New Cabin Alert! New Delta, Air Canada, Riyadh Air, and Air India Business Class Cabins
- Sam
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
INCOMING!
I'm sure a lot of you follow Points Well Made because you want to use your points for "aspirational" travel. Whether that is to fly in comfort, enjoy the fine things in life, or just experience what it is like not to be herded like cattle into economy. At least that's why I started collecting points.
There is a veritable bonanza of new business class announcements happening right now, due to an aircraft interior expo happening (you may think that sounds dull, but I bet the parties are wild), so we thought we'd summarise the latest business class cabins that you may have the pleasure to fly in one day, and which are the best points schemes available to you to use. I've even included a special one at the end, that may drive Helena up the wall!
Let us know which you're looking forward to travelling on. In fact, it doesn't even have to be on this list, let us know what's exciting you!
Delta
Delta Airlines kicked things off showcasing two new business class cabins, one for their A350s, and the other for their A330s.
Why not have one design for both? That would be great, but unfortunately each aircraft type has a different fuselage width, so what may fit in one aircraft, may not work in another.
First up, the new Delta One suite debuting on the A350-1000 in early 2027, with a flat bed that's now over six and a half feet long, a pillow-top layer over the memory foam, a 24-inch 4K seatback screen (the largest Delta has ever fitted), Bluetooth, wireless charging built in, and some small amounts of storage that suggest common sense has been applied.
Next up is Delta's A330 business class, again coming to you in 2027. The A330s are finally getting suites with sliding doors for the first time, alongside the same screens, charging and fancy lighting upgrades as the A350, plus a self-serve snack station at the front of the cabin if you hadn't already eaten enough.
In the UK, you can easily book Delta flights either with Delta Skymiles, or Virgin Points.
Air Canada
Air Canada are upping the ante with their new "Glowing Hearted" business cabins for the Boeing 787-10, and Airbus A321XLR, both of which are new to Air Canada.
First up, on the 787-10 they're introducing new suites featuring 4K OLED screens, Bluetooth, and a closing door for every suite. There is also a brand new top-tier product called Signature Plus. You get a 2-metre bed, a quartzite-topped table, a dedicated guest seat so a companion can actually join you in cruise, and the two centre suites have a retractable panel between them, so four people travelling together can effectively turn the middle of the cabin into their own dining room.
Air Canada is sticking 14 lie-flat business class seats in its A321XLR's, and Edinburgh is on the list of European routes set to get the XLR from June 2026, replacing what's currently a 737 MAX 8 out of Montréal with recliner style seats in business class. The A321XLR is not a constant on this route, so do be wary when booking.
These seats may look swish, but the same seats were recently introduced by American Airlines, and passengers have not been polite about them.
In the UK, the easiest way to book Air Canada flights if you don't have their own Aeroplan points is with United MileagePlus.
Riyadh Air
If you haven't heard of Riyadh Air, they're Saudi Arabia's brand new flag carrier, aiming to launch commercial flights this year as a direct challenger to the established Gulf big three of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad.
They had previously released details of their great looking business class to the wider world, but this is a proper hands-on experience for the wider industry.
Pictures courtesy of Seth Miller from paxex.aero.
Riyadh Air have previously signed an agreement to cooperate with Virgin Atlantic, so hopefully this translates into you being able to use your Virgin Points on Riyadh Air flights in the future. Riyadh Air have also launched their own Sfeer loyalty programme which you may want to check out.
Air India
Air India are in the midst of a HUGE overhaul, and are now taking their 787-8's to be refurbished. If you've ever flown Air India, or just heard the horror stories, then you'll know how big an upgrade these seats are.
Photos courtesy of Zach Griff at fromthetraytable.com.
For Brits, the most accessible ways to book Air India flights with points are via United MileagePlus, or Singapore Krisflyer.#
Lastly...
This is a first class seat concept by the seat manufacturer Safran, that features a wrap-around video display, the sort of one to mimic the outside world for those sat in the middle of the plane (like Emirates' "gamechanger" first class suite), or...
To have video calls, Helena's idea of hell!
Sam
Points Well Made is a passion project of Sam and Helena with a loyal following. If you like what we do, and wish to help us continue to create the content you love, please consider buying us a Kofi, or subscribing monthly. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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