지난5월과7월연거퍼두차례CathayPacific항공을이용하여동남아시아를여행하였다.캐세이퍼시픽은타이항공과함께내가세계여행에나설때초기시절많이이용했던항공사로개인적으로는매우친근감을느끼는항공사다.우리나라에진출한외국항공사들중에서는델타에흡수합병된노스웨스트항공,일본항공과함께가장오랜취항역사를갖고있는세계적인항공사인만큼지상서비스와전산예약시스템,운항정보사전통보등의서비스가훌륭한항공사이다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-467-B-HUE-SIN.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-467-B-HUE-SIN.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_114824_1bfeac10204ac969d1f8264770f2dcc5.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><NewEconomy와HarringboneSeat를체험한캐세이퍼시픽B747-400기B-HUE,싱가폴>

 

사실1990년대까지만해도항공사들의특성은크게다르지않았다.기내서비스에서다소우열을따지는평가는있었지만좌석이나기내설비가모두같았기때문이다.음악을제공하는헤드셑도지금과같이전자식헤드폰이아니라의사들이사용하는청진기와비슷한비닐튜브를통해소리를전달하는시스템이고비즈니스클래스정도되어야전자식헤드폰이제공되었다.기내영화도개인모니터가아니라객실위에매달린3색프로젝터를통해객실격벽의스크린에비치는스타일이라화질이좋지않았고프로그램선택의여지도없이일방적으로보내주는것만볼수있었다.

 

<imgtitle=”inflight-movie.JPG”alt=”inflight-movie.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_115145_16df1f2e4ee846b68f0a76aed211dc98.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><개인용모니터가아닌프로젝터로벽에영상을비춰주는구형기내영화상영방식>

 

 

그러다1990년대후반기에모니터가장착된좌석이등장하였지만지금과같이승객이마음에드는프로그램을선택하여이용하는AVOD시스템이아니라기내방송장치를통해일방적으로보내주는음악과영화를감상하고지금수준에바하면보잘것없는초보적인전자게임을할수있는정도였다.

 

2000년후반들어항공사들의경쟁은단순한기내서비스의경쟁에서벗어나승객들이원하는음악과영화를자신이편리한시간에즐길수있는주문형A/V시스템인AVOD가등장하였고모니터의크기와해상도는점점커지고높아지고있다.아울러비즈니스클래스나일등석에비해공간이부족한여생길수있는승객들의불편함을줄이는나름대로의노력을하고있다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-Y-front-view.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-Y-front-view.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_115312_1427adaf8115051f5b9c8ad59f3eb23f.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”>

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-Y-rear-view.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-Y-rear-view.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_115312_172acbcd44a62787d95c8e2169ea3075.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽항공B747-400에장착된Shell타입의NewEconomy좌석><palign=”left”>

이번여행에서는캐세이퍼시픽의새로운좌석들을체험할수있었다.사실전에도여러번인천-타이베이노선에캐세이퍼시픽을이용하였지만대부분개세이퍼시픽이보유한기종중에서는가장시설이뒤지는기종을배치하여체험할기회가없었는데싱가폴-홍콩,홍콩-인천구간에서신기재좌석이장착된B747기종을만나게되었다.

 

상대적으로공간이좁은일반석에서가장불편한점의하나는앞좌석승객이좌석등받이를뒤로제꼈을때의일이다.특히기내식서비스시간이나좌석테이블을펼치고노트북등을이용하여간단한업무처리를할때앞승객이좌석등받이를뒤로제끼면좁아진공간때문에무척불편하게된다.그렇다고자신의입장만생각해서앞승객한테좌석등받이를세워달라고요구할수만은없다.이런문제는명문화된규칙으로해결할수는없고기내예절이라는상식적인선에서서로양보하고이해해야할일이지만실제로이런문제로승객들간의트러블도적지않게생기고있다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-Y-seat-backside.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-Y-seat-backside.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_115713_2a710d43def226b29cbbd6945127716a.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽NewEconomy좌석,모니터와리모콘AC전원소켓이조작이편리한위치에있다.>

 

CathayPacific이새로채택한장거리노선의일반석좌석은승객들의이런불편을해결하기위해좌석등받이가고정된Shell타입으로되어있다.Shell타입의좌석은뒤좌석승객의입장에서장점이많다.앞승객이좌석등받이를조절해도공간이침해되지않고모니터의각도가앞승객이좌석등받이를뒤로제껴도변하지않는다.승객이좌석등받이를뒤로제끼려면좌석등받이가뒤로넘어가는것이아니라KTX좌석처럼의자가앞으로이동하면서좌석등받이의각도가뒤로제껴지는방식이다.또하나노트북등의전원을충전할수있는전원소켓도앞좌석등받이Shell에있어서편리하다.

 

<imgtitle=”chobl.jpg”alt=”chobl.jpg”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110818_103548_736272ed5339aa7f7831ef0ba33dbc37-1.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><아시아주요항공사들의일반석좌석비교><palign=”left”>-위왼쪽:캐세이퍼시픽B747NewEconomy<palign=”left”>-위오른쪽:캐세이퍼시픽B777구형Economy<palign=”left”>-아래왼쪽:대한항공A380NewEconomy<palign=”left”>-아래오른쪽:대만에바항공A330Economy

 

그런데막상이용해보면그리편한것만은아니라는것을느낀다.우선앞좌석승객에의해공간침해를받는것은없어도기본적인공간이너무좁다.우선좌석등받이뒤를받치고있는고정판(Shell)의두께만큼공간이좁아졌다.원래앞뒤좌석의공간이여유가있다면몰라도32인치의공간에는어울리지않는다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-new-Y-seats.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-new-Y-seats.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110727_012106_686576f7b59ae56352c237c8069baa3d.jpg”border=”0″/>

<캐세이퍼시픽B747NewEconomy좌석>

-승객이좌석에서일어나똑바로설수없을정도로등받이Shell의각도가크고공간이좁다.

