.