Roughly seven months before Qantas is slated to take delivery of the first of 28 two-class Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the Australian carrier has revealed renderings of what passengers can expect in business and economy class. What’s immediately evident from these new images is that Qantas is taking a consistent approach to its domestic passenger experience.

The interior of the A321XLRs will be styled in a similar vein to the airline’s smaller Airbus A220-300s, boasting what appears to be the same soft leather Recaro R5 recliners up front (formerly known as the CL4710) — configured 2-2 and modified to accommodate the wider cabin of the extra-long-range jet — and a slightly tweaked version of the Recaro R2 fully featured economy class seats down back (formerly known as BL3710), configured 3-3 versus the 2-3 layout of its smaller sister.

Qantas famously flies some of its domestic Boeing 737s with seatback IFE. But whilst the A321XLRs will initially be used to gradually replace these aging jets — and later to open up new direct Australian domestic routes and short-haul international routes (e.g. Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands) — Qantas has opted to eschew an embedded IFE system.

Instead, seatback device holders and both USB A + C power ports will be available in every seat from nose to tail, enabling passengers to power their devices whilst going hands-free when accessing the carrier’s free Wi-Fi and wireless entertainment.

Business class passengers aboard the A321XLR can also expect a 37” seat pitch and 5” recline plus an extendable cocktail table, a six-way adjustable headrest and both a calf- and a foot-rest. A wireless charging pad rounds out the experience.

In economy, Qantas is retaining the same 30” pitch as found on its 737s, but at 17.6” in width, the seats aboard its A321XLRs will be wider than those found on its 737s. Together with “extra comfort seat cushioning” (a signature of the Recaro R2), this will equate to a more comfortable seat than found on the 737s, the airline assures in its messaging.

Economy class passengers can also expect six-way adjustable headrests and a drop-down tablet holder (in addition to the aforementioned USB A & C charging ports at every seat.) The eye-level cup holders found on the A220s do not appear to have been carried over to the A321XLR, at least based on the renderings provided.

Compare the seatbacks aboard the A321XLR here….

To those of the A220 here…

Qantas does note, however, that “designs are indicative and subject to change.”

“We’ve collaborated with Australian Designer David Caon to maximise passenger comfort, including new materials and colours to make the cabin feel peaceful and brighter,” says the airline.

Airbus’ signature Airspace experience — including extra-large bins — is standard on the A321XLR, equating to space for “around 60% more bags than the 737s”.

Five metres longer than the 737s its replacing, the A321XLR will boost total seat capacity by 13%, including a 66% increase in premium seats — in keeping with industry’s fresh push to offer more premium seating options (even aboard certain US low-cost carriers).

Whilst Qantas has settled on a configuration that will see 20 recliners installed up front and 177 economy class seats down back, it says the first three A321XLRs will have a denser economy cabin at 180 seats.

“The A321XLR is a fantastic aircraft to be part of our next generation fleet, and its range and versatility will give us to opportunity to explore more non-stop routes and operate them cost effectively,” says Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson in a statement.

“The QantasLink A220s and the Jetstar A320neo family already received as part of our Group fleet renewal program are providing major improvements in running cost, network flexibility, passenger comfort and emissions.”

As it prepares to welcome the first A321XLR in April 2025, Qantas has launched its pilot training program for the aircraft type.

A new CAE 7000XR Series A320 simulator, housed in the new Sydney Flight Training Centre, serves as a cornerstone of the program. Pilots will spend up to 60 hours in the new simulator as part of their broader training, and then return each year for four reoccurring training sessions.

More flight simulators and training equipment will be added by the end of the year, when the Sydney Flight Training Centre is expected to be fully operational. Thereafter, roughly 2,000 cabin will be progressively trained on the new aircraft, as they enter the fleet.

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• Qantas’ new A220 cabins suggest shift in Australian regional flying
• Qantas accelerates Viasat connectivity rollout on international fleet
• Qantas’ Project Sunrise A350 first and business: that’s it?

All images credited to Qantas