Why superbusiness minisuites are the future of luxury flying

After a long, golden sunset of being installed on fewer and fewer aircraft, the retirement of older aircraft caused by the Covid-19 pandemic means that when air travel resumes, international first class will be very nearly a thing of the past. Its replacement is a new generation of superbusiness minisuites, more spacious than regular business class, and with a privacy door to create your own space, but without the over-the-top luxury of first class. Fewer $600 bottles of Champagne, but tickets at business class prices. So what is superbusiness? At its core it's a top-notch business class seat that goes fully flat like a bed, without any neighbors to climb over, with an improved business class service and, most crucially, with closing privacy doors that give you a minisuite experience. "The rapid design evolution of the minisuite shows just how serious airlines are about delivering a better sleep with enhanced privacy, better work spaces and more stowage," explains Daniel Baron, managing director of Lift Aero Design, a Tokyo-based studio that works with airlines and seatmakers to create cabins. Baron highlights that these superbusiness minisuites "matter to an airline because a tangible raising of the bar is typically associated with increased revenue, loyalty or both. Even if competitors react by taking the plunge for a similar product, the market disrupter might have around two years of competitive advantage due to lead time for development and installation."<br/>