Airlines plying abroad
find growing takers for premium economy class, especially on long-haul routes
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The
Cathay Pacific airline’s introduction of a premium economy class on its
Delhi-Hong Kong route is the latest instance of the segment, comprising
service-and-cost-conscious travellers, making their presence felt in the Indian
market.
Positioned between the economy and business
class in terms of pricing and comfort, it is becoming a preference on routes of
more than five hours, for both business and leisure travellers. Virgin
Atlantic, British Airways, Air France andTurkish Airlines are among those offer premium economy
on long-haul routes.
Says Tom Wright,
general manager -- South Asia, Middle East & Africa-- for Cathay Pacific,
“We have introduced premium economy in India for the first time; the product is
also new to us and we’re introducing it on the Delhi-Hong Kong route on A-330 aircraft,
with 28 out of 242 seats. We see a big opportunity here. Eventually, we will
introduce it on other routes. We expect to address a niche market of frequent
flyers who want better service than economy, yet can’t afford as high as
business class.”
BETTER COMFORT
Following is a list of amenities one can expect while travelling in the Premium Economy category: |
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Says Stephen King, general manager, Virgin
Atlantic-India, “We have seen strong demand in premium economy from India, with
65 per cent growth this year to both London and New York from Delhi. The best
performing was our Delhi-Newark route, which saw 160 per cent growth versus
last year.The premium economy market as a whole has also grown by more than 50
per cent on both routes."
Adding: “Premium economy is available to all our connections from Delhi and Mumbai, which beyond daily London and NY flights includes Boston, Washington, Miami and, in the summer, Chicago. Our premium economy constitutes 18 per cent of the cabin; that’s over 3,000 seats a month.”
The airlines’ receptiveness to the
cost-conscious and yet comfort-seeking client is evident in their target
grouping. Said aBritish Airways spokesperson, “The typical World
Traveller Plus (premium economy) passenger tends to be self-employed or work
for small or medium-sized businesses. A number of leisure travellers, such as
honeymooners, who want to treat themselves to a little extra luxury also make
up an element of the cabin.”
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