Slumber Party: Airlines Roll Out The Seat-Beds

By SALLY B. DONNELLY

Airline business-class sections are being transformed from traditional seating areas to upper-crust slumber parties with seats that turn into beds. More than 20 international carriers have--or by the end of the year will have--these so-called seat-beds in business class. Twenty-seven have even more luxurious accommodations in first class. The only U.S. carrier to offer a business-class seat-bed, Northwest Airlines, has the kind that lies at an angle, with the foot below the head, rather than perfectly flat. In a recent survey by Skytrax, a British firm that tracks travel trends, only three carriers received the top rating for their business-class seat-beds: South African, Virgin and British Airways. --By Sally B. Donnelly