Update #29: Emirates’ new business and bar, inside IndiGo’s A321XLR, banning power banks, and United’s mandatory food pre-order

A surprise reveal of Emirates’ new business class seats and bar, what’s inside IndiGo’s first of 50 A321XLRs, ill-considered problems with bans on power bank usage — plus United’s plans for shorthaul economy food pre-ordering

By John Walton 12 min read
A light beige high-walled seat with metal accents on a 777X cabin.

Welcome back to The Up Front Update! We have several long analytical segments for you this week — long, even for us — so grab a beverage of choice and sit back for a good read.

But first, in case you haven’t yet listened to the latest episode of our 40,000 Feet podcast with Cristian Sutter from this week, you can download it now.

We range through everything from the growing impact of lessors through customisation, deliverability and remarketability of seats and cabins — plus issues around low-shipset availability and the “seatmaker of last resort”.

Now, onto the Update…

The Up Front UpdateEmirates777XBusiness ClassOnboard bars & loungesIndiGoA321XLRLufthansa GroupPower banksOnboard battery safetyUnited AirlinesFood and beverage
John Walton

Editor in chief of The Up Front, with two decades of experience reporting across the global aviation industry, specialising in business and first class, seats, cabins and the passenger experience.