The Unbearable Heaviness of Business Class

Airline seats have come a long way since British Airways unveiled the first lie-flat bunk in 1995. On Emirates’ new A380 superjumbos, business class seats extend to form a flat bed up to 79 inches long, with a touchscreen controller to adapt the shape to individual bodies or provide massage. They also include in-seat power supplies for laptop computers, dual USB ports, large worktables, 1,200 channels of entertainment, and a built-in minibar at every seat. Special lighting even helps temper jet lag.

International airlines are locked in a technology-led competition to provide the best business class seats and win the largest share of big-spending corporate travelers. But those same gizmo-packed chaises are proving a headache for Airbus and Boeing. The aircraft manufacturers are more concerned with shedding excess weight and simplifying production than pampering fliers. And they say the trend toward ever-more-lavish pleasure domes is both threatening their production schedules and stealing from hard-won gains in fuel efficiency.