12 December 2011, Hong Kong – Air travellers can expect new Premium Economy Class benefits on Cathay Pacific’s long-haul flights starting with the first 777-300ER and Airbus A330-300 from April 2012 to Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver and New York routes.
Subsequently a total of 87 aircraft from Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 747-400s, Airbus A330-300s to the Airbus A340-300s will be retrofitted with the new Premium Economy Class cabin by end of 2013. Subsequent routes that will feature the Premium Economy Class cabin will include London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, continental Europe and other long-haul routes as the number of aircraft fitted with the product increases.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive John Slosar explains “the comfort of our customers was front and centre of our design process and we believe the results represent a very significant upgrade in the product we offer”
The Premium Economy seats will have a generous recline and plenty of legroom. There will also be improved service and many other extras. Passengers can expect a quieter, more spacious cabin than the existing Economy Class with between 26 and 34 seats and a seat pitch of 38 inches which is 6 inches more than Economy. The seat itself will be wider and have a higher recline. A larger meal table, cocktail table, foot rest, in-seat power outlet, 10.6-inch personal television, a multi-port connector for personal devices and extra personal stowage space will also be features of the new product.
Passengers will also receive an environmentally friendly amenity kit with dental kit, socks and eyeshade. Larger pillows and noise-cancelling headsets will be provided for added comfort. Feel the service usually enjoyed on Business or First Class when you board as passengers will be welcomed aboard with juice or champagne. The onboard meal selection is enhanced and each passenger also receives a bottle of water and additional snack choices which includes more fresh fruit, energy bar and desserts.
On ground, passengers will be offered a range of tailored products to provide a new kind of experience when travelling such as priority check-in at dedicated counters and priority boarding before traditional Economy Class passengers. Baggage allowance will also be increased from 20 to 25kg or two pieces of baggage from 23kg to 25kg each.
This product is targeted at travellers who value a more spacious seat in a more private cabin along with dedicated services and a number of additional features not available in the existing Economy Class cabin.
Earlier this year, Cathay Pacific introduced their new Business Class and they are hoping to create just as big an impact with the new Premium Economy product.
Bookings for the Premium Economy Seats will be available in the first quarter of 2012 for flights departing from April 2012 onwards.
New Long Haul Economy Class
The airline will also be progressively introducing a new Economy Class seat on the majority of its long-haul aircraft which is also beginning in March.
The seats will feature a cradle mechanism for more comfort when reclining. The latest high-resolution touch-screen personal televisions, a USB outlet and an iPod/iPhone outlet that allows passengers to connect their own mobile devices to view content through the personal televisions. There will also be an improved living space and more personal storage space.
These seats will be fitted on all Cathay Pacific long-haul Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A330-300 aircraft and the first aircraft featuring the seats will enter service in March 2012 flying to Sydney and Toronto initially. 36 Boeing 777-300ERs and 26 Airbus 330-300s will be fitted with the seats by December 2013.
