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SkyTeam member Air France plans to roll-out upgraded cabins and inflight connectivity on 15 of its Airbus A330s by 2020, as part of a E140m investment plan. Under the new design, which comes amid several strategic changes at the carrier, Air France’s A330s will be configured with 36 business-class seats, 21 in premium economy and 167 in economy. The new leather business-class seat converts into a lie-flat bed that is 2m long and 57.1cm wide, with sliding privacy panels between seats. The business-class product also features an 18.5-in. extra-wide HD touch-screen monitor. In premium economy, the new seats are 48.5cm wide, with a 102cm pitch, a wider footrest and a 130-deg. fixed-shell recline. Passengers get additional storage space, a 13.3-in. HD screen, a power outlet and two USB ports. Economy passengers will get more space between armrests, a larger tray table, 79cm of legroom and a 118-deg. recline, along with a wider 11.6-in. HD touch-screen monitor, a personal power outlet and a USB port. The first flight with upgraded A330 cabin operated between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Accra, Ghana, on Feb. 3.<br/>

Korean Air Lines said Monday it will sponsor flight tickets for the Vietnam national football team head coach, Park Hang-seo, as part of its promotional efforts. The sponsorship gives Park, and an accompanying person, free business-class tickets on most Korean Air routes, the company said. Park, who served as an assistant to Guus Hiddink when South Korea finished fourth at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, moved to Vietnam in 2017 to take the helm of its national football team. Under his leadership, Vietnam reached the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games. Korean Air is currently sponsoring seven sports stars, including Ryu Seungmin, Olympic gold medalist-turned IOC member; speed skaters Lee Sang-hwa and Chung Jae-won; and Chung Hyeon, a tennis champion, it said. <br/>