premium economy

[simongr]

41in vs 31in leg room - not being a broad person but being a long person the additional leg room is the key thing for me. I think also for QF PE the PTV is larger.

 

[Evan]

I still think people are better off just buying two seats through QF phone sales. You get twice the FF points (according to the Qantas FAQ's) and if you can put the armrest up TWICE the seat width.

if you're getting Y meals anyway.. why is Y+ better than this idea?

Yes but you you have an annoying arm rest that does not recline with the seat and also you want to make sure you dont end up in seats with fixed arm rests.

But i see your point.

I have had some great trips in BA WT+ and found it very comfortable and worth the money BA used to charge, for the money QF now charge lets hope we see a better product and if it that much better then it still may be worth the money.

The real issue for me is the Y+ prices are not too far off saying just pay the extra for a business class seat flying a DAS13 or similar if its asia hops, on the US and Europe flights thats not such an easy solution.

E

 

[opusman]

I still think people are better off just buying two seats through QF phone sales. You get twice the FF points (according to the Qantas FAQ's) and if you can put the armrest up TWICE the seat width.

if you're getting Y meals anyway.. why is Y+ better than this idea?

You don't get more legroom though (unless you can get exit row). And Y+ is supposedly better catering.

 

[simongr]

For clarity - on BA it is Y food and on QF it is Y+ food.

 

[JohnK]

For clarity - on BA it is Y food and on QF it is Y+ food.

And that makes Y+ a much superior product to WHY?

We do not know what the catering is going to be like for Y+ and I can imagine that it is only going to be marginally better than WHY.

So for a little extra leg room and slightly better food people would be prepared to pay more than double the WHY airfare to sit in Y+? No thanks....

 

[serfty]

What will the Premium Economy baggage allowance be?

Hand baggage: 2 pieces as per First and Business
Checked baggage: There is no additional checked baggage
allowance.

That's something I had not noticed before ...

Hmmm 2 x 7kg Carry on - as I normally get an Exit aisle seat, that's the only item that raises my interest above the norm.

 

[simongr]

And that makes Y+ a much superior product to WHY?

Not the point I was making - I was just clarifying that the different airlines have a different approach to the Y+ product. It might reflect a different philosophical approach by the two airlines. BA treats as a bit more space and inseat power with a bit of privacy - QF is marketing this as a premium product. Until it is in bedded down in service we do not know whether people will value it at the major premium it is priced at.

Pesonally when I flew SYD-BKK with mrssimongr I paid for WT+ and it was almost twice as expensive as WT - at 6' 2" with arthritis in my hips and shot knees I would rather choose not to fly than fly long haul in whY.

If in the future I have to go to Europe I will in all likelihood pay for Y+ if I can not justify the D fare or if there is not a reasonable J product at a premium only slightly above the Y+ price. But my preference would be to not fly and save for when I can afford J.

 

[milehighclub]

We do not know what the catering is going to be like for Y+ and I can imagine that it is only going to be marginally better than

The catering is identical to the business class offerings domestically and across the ditch. The meals served in the casserole dish.

 

[oz_mark]

The catering is identical to the business class offerings domestically and across the ditch. The meals served in the casserole dish.

err. You're supposed to say Neil Perry inspired meals.

 

[JohnK]

The catering is identical to the business class offerings domestically and across the ditch. The meals served in the casserole dish.

So not a lot of value added to the Y+ product over the WHY product when considering the quality of the catering offered.

So how much more is this meal in Y+ worth? Is it $10, $15 or maybe $20. I almost see how QF can justify charging more than double the price for the privilege of travelling Y+....

Pesonally when I flew SYD-BKK with mrssimongr I paid for WT+ and it was almost twice as expensive as WT - at 6' 2" with arthritis in my hips and shot knees I would rather choose not to fly than fly long haul in whY.

With the amount of flying you do at the moment it would not be difficult to maintain QF Platinum and with this status comes the benefit of an almost guaranteed exit row seat. No great difference between exit row in WHY and normal Y+ seat.

Oh and I do apologise as I am only comparing WHY exit row seat on BA and QF to the world traveller plus product on BA. Purchasing BA WT+ outside of Australia is nowhere near as twice as expensive as a WHY airfare.

Maybe I will get an op-up to QF Y+ one day and then I can compare the difference with the new product.

 

[baswitzer]

I have to say I agree with you JohnK. I cannot see the justification in paying almost double the airfare for not that much extra service over and above Y. If I am looking at Y+ I might as well just keep on saving and go to Business.

 

[Standby]

Not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere but the first Prem Y 747 starts flying tomorrow I recieved this info from a mate who works for QF in BNE

The first aircraft with Premium Economy, B747-400 registration VH-OJK, enters service tomorrow and will operate QF127 from Sydney to Hong Kong.
If I get info on the other aircraft and inservice dates I'll post them as well.
a thosand appologies it actually flew QF127 yesterday and is doing QF1 today (I must clear my emails faster)

 

[moa999]

Press agrees that first 'official' flight is SYD-HKG tomorrow.

