Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways has unveiled new seats in premium economy and economy that will fly on international routes—and fliers at the back of the plane are getting more space.
Both of the seats will offer improvements in comfort, including enhanced ergonomic design features, like “optimized seat pitch and reclining capabilities,” according to a release from ANA. Seats in both cabins will also feature new convenient touches like USB-C charging ports (in addition to AC power and USB-A ports) and Bluetooth audio connectivity for headsets.
The carrier said the new seats will be gradually added to its Boeing 787-9 planes starting in 2026. ANA uses its Boeing 787-9 planes to operate long-haul routes to and from the US, including its Honolulu-to-Tokyo flights.
In premium economy, the new seats will have a roomy 40 inches of pitch—two more inches than the current seats have—and recline an additional two inches, bringing the total recline to nine inches. Each spot will also have a new 15.6-inch entertainment screen, as well as leg rests. The premium economy cabin will be laid out in a 2-3-2 seat configuration.
Economy fliers will get a little more space too, with the new seats adding an additional inch of legroom, thanks to a redesigned seat back that carves out more space around the knees. The average total pitch of the new economy seats will clock in at 33 to 34 inches. What’s more: the economy seats will also have a deeper recline—increased by two inches to a six-inch recline—making sleeping on those long-haul international flights that much easier. These new dimensions are among the largest economy class seats among any airline, according to ANA.
The new economy cabin will be configured in a 3-3-3 seating layout, and passengers will also have access to a new 13.3-inch entertainment screen.
"ANA is committed to continually elevating the passenger experience and the new seats represent our ongoing investment in providing customers with greater comfort and convenience on our international flights," Tomoji Ishii, ANA’s executive vice president, customer experience management and planning said in a statement.
But the airline isn’t only making changes toward the back of the plane. While presenting the new premium economy and economy seats, ANA executives also teased a new business-class cabin coming to the carrier’s Boeing 787-9 jets, according to a report from The Points Guy, and details for that sure-to-be-luxe product is expected to be revealed later this year. ANA is known for its current ultra-spacious business-class suites—called The Room—which offers an extremely wide seat with privacy doors and flies on a handful of the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER planes.
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