Local business travellers flying to and from the UK are set to benefit from British Airways' biggest investment in its products and services ever.

The benefits of the 600 million upgrade of the airline's entire product portfolio, and associated training for staff, will be seen on the British Airways' Bermuda to London Gatwick route within the next two years.

These new products include the creation of a fourth cabin -- World Traveller Plus -- and a complete revamp of Club World which will feature the world's first fully flat bed for business class passengers.

Other work will see Concorde get totally refurbished, a revamped First Class cabin, an updated Club Europe class on short haul flights and upgrades to airport terminals, check-in areas and lounges -- plus a completely new terminal at New York's JFK airport. British Airways' Chief Executive Bob Ayling said: "On service, we said we'd deliver and we have. We asked thousands of customers what we do well and where we need to improve.

"They want us to be the best in the world. So do we. The 600 million investment we are making will ensure that we are.

BA investment to benefit local business travellers "The quality of service and choice that we will be able to offer is the product of our restructuring and all the immensely hard work that has been put in over the last three years by everyone who works for British Airways.'' The introduction of World Traveller Plus and the revamp of Club World will affect local business travellers most.

However, the decision on when to launch them on the Bermuda route has not been made yet, said BA's Senior Manager for Longhaul Brands Brand Management Jayne O'Brien.

They are to be installed on planes serving the routes between London and the East Coast of the US first and the new Club World product is already being tested on the route between London Heathrow and New York's JFK Airport.

World Traveller Plus features a dedicated cabin, new wider seats with more legroom, an in-seat power supply for portable computers, a telephone and a doubled hand baggage allowance.

This new fourth class will offer cost-conscious businessmen cheaper travel than that available in Club World while providing increased comfort and ability to work than economy class for a small extra premium.

Mr. Ayling said: "World Traveller Plus is a radical new class of travel that is tailored to the needs of economy customers who want comfort at an affordable premium.'' Meanwhile Club World will become a "lounge in the sky'' with forward and rearward facing pairs of armchair style seats and footstools that convert to completely flat six foot long beds at the touch of a button.

This will provide business travellers with what they are keenest on when it comes to a long flight -- the ability to sleep properly and arrive at their destination refreshed. The new service was developed following extensive customer research and sleep studies with ergonomic experts who have found that restful sleep can only come when a person is able to lay flat. Customers said they wanted this ability to have "real sleep'' along with comfort, space, privacy, flexibility and the ability to maximise their time while in the air.

The chairs will also have larger personal video screens with multi-channel entertainment, in-seat power for computers and a telephone, a doubled hand baggage allowance and more flexible meals to allow passengers to choose when they relax, sleep, eat or work.

Ticket prices for seats in Club World and the other existing classes will not change with the introduction of the new product.

"There is no plan to increase prices,'' stressed MS O'Brien. "Our philosophy is to give our customers greater value and put British Airways as leaders in the business travel market.'' A decision on how to configure the planes serving Bermuda with the new style seats has not been made yet, said Ms O'Brien.

High density routes will get about 70 and 30 of the new Club World and World Traveller Plus seats respectively while low density routes will see approximately 38 of each. In each case the number of economy seats will be reduced. Elsewhere, First Class, which already features a chair that folds out into an even wider and longer bed than that available in the new Club World, will be totally restyled by British interior designer Kelly Hoppen.

And these improvements will join the completed improvements in World Traveller which now has new seats and catering and entertainment options to make family travel more pleasant.

Concorde is to get a revamped interior with cradle-style leather seats and better washrooms plus new lounges in the airports it serves. Meanwhile the revamped Club Europe class on short haul flights will offer ten different check ins and exclusive lounges on the ground and improved leather seats on the aircraft.

Stretched out: Passengers flying in Club World class on British Airways in the future will be able to turn their seats into six foot long beds and sleep stretched out or relax with their feet up on a footstool.