Qantas today launched its first aircraft fitted with its premium economy cabin, a B747-400, which offers a larger seat and increased service.

Mr Borghetti said premium economy is aimed at the older generation of traveller who wants to pay a bit more but won't pay for business class, as well as business travellers.

The first plane with premium economy will fly from Sydney to Hong Kong on Friday.

Qantas will introduce the class on all of its 747s April next year and all of the Airbus A380 super jumbos will have premium economy.

Sixty seats have been taken out of the economy class to fit the 32 premium economy seats.

The premium economy seat has a pitch of up to 42 inches, a 19.5 inch seat width and a nine inch recline, compared to economy which has a 31 inch pitch, an 18.1 inch width and a six inch recline.

"It's about twice the yield of economy," Mr Borghetti said.

Asked why Qantas is charging more for the seats than it needs to break even, Mr Borghetti said "we wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't profitable".

He said despite another interest rate rise this week, he believed certain Australians were prepared to pay more for travel.

"Do we think people will still buy it? Yes we do.

"Certainly the indications on our forward bookings is proving that - and interestingly in the last week or so with all the things that have happened with the increase rates we haven't seen a slowdown."

Business Spectator - Air travel business not slowing: Qantas

 

[NM]

Given that to install the 32 Premium Economy seats, QF has removed 60 economy seats, I can fully understand why they need to charge 2 x the average economy fare for the premium economy product. By inference, each premium economy passenger has almost twice the cabin space as an economy passenger.

 

[simongr]

With the amount of flying you do at the moment it would not be difficult to maintain QF Platinum and with this status comes the benefit of an almost guaranteed exit row seat. No great difference between exit row in WHY and normal Y+ seat.

But I am not WP so can't access exit rows. Not do I plan to be WP so for my circumstances that is not an option. Also I am sure you have a good ratio of exit rows but that is not guaranteed. Similarly I would prefer to be sat in the 2 seats together so that if travelling with mrssimongr we would not have some rugby playing WP in the aisle seat.

I also prefer the smaller quieter cabin and the larger recline.

As I have said if I had to travel and could not secure J for a personal trip due to financial constraints then I would look at this or another carrier whose J price might be more palatable.

As much as you pretty up the soft benefits of being a premium pax in a whY seat it is still a whY seat.

I agree with NM - the pricing seems logical if they have forgone twice as many seats then the price should be expected to be double. That obviously assumes similar loadings in PE and whY.

 

[serfty]

Since being a WP, the only times I have not received my Preallocated Exit row seat is when I have been upgraded.

The analogy is good, an aisle exit row seat has more space to the fore than your QF Y+ seat.

Laterally, there is a difference, as with food and soft product but not enough to warrant the 2 x additional expenditure.

In all honesty over the last year or two I have had more disappointing meals in J than WHY on QF (perhaps hightened expectations caused this).

FWIW, I was looking very closely at WT+ to BKK/SIN October last year; return was often available for under AUD1500.

Since the release of Qantas Y+, these have disappeared.

 

[Evan]

Your right to remove 60 and put 32 you think double....

But i doubt the catering costs double, or the cost of checked baggage, and they can then carry more freight, and the passanger weight is not double.

So over all assuming similar loads it will make more money for them.
But loads may not be such as good all the time.

Anyway i am sure they have researched there market will and really believe there is more money to be earnt from it and gives customers some additional choice.

E

 

[oz_mark]

It does seem to be a bit of a trend with some of the carriers moving to more premium seats. SQ moving to all business class lights and so on, so there is obviously a demand for more premium seats than were available. Not too sure exactly who they are targetting with premium economy but I don't doubt they will sell well.

 

[simongr]

Well for people that dont wnat to route through otehr airports to get get to where they want to go and see that this is cheaper than J they might consider it - they say they are targetting older pax - my parents fall into that category - it is only because EK's J fare to OZ is now horrendous that they are considering indirect flights...

 

[Wunala Dreaming]

]it actually flew QF127 yesterday and is doing QF1 today (I must clear my emails faster)
[/font]

It did not nothing of the sort... VH-OED operated QF127 yesterday (5MAR). VH-OJK simply operated a repositioning service.

I believe VH-OJH is operating QF1 tonight, although this will need to be confirmed.

I think you'll see Premium Economy equipped VH-OJK fly QF127 tomorrow (7MAR - as per the article) before turning around to operate QF128 to SYD later in the evening (arriving SYD 8MAR) before then going on to operate QF1 to BKK and LHR on Saturday night.

I could be completely wrong though... :mrgreen:

Regards