Premium first and business class passengers on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flights are in for a treat when the first of the newly refurbished long haul aircraft is rolled out in the fourth quarter of this year, said marketing manager for North America Vladimir Velasco.

He said the redesign primarily to upgrade the first and business class cabins on the airline's entire fleet of 32 Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft would take 18 months to complete.

“It’s likely that we’ll have some of the upgraded aircraft on flights in and out of the US as early as the first quarter of 2005,” he said.

Velasco said passengers would enjoy new sleeper seats in business and first class, as well as reduced number of “buddy seats” in the first class that allow passengers to dine together.

A host of other service enhancements have also been planned. New menus, developed by well-known chefs, would be featured in all classes.

And on offer in first class, an a la carte service that allows passengers to choose from an array of ethnic, vegetarian and organic meals all served on newly designed china, cutlery and linen.

As good entertainment is crucial to while the hours away on long haul flights, Velasco said the planes would have an upgraded in-flight entertainment system.

In first and business classes, extras include noise-reduction headphones, mood lighting in the cabin, electronic window shutters and touch-screen monitors.

Business travellers, meanwhile, would appreciate the satellite phones and fax machines that allow them to keep in touch with their offices, he added.

Velasco said luxury lavatories would be larger than standard, making it easy to change clothes, while the interiors of the planes would have an all-new designer look, with a modern colour scheme throughout.

The entire cabin crew would also be equipped with new uniforms, he added.

“This is a major undertaking, but we have listened and responded to what our passengers want in total comfort and service,” Velasco said.