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Singapore Airlines offers an impressive Premium Economy Seat – but not all premium classes are equal.
Your knees touch the seat in front. Cooking pasta with chicken was, at best, immemorial and the chance of a good night's sleep seemed far away.
Welcome to the economy, long term. We have all been there.
The first class and the business class are not even considered for much. But there is what is becoming an increasingly popular alternative: the upscale economy.
Designed as a class between classes, quality work bridges the gap between the economic experience of sardines and the opulence of business class. With wider seats, more legroom and a more refined dining room, the class offers superior comfort without necessarily costing an arm and a leg.
READ MORE:
* Business class continues to improve as the economy narrows
* Is it worth it to pay extra for it? 39, premium economy in flight?
* The best and the worst of the aircraft seats: the experts evaluate the experience of ideal aircraft seats
According to SeatGuru, economy class fares can vary from 95% to 10% more expensive. It all depends on when you book and where you go.
US fares to Europe are about 85% more expensive by reservation, according to SeatGuru, but bookings closer to your departure date can drive down fares Peter Harbison, Executive President of CAPA – Center for Aviation, says high – end services: "It 's the business class of a poor, or a woman, it' s there because the premium between l & # 39; economy But he warns that not all categories of premiums are equal, the benefits and services vary between different airlines and different flights.
"Its basic ingredient There is an extra legroom and maybe wider seats," said Harbison, "The full cabin is a separate cabin, bigger and better seats, better seating, better meal service, perhaps a bigger screen and, if you're lucky, better treatment by cabin crew.Quality service level, Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates being notable exceptions. Yet even Emirates is bowing to pressure, announcing a new premium class to be rolled out by 2020.
"Since the introduction of the premium economy in 2015, the demand for cabin travel [premium] continues to grow," said Karl Schubert, Singapore Airlines' public relations manager for the Pacific South West. But the bonus, it's more than more spacious seats and extra snacks. Most airlines offering high-end service have a separate cabin economy seats, accompanied by top-notch staff.
"Never underestimate the importance of a friendly treatment on a long flight.
Who wants to return to the economy after stealing the premium economy? 19659006] Looking through five major airlines with a premium class – Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific – it's easy to see where some excel. While all offer upscale dining options, free drinks and snacks, a dedicated booth and priority check-in, these are the numbers that show the real value.
In terms of seating specifications for the Boeing 777s, its larger upscale seats clocked at 41 inches (legroom) and 19.5 inches in width, which means plenty of room for move. The tilt of the seat was pretty standard at nine inches, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific the exceptions with an eight-inch recline.
Qantas and Singapore Airlines are neck and neck on the entertainment front, both featuring 13.3-inch entertainment monitors, eclipsing the 10.6-inch screens on Virgin Australia flights. With regard to checked baggage, Virgin Australia leads, with a heavy allowance of 64 kilograms spread over two 23 kilogram bags
Business Class Sent the Squeeze
These benefits, previously reserved First class and business class passengers reflect the improved quality of "middle class" travel at a time when the first class is in decline. While interest in high-end flights continues to rise, airlines are adapting to meet them, with first-class seats being reduced at the expense of premium class expansion. and business.
Singapore Airlines will reduce the number of first-class suites in its upcoming A380s, while the new Boeing 777-9s from German airline Lufthansa will completely eliminate the first-class cabin, leaving the best performing companies on certain flights. These movements reflect a shift in trend that seems to place the company as the "new" first, while the high-end economy has put pressure on business class.
This is not surprising since most business services already offer reclining seats. meal services and all the benefits associated with luxury travel. With business class already at such a high level, fewer first-class seats are sold and airlines can not afford to use half-empty first class cabins
. Do travelers go from premium to premium, especially on day flights where a fully reclining seat is of little use? The loss of these businesses would naturally result in lower profits. But Harbison says airlines know better.
"The airline's strategy is to make forays, while avoiding offering a product so good that business travelers buy," he said.
As for who really steals premium, there seems to be an equal attraction for business and leisure travelers. The price difference between companies and premiums is well above that between premium and the economy, making the premium a much more viable option for companies looking to save on travel. "For them, the premium economy is a boon."
Still, with the flash offers and early-bird rates offered on most major roads, premium "There is always a segment of the leisure market that would like to travel, but who can not afford it," says it, and for them the economy of the premium is the way to fly. . And once they move, it is rare for travelers to return to the economy, at least on long-haul flights.
Kelly Kilgour, senior advisor for external communications for Air New Zealand, says, "We often find that Premium Economy customers will book this particular product again. "
After all, who would want to return to the economy?
– Sydney Morning Herald
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