Earlier this month, Singapore Airlines announced an overhaul of its cabin services for premium economy passengers, part of a broader trend.
Long-haul premium economy is becoming increasingly important for airlines. Part of the reason is that leisure travelers are willing to splurge even more on vacations and business trips in recent years. not fully recovered yet Demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Demand for premium economy is increasing as travelers become more aware of what to expect, increasing competition for mid-market dollars. Airlines around the world have recognized the growing interest and are increasing their investment in cabin classes.
What is Premium Economy?
In this case, premium economy refers to a long-haul airline product that sits between standard economy class and business class. Confusingly, many airlines refer to economy seats with extra legroom on domestic flights as “premium economy,” but here the term refers to a separate cabin with larger seats and many If we offer you a higher service.
“Premium Economy is the 21st century version of Business Class. Business Class first appeared in the 1980s as an intermediate cabin between Standard Economy and First Class, but now Premium Economy is an intermediate cabin between Standard Economy and Business Class. Henry Harteveldt, president of travel industry analysis firm Atmosphere Research, told USA TODAY. . “Travelers can get much cheaper fares than business class.”
What travelers should expect when flying Premium Economy
Joe Lai, a physician in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a frequent American Airlines flyer, told USA TODAY that he feels premium economy is often a better overall experience than flying coach. Told.
“Generally the seats are better, and that’s the biggest benefit. You can throw your feet up and relax, preferably with your shoes on,” he said. “We may also upgrade things like food options and alcohol.”
As Lai mentioned, premium economy on long-haul flights typically has wider seats, more legroom, and sometimes more padding than economy, and is more elaborate than standard economy service. Room service is often provided.
Singapore Airlines, for example, serves premium economy meals on porcelain tableware with metal cutlery.
But, as Harteveldt said, premium economy is meant to be a bridge between standard economy and business class, not a competitor to the luxury cabin.
“It’s clearly better than a standard bus,” he said, but “passengers shouldn’t expect a luxurious experience in premium economy. They won’t have the same level of comfort, privacy and care as business class. Not provided.”
It can be difficult for airlines to find the right balance between comfort and service expansion without infringing on their own more premium demands.
“How do you create a product that’s good enough for people to switch from economy class, but not enough for people to switch from business class?” Harteveldt said. “When airlines introduced lie-flat seats in business class, first class became almost irrelevant.”
He added that even though the seats most airlines use are becoming more or less standardized across the industry, airlines differ in their approach to premium economy cabins.
“It’s interesting to see where the airlines are focusing. Is it on the economy side or the premium side?” Harteveldt said. “Some airlines plan to offer above-average legroom in premium economy seats, which may result in fewer seats overall than usual in the cabin. They’ll say, “It’s certainly better than economy, but we’re not going to have your own toilets. We’re not going to have a dedicated flight attendant in your cabin.” ”
For these benefits, travelers can typically expect to pay about 50% more than a regular economy fare for the same flight, Harteveldt said.
Lai said he often looks for opportunities to upgrade to premium economy, especially on long-haul flights.
On a recent trip to New Zealand, I paid just $250 to upgrade from an economy seat with extra legroom to premium economy. He said the cost was “absolutely worth it”, especially since he had more legroom and was able to sleep more comfortably with the larger seat.
Why premium economy is important for airlines
Premium economy is becoming increasingly important to airlines’ bottom lines as they emerge from the pandemic.
“We are seeing a lot of demand for premium cabins due to COVID-19 as many people are booking premium cabins quickly,” said Siva Govindasamy, Singapore Airlines vice president of public relations. A press event to unveil the company’s new premium economy service concept was held in Singapore earlier this month. “Premium Economy in particular has been extremely popular with our customers since its launch in 2015.”
For Singapore and other airlines, that popularity means spending more to acquire customers who buy premium economy seats.
“As a result of this, we are increasing our investment in premium economy, the budget that we have, because that is ultimately what will keep premium economy competitive and provide better value to our customers. , we think this is a good investment,” Govindasamy said. “We’ve added extra amenities, comfort and space. Now you can enjoy even better food, even better drinks and champagne. Looking at customer feedback, it’s clear that premium economy offers great value. Thing.”
Harteveldt said long-haul airlines that don’t offer a competitive premium economy product risk falling behind their peers.
“When a significant number of airlines start doing something, the ones that don’t deliver stand out, often in a negative way,” he said. “The fact that some airlines are expanding premium economy and adding more seats in their cabins shows that they are economically successful.”
Zach Wictor is a travel writer for USA TODAY based in New York. Please contact us at zwichter@usatoday.com.
