Qantas Boeing 787-9 premium economy seat

[OATEK]

Flew Y+ SYD-HKG today at more than 2 times what the comparable Y sale fare was at the time. But that was still less than 1/2 the price of sale J. QF PE is still a nice product, hard and soft, not incomparable in both regards with Domestic J. I didn't feel at all ripped off. After all a discount domestic J ticket might be 5 times the price a discount Y ticket. J was just over 1/2 full, PE about 80%, although there was a lot of churn in the seat selections in the last 48 hours, presumably as people were upgraded PE to J, and Y to PE.

Cheers skip

I quite agree having done the same. But we are talking about 17hrs in the new PE on the 787-9, and I am not so sure it will work out as well either in cost or the comfort factor when the journey time doubles over that of the HKG trips.

 

[codash1099]

Yahoo news are gushing a little:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/airline-finally-invented-plane-seat-171405210.html

 

[Pleb Status]

Yahoo news are gushing a little:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/airline-finally-invented-plane-seat-171405210.html

You have to worry about the quality and independence of the journalism when they just reprint the QF PowerPoint slides.

 

[birder]

Regardless of price differentials between QF products, I am mystified how QF arrives at the pricing of the their PE product in wider market and who is buying it.

For the peak season dates next Dec - Jan for MEL - LHR I am looking at, the cheapest QF PE fare in the market is averaging over $6k (based on 2 adult 1 child).

This compares with SQ fares in the same class of just under $3.8k. When you're buying 3 tickets as I am the difference is getting on for 7k, enough for an extra person!

That's bad enough, but when you start pricing up J fares you can see CX availability for $5.9k, BA for $6.2k, QR for $6.6k. So not only is the QF PE fare in peak period noncompetitive in its market, its noncompetitive in the premium segment above.

In my simple head I generally assume the consumer is rational so I am left wondering - who is buying these fares?

I know quite a few people, myself included, who fly PE because of medical reasons. We can't fly a split Y/J ticket. So to get PE from Australia to major points in the world, our options are usually just Qantas and sometimes Virgin - but Virgin's PE is terrible and in no way comparable.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I know quite a few people, myself included, who fly PE because of medical reasons. We can't fly a split Y/J ticket. So to get PE from Australia to major points in the world, our options are usually just Qantas and sometimes Virgin - but Virgin's PE is terrible and in no way comparable.

What major points are these??? I can think of any several other carriers that can fly you to e.g. Europe in Y+. And very few that VA can fly you to in Y+

Cheers skip

 

[Spongbob]

Numerous reviews of non-QF premium economy are negative (often on shorter segments). Many comment they think QF Y+ is worth the extra money for the better hard and soft product.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Numerous reviews of non-QF premium economy are negative (often on shorter segments). Many comment they think QF Y+ is worth the extra money for the better hard and soft product.

I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference TBH. Seats are almost all identical, notable exception being Air New Zealand and Air China. Some airlines have more legroom than QF. Short-haul flights offering PE often don't come with all the bells and whistles - usually in the form of reduced catering (matching Y)... but at least the cabin is offered. QF only provides it on their long hauls.

The service on China Southern long haul mightn't be close to QF, but they regularly offer $150 upgrades to PE for TPAC sectors. The seat alone is probably worth that.

 

[mviy]

Read a review of the PE experience on the QF 787 today and the conclusion from that is that QF has put the rows too close together with the footrest uncomfortable if the passenger in front is reclining and passengers making noise struggling to get in and out of their seats.

So the obvious problems with the gap between seats was ignored by QANTAS.