Thompson Aero’s VantageNOVA First seating product delivers a solid Business Class Plus product that should be considered

Last year at AIX I was lucky enough to peek behind the curtain at Thompson Aero Seating’s stand and see the prototype for a brand new Business Class Plus product that I was pretty confident would steal the hearts and minds of quite a few airlines. Now many seat manufacturers will soft launch a product to get airline feedback before officially launching a seat, and this Vantage NOVA First is no different as it will be officially launched at AIX 2025 in a few weeks time, and we will be thrilled to see how its evolved.

The reason I believe many will love this seat is because Thompson’s Vantage NOVA is already quite an impressive flagship product in Thompson’s catalogue and this new front row bolt on is a smart addition to the brand’s kit of parts. Seamlessly incorporated into the front row of the VantageNOVA platform, this enhanced business-class experience offers first-class appeal without the clunky sometimes obvious front row monument that can feel a little slapdash (read the front row monument for Condor’s new A330neo for example).

Thompson has utilised the reverse herringbone central column to maximum effect to create an ingenious newly-dubbed ‘Star Configuration’, providing the opportunity for four passengers travelling together to enjoy a truly unique quad experience – something that will appeal to Qatar Airways no doubt. Unlike the current QSuite, this new star configuration positions the seats towards the centre of the aircraft, meaning four passengers can dine or socialise in a comfortable, practical and friendly setting for relaxed conversation. “The result is a flight experience like no other, with no impact to the cabin density,” states Thompson Aero Seating.

To make this possible, Thompson has created secondary seating areas, or ‘buddy seats’, in the front row. A custom-designed automatic divider retracts downwards to unite neighbouring suites and an innovative mechanism connects two tables in the centre to form one large bespoke surface, which can be activated either by the passenger or by cabin crew.

The outboard columns of the Vantage NOVA First enhanced front row can similarly be used for dual socialising and dining, with a buddy seat and a choice of either herringbone or reverse herringbone seating arrangements.

In Bed Mode, the privacy divider can be raised and the secondary dual purpose seating areas provide an extended sleep surface for passengers to rest.

As well as courting Qatar Airways with it’s QSuite quad approach, the CMF team are obviously keeping an eye on other airlines. The clear colour swap from the regular VantageNOVA seats is a hat-tip to the new American Airlines front row seats which have followed a similar colour approach to differentiation. That said, the CMF is elegant here in the concept cabin with heightened levels of luxury with custom-created console counter tops, while distinctive, welcoming, premium-grade leather, expertly tailored throughout the seating areas, radiates warmth and sumptuousness. 

Andy Morris, Chief Commercial Officer, Thompson Aero Seating, says: “We are incredibly proud of the market’s response to our VantageNOVA platform. The launch of VantageNOVA First offers airlines even greater opportunity to provide truly unique experiences for their passengers.”

The only thing we still believe needs a little more work is the additional cocktail table on the front-row monument, which becomes redundant when the buddy seat is occupied, as it’s behind the guest, and a little too far away from the main seat user the rest of the time. This could easily become another storage unit / drinks cabinet / vanity unit, which at the same time would offer more back support for the guest user. This was one of my gripes about the buddy seat in the JetBlue Mint studio and hopefully a launch model will see this area further developed. But that’s the dream about these seats, the ability to customise the core product is what makes Thompson’s VantageNOVA First a real consideration for airlines in the immediate future.

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