Page 24 - AAA MARCH - APRIL 2018 Online Magazine

all, the new seat has a unique recline motion that based on a prototype by Thompson Aero Seating
provides a cradle type seat for sleeping. This fea- and heavily customized by leading Australian indus-
ture also means that the seat is not as intrusive on trial designer David Caon. “We’ve made sure this
the passenger behind when it is fully reclined. The seat offers genuine comfort through design ele-
Qantas Premium Economy seat is set in a 2-3-2 ments not seen before on aircraft. There are a
configuration with the typically unpopular middle number of new bespoke design elements that we
seat 2” wider and the seats have a 38” seat pitch hope will really set the benchmark for this class,”
which is 7” more than a typical economy configura- said Caon. However, the airline only has 26 such
tion. Overall the Premium Economy seat is almost seats on its 787s and many suggest that is about 10
10 per cent wider than the airline’s current seat and too few. The airline based the numbers of its A380
has increased recline. experience but hasn’t factored in the ultra-long-haul
A popular feature is an ergonomically designed demand. While the Qantas seat does have many
headrest that can be fitted with a specially designed features, it does not have the legroom of Air New
pillow to contour to the passengers head and a Zealand’s. That airline offers 41-42” seat pitch while
reengineered footrest that significantly increases Japan Air Lines’ PY seats are 42” seat pitch.
comfort when reclining. The footrest is clever and Another airline that is a born again convert to
provides excellent support for the feet and back of Premium Economy is Singapore Airlines. The airline
the legs, while the seat’s arm rest, adjacent to the has the balance just right with plenty of leg room,
aisle, drops down for ease of access. The high-defi- extras and an excellent meal selection. On a recent
nition Panasonic in-flight entertainment seatback review flight from Sydney to Singapore on the air-
screens that are about 25 per cent larger than exist- line’s A380, Asian Airlines and Aerospace found
ing offerings. The seat has five individual storage that the airline had a dedicated check-in and the
compartments and two USB charging points per cabin is on the main deck behind first class, in front
seat, as well as shared AC power and a personal of economy. On the newer A380s being introduced
LED light designed to minimize disturbance of other now PY moves to the front of the main deck with
passengers configuration—exactly how business First being relocated upstairs. There are 36 seats
class started out on Qantas in 1979. With that extra set 38” apart, and are in a 2-4-2 flight to Singapore.
legroom there wasn’t a need to recline the seat for Using the Book the Cook (BTC) service ahead of the
more space and no one did on the seven-hour day- flight and there were an amazing seven choices of
light. mail meal (as opposed to three aboard).
A Singapore Airlines spokesperson told AA&A
In Seats We Trust that its “Premium Economy class has been well-re-

antas Group chief executive Alan Joyce ceived by our customers to date, and we are seeing
told Asian Airlines and Aerospace that a strong demand for it on long-haul routes.” “As of
the “new Premium Economy seat has Feb 1, 2018, 58 of our aircraft are fitted with Premium
Qserious wow factor. You have to experi- Economy Class. We will continue to increase our
ence how well it supports you when you recline to Premium Economy offering to customers as more
realise it’s completely different from anything else A350-900 long haul aircraft enter our fleet with
in its class.” The Qantas Premium Economy seat is Premium Economy fitted, while the retrofitting

24 | March/April 2018 www.GBP.com.sg/AAA