The parade of intercontinental carriers developing new premium products for long-haul flights continues this summer when Air New Zealand makes available three new classes of service on certain transpacific routes, and next year when Lan Airlines launches a first/business class hybrid. Several other foreign carriers are installing new first and/or business class cabins, but at certain airlines, spacious upfront seating has taken a back seat to cost control.
Air New Zealand plans to debut a three-class configuration this August between San Francisco and Auckland, which it will install later this year on aircraft serving Auckland-Los Angeles and Auckland-London. The business premier cabin replaces and blends previous first and business class offerings, while the Pacific premium economy service, with up to 40 inches of pitch, inflight entertainment systems and other amenities, strikes a balance between traditional premium and coach products.
Meanwhile, Lan Airlines by the first quarter of 2006 plans to begin replacing its long-haul first and business class cabins with a hybrid product featuring lie-flat seats. Carlos Román, Lan's marketing director for North/Central America and Asia, this month told BTN the entire intercontinental fleet of Boeing 767s would be targeted for the refit.
In Europe, some carriers are beefing up premium offerings and others scrapping them
(BTN, Sept. 20, 2004). This month, for example, discount carrier EasyJet said it would offer lounge access at 33 European airports, for as low as £12. The facilities offer privacy, business amenities and snacks and refreshments.
U.K.-based carrier Bmi British Midland followed Aer Lingus in announcing a nearly complete transition to a single class of service. "More than half of our passengers travel on business, but most of them do so in the rear of the aircraft," said Bmi CEO Nigel Turner. "They or their companies choose to travel in economy." From Aug. 1, the only Bmi flights departing London Heathrow that will retain business class are those to Belfast, Brussels, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Major U.S. carriers have not eliminated premium seating, but they have shifted their focus to lower-cost domestic flying that reduces front-cabin real estate. Delta's Song, for example, which is replacing Delta mainline flights on transcontinental routes, does not include a premium class cabin.
U.S. carriers generally have not kept pace with many foreign competitors that have enhanced first or business class products on long-haul flights. Aside from Northwest Airlines, which since mid-2003 has installed a new business class on 31 Airbus A330s and Boeing 747s serving transoceanic routes
(BTN, Aug. 11, 2003), none has announced new international seats in several years. American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey last July proclaimed as "a top priority" a new business class product for the international fleet
(BTNonline, July 22, 2004), but nearly a year later, an AA spokesman this month said there have been no further developments. An exception to this trend, United Airlines this month introduced 70-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 and Embraer EMB-170 regional jets with first class and premium economy seating, serving eight United Express routes from Chicago and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Continental Airlines this summer plans to begin doubling to 24 the number of seats in the Boeing 757-300 aircraft first class cabin. The reconfiguration is scheduled for completion in early 2006 after Continental grows its 757-300 fleet from nine to 17.