Sliding doors in business class: A gimmick or not?

[Mattg]

Every time an airline launches a new long-haul Business Class product these days, there seems to be a lot of discussion about whether or not the seat has sliding doors.

I get that it gives a perceived increase in privacy, although the doors are normally low enough that anyone walking past could see over them anyway - and many modern J seats offer quite good privacy anyway.

Is a sliding door something that you value (and are prepared to pay more for), or is it really just a gimmick and something that takes up space that could be used for something else?

 

[Quickstatus]

If airlines are really serious about fuel saving, carbon emission they would remove gimmicks like sliding doors.

Or remove it and give me more luggage allowance. It's got to be at least 20kg there

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I am definitely a fan of sliding doors. They do influence my choice of J product.
Obviously the higher the better, but if they screen me from other, seated pax, that's a start.

 

[Mattg]

If airlines are really serious about fuel saving, carbon emission they would remove gimmicks like sliding doors.

Or remove it and give me more luggage allowance. It's got to be at least 20kg there

I wonder if anyone knows how much each door actually weighs? Multiply that by the number of seats, and that's an increased fuel burn that's not insignificant...

 

[Batterytraveller]

I haven’t yet flown J class with doors yet, plenty of times without. I can’t see the point; that said I always get good sleep in the window seat of jal apex suites and old school BA rear facing window seats (sadly missed when they finally go). Is it the privacy? I don’t know, it might well be the unencumbered sleeping surface with no foot box.

 

[Quickstatus]

door actually weighs

It would be a lot more than the apocryphal story about removing one olive from airline salad plates to save fuel...

Couple of times sat in the so called "F" section of a MH A350 flight. It had sliding doors. Was jammed even after the CC tried to fix. Waste of time and weight. It actually achieves nothing.

Safety risk?. What if it jammed trying to open in emergency.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm a fan of sliding doors, but only if there are also personal air vents; else it gets way too warm for me when trying to sleep.

What if it jammed trying to open in emergency.

The doors are locked open on top of descent or thereabouts; if jammed, plenty of time to open (which they can). I can only recall my last QR flight, and there are instructions on the door how to take it off if jammed.

although the doors are normally low enough that anyone walking past could see over them anyway -

I'm not sure about that - certainly not when you are lying down, but I think the main privacy benefit is in respect to people seated adjacent to you, esp, if there are forward and rear facing seats.

 

[Quickstatus]

privacy

I just assume no privacy exists on an airplane.
Even loos as they can be unlocked from the outside

 

[Forg]

I just assume no privacy exists on an airplane.
Even loos as they can be unlocked from the outside

If any person is foolish enough to enter a lavatory I’ve been using before the smart evacuation-system has sucked out all the odours, they get what they deserve. Although it’s a tad harsh expecting the flight attendants to bundle a body out the door given the air-pressure differential …

… on the topic of slidey-doors, I doubt anyone truly cares. But I also doubt the weight penalty is more than a couple of kilos, I’ve only seen EY first-class slidey barriers but they look like a vaguely irate 5yo could easily smash a hole in them.

 

[Askance]

and many modern J seats offer quite good privacy anyway.

Is a sliding door something that you value (and are prepared to pay more for), or is it really just a gimmick and something that takes up space that could be used for something else?

As an introvert I value my privacy, so thats a big yes to even the illusion of being alone. More relaxing definitely.

 

[Princess Fiona]

It would be a lot more than the apocryphal story about removing one olive from airline salad plates to save fuel...

Couple of times sat in the so called "F" section of a MH A350 flight. It had sliding doors. Was jammed even after the CC tried to fix. Waste of time and weight. It actually achieves nothing.

Safety risk?. What if it jammed trying to open in emergency.

QR has an emergency handle on the suite door.

 

[nancypants]

I’m furiously trying to find the FlyerTalk thread about the passenger who was injured by a q suite door that had come loose, at Auckland

 

[Forg]

I’m furiously trying to find the FlyerTalk thread about the passenger who was injured by a q suite door that had come loose, at Auckland

Was that passenger being needlessly noisy, and a fellow passenger repeatedly beat them with the nearest available loose thing?

 

[Austman]

Anything that gives more privacy on a flight is a plus for me.

Cutting out intrusions from the bums of other pax when they want to attend their to their carry-ons in the locker across the aisle, multiple and for extended times during the flight, is appreciated.

And the fact that I don't have to catch a glimpse of other "restless" pax as much. Some of them can be up and down, literally a 100 times or more in a flight.

 

[kpc]

I'm a fan of sliding doors for added privacy....to date only experienced it in F on EY, EK and SQ. Will find out later this year on QR J (Q suites)

 

[Quickstatus]

emergency handle on the suite door.

Sure. I can't imagine most passengers will know about it.

 

[FlyingFiona]

I've only experienced QR suites in terms of sliding doors and I want more of that please! I have too often had to sleep with all males surrounding me in J (esp on JAL) which makes me feel somewhat vulnerable. As a claustrophobe I appreciate the extra space the suites offer with the sliding door so that this isn't an issue (I won't travel, for example, in JAL window seats for this reason). The height of the doors is sufficient so that most people looking in have to expressly want to do so rather than just casually glancing in as they walk past. Makes changing into PJs under the blanket a lot easier!

 

[Quickstatus]

But I also doubt the weight penalty is more than a couple of kilos,

Multiply by 10 is my guess.

 

[Askance]

Sure. I can't imagine most passengers will know about it.

Unless they read the safety card. Who does that?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Sure. I can't imagine most passengers will know about it.

They will it’s really obvious.
Only those who are partially sighted wouldn’t be able to see it.

The crew also tell you about it when they are doing their personal greeting to you.