<palign=”left”>

특히Shell의각도가보통일반석좌석의등받이각도보다뒤로쳐져서옆좌석에승객이없어도안쪽에서복도로빠져나오기가쉽지않은데구형좌석의경우체격이작은승객들의경우안쪽승객이복도출입을할때몸만뒤로당겨주면좌석에서일어나지않아도가능할수도있지만새로채택한Shell타입의좌석에서는복도쪽승객이좌석에서일어나길을터주지않는이상불가능한일이다.결국의좌석이중요한것이아니라피치(좌석의앞뒤공간)가중요한것같다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-Y-seat-reclining.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-Y-seat-reclining.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_120205_bc041b7ff5f9520cf616f0c8e98db02c.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><등받이를눕힌좌석의모습:복도좌석정상위치,가운데좌석최대각도,창가좌석중간각도><palign=”left”>-등받이를뒤로제끼려면의자가앞으로나오면서등받이도아래로당겨지면서각도가낮아진다.>

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-Y-seat-pitch.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-Y-seat-pitch.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_120222_6faf1413d9cb0897d9c41df5f2294b02.jpg”border=”0″/>

<캐세이퍼시픽B747-400NewEconomy,복도쪽승객이일어나지않고는안쪽승객이출입할수없다.>

<palign=”left”>

유감스럽게도캐세이퍼시픽의새로운비즈니스클래스좌석인Herringbone좌석도사진으로보기에는그럴듯하지만막상사용해보면그리좋은것같지는않다.Herringbone좌석은마치생선가시처럼모든좌석들이사선으로포개져있다.이런시스템을채택한목적은모든승객이복도츨입을자유롭게하자는것이지만한가지의목적을위해다른것이희생당한꼴이다.우선이런형태의좌석은완전히1인용이다.신혼여행을떠나는커플도서로손을맞잡거나어깨를기대며다정한장면을연출할수가없다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-C-front-view.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-C-front-view.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_121438_a1627c6e790858d324e34a924c267e90.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽HarringboneSeat전면,앉은키높이까지높은파티션이감싸고있어폭이좁다.>

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-C-rear-view.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-C-rear-view.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_121438_00a2c7fc1f2c76cfb09295f2715883d4.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽장거리노선의비즈니스석HarringboneSeat><palign=”left”>-비스듬히사선으로비열한모습이생선가시와같아생선가시좌석이란별명이붙었다.<palign=”left”>

승객들의자유로운복도출입에신경을쓰다보니제한된공간때문에좌석간의간격이좁다.그리고승객들의자세가사선으로배열되기때문에프라이버시를보호하기위해앉은키보다높은파티션이감싸게되어시각적으로는더욱좌석이좁게느껴진다.사선으로배열되었기때문에승객들이객실창문을내다보는것도각도가맞지않아창가쪽좌석의메리트도없는편이다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-C-Herringbone-seat.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-C-Herringbone-seat.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_121734_fa657d624664c0c491617bf5510ba128.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽HarringboneSeat,왼쪽은받침대가보이고모니터는접혀져있다.>

 

승객이만석일때모든승객이누워잠을자게되면비즈니스클래스복도는승객들의발만보인다.캐세이퍼시픽이채택한Herringbone비즈니스좌석은폐쇄공포증이있는승객한테는최악의선택이되며,심지어는’뚜껑이없는관’이라는최악의평가도나오고있다.결국캐세이퍼시픽은Herringbone좌석을채택한지불과2년도안되어새로운타입의비즈니스클래스좌석을도입하여Herringbone좌석은조기퇴출될모양이다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-New-C-class-seat.JPG”alt=”CX-New-C-class-seat.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_121252_d49ddc0a4a5d31a06bef215f0a89edd9.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽이Harringbone좌석대신선을보인새로운비즈니스클래스좌석>

-캐세이퍼시픽기내잡지광고에서촬영

 

비록이번여행에서직접탑승해보지않았지만항공기가도착한후둘러본캐세이퍼시픽의일등석은무척호감이가는디자인이다.싱가폴항공이나에미레이트항공의SuiteClass처럼요란하지도않고코쿤형의대한항공일등석에비해공간활용이좀더여유있는모습이다.HarringboneSeat높이의높은파티션이있지만좌석폭이넓어서인지생각만큼갑갑해보이지는않는다.좌석마다생화가꽂혀있는것도눈에띈다.

 

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-F-seat-1.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-F-seat-1.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_122303_5d7842496a69e32ffa14e0a94a6b18a0.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”>

<imgtitle=”CX-B747-F-seat-2.JPG”alt=”CX-B747-F-seat-2.JPG”src=”http://blogs.chosun.com/drkimdj/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2016/02/20110726_122303_eb890c6ff3a8c641d964e87abdd42c4a.jpg”border=”0″/>

<palign=”left”><캐세이퍼시픽항공B747-400,일등석좌석><palign=”left”>

이번에두차례캐세이퍼시픽을이용하면서새삼일반석에서아쉬운것은얼마나좋은기능을갖춘좌석이냐도중요하지만승객의입장에서는한뼘이라도넓은공간이필요한것이라는것을느끼게된다.새삼대한항공이나아시아나항공의일반석좌석이세계최고수준이라는것을느낄수있다.