When Philippine Airlines decided to replace their Douglas DC-10 fleet, they selected the Boeing 747-200B. Uniquely, they decided to provide actual beds for First Class passengers on the upper deck of the aircraft.
These entered service in 1980, which was quite late to the party in some respects, as special upper deck features were on the way out. Most airlines were filling the upstairs space with revenue generating seats and things like the Pan Am upper deck dining room and the Captain Cook lounges on Qantas were in the past.
Philippine Airlines Skybed
Passengers travelling up front on board the new Boeing 747 at Philippine Airlines had a choice of six Siesta Seats, or one of the 14 standard First Class seats. Upstairs there were 14 Skybeds which were fitted with seatbelts, so you could sleep through take-off and landing, very handy for the multi-stop flights of the time. I am doubtful many would sleep well during those phases of flight though!
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- The Philippine Airlines Boeing 747 upper deck berths.
One would expect the standard seats came with the option to sleep upstairs, as the numbers match. The Siesta Seats seem designed for sleeping in the actual First Class cabin itself. Knowing me, I’d probably have liked to try both, to see which I prefer. Either way, it seems the first flat beds on jet airliners are right here.
Boeing 747-200B Seat Map
Whether you refer it as a seat map, a seating plan or a LOPA (if you’re in the industry!), it is all the same thing. Happily I was able to find a copy online showing this unique configuration.
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- The Boeing 747-200B seat diagram.
The fourteen berths are laid out three along each side of the upper deck, and eight in the middle. The middle ones are bunk bed style with both upper and lower berths. Note the straight staircase leading upstairs as opposed to the usual spiral one installed on this aircraft type.
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- A close up of the Upper Deck and First Class section.
Also of note are the six Siesta Seats in the nose downstairs featuring 65″ of pitch, 24 inches more than the other First Class seats. Today, you will find that Premium Economy generally features about 40″ between seat rows, which is what is here in standard First Class. How far we’ve come!
Advertising The Service
Naturally the airline’s public relations department went bananas over the new product. The ad below states, ‘… and now the first airline in the world to offer 14 full length stretch-out beds – “our Skybeds.” For the first time on any airline, First Class passengers can be in bed dozing off while we’re taking off. Or landing. It’s the very last word in overnight accommodation on the very last word in 747’s.’
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- He looks quite comfortable in his bed, doesn’t he?
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- Here he is again!
The other one refers to it as ‘our “Cloud Nine” service’ and it was around for quite some time. Apparently the upper deck remained configured with the beds all the way through to the 1990s.
Overall Thoughts
As these were available for so long, Philippine Airlines is one of the last airlines to keep something special upstairs on the 747. Only Belgium’s Sabena kept the space as a lounge for longer.
I would have loved to have tried these beds, with their foam-rubber mattresses, pillows and blankets. Lighting was kept dark to facilitate sleep and reading lights were also provided. It must have been some experience!
Did you ever fly in the Philippine Airlines Skybed in the Cloud Nine room upstairs in the jumbo jet? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image and interior photo via Pinterest.
Portrait advertisement via Peterpiloto on DieCastAircraftForum.
Landscape advertisement via eBay.
Seating Plan via eBay.
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How about the Nouvelle Cuisine Award for Phil. Airlines for having a Chef on board with a whole roasted turkey sliced in-first class?
Hahahaha! That was standard back then 😉
Thank you for this article. Brings me back to my childhood memories. My father retired as a Captain on one of those 747-200 birds that PAL used to fly. I don’t know how, but I remember travelling on the HNL-MNL segment sleeping throughout from the time I finished their first class meal service up until only a few feet from the runway threshold (runway 24). It was a blessing to have experienced that.
I am glad you liked the article! Wonderful to hear you experienced this – that much sleep sounds like absolute bliss! Appreciate you sharing that.
Thank you so much for this post. This was a nice reminder for me as I did fly first class in the standard seats with the beds upstairs on a flight from San Fransisco to Manila in 1994. We had a short stopover in Honolulu, and even though I tried – I can confirm your suspicion – it was not easy to sleep during landing or takeoff:) As I held a Private Pilot License at the time a was also very excited to be able to visit the cockpit somewhere over the Pacific that night, and had a long a… Read more »
Sounds like a wonderful experience all round, and I would have thought take-off and landing would have been difficult times to sleep. It really is such a shame we can no longer visit the cockpit during flight. I know pilots miss it as well. Thanks for sharing all of that, much appreciated!
My Uncle worked for the US government and often flew international multi-stop segments and could sleep during an air raid or nuclear blast. He once told me how exhausted he was flying a multi-stop flight from LHR to SYD in the 60’s.Flew out of IAD, had a meeting in London and if IIRC he fell asleep after dinner on an LHR-Middle East segment and two stops later had to be woken up upon arrival in SIN or HKG. Then ate again and didn’t wake up until SYD. The closest we can come to time travel I guess. I could never… Read more »
Haha! I envy him for being able to sleep that well on a plane. I certainly can’t sleep that deeply when flying, and not at all when I’m sitting in a seat, even with recline.
I’ve never heard of this but it sounds amazing.
Totally agree with you there!
I remember my father was flying from Manila to the US in the early 80’s. He was flying First Class and there was a delay out of Manila. Apparently First Lady Imelda Marcos was “escorting” her daughter to the flight and had decided to take tea with her in the First Class cabin. Apparently the plane waits for Mrs. Marcos ! After an hour delay, Mrs Marcos leaves and the flight departs. Soon after takeoff, the flight attendant asks my father is he would like to access his Skybed on the upper level. He said it was a very unique… Read more »
Haha! I love how Mrs. Marcos clearly didn’t give a damn that she was delaying everyone! Pretty cool that your father got to experience that. Sounds like lots of fun! Thanks for the comment!
JAL also experimented with beds upstairs during this same period.
Oh, that’s good to know! Time to research that methinks!