Premium economy class varies significantly across airlines. For some, it just means a seat with slightly more legroom. Other carriers might include a unique meal service or a slightly different design element in the front of the economy cabin to give it a more elegant feel. The perks provided with premium tickets also vary significantly in value.
Quite a few carriers have invested significantly in their premium economy products. Carriers like Emirates have retrofitted portions of their fleets to accommodate the growing demand, while others, such as Alaska Airlines, have ordered incoming planes to feature more premium seats. Other carriers find the extra cabin inefficient and double down on creating an exceptional main cabin or use the space for more upper-class capacity.
Given the cost difference between a premium economy and an economy or buisness class ticket, which airlines provide the most value for the upgrade?
How Long Will Emirates Keep Flying The Airbus A380?
Late last year, Emirates Executives told Simple Flying that the Dubai-based mega carrier would continue to fly the giant Airbus A380 into the 2040s. At the last Dubai Airshow, the airline’s CEO, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, told me that the airline would continue to buy aircraft from lessors at the right price to enable this. How long do you think Emirates will keep flying the Airbus A380? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
What Was Your 1st Flight?
In this job, I’ve been lucky to travel all across the continents, from North America to Asia. However, my journey in the skies started long ago when I was just three years old, during a trip to Delhi with my family. According to my parents, the aircraft I flew on was an Air India Boeing 747. What was your first flight? Let us know below!
Which Routes Should The New Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines Launch From Honolulu?
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have confirmed they will continue to operate under separate brands but will pursue a unified airline operating certificate. Once united, Hawaiian Airlines’ fleet of long-haul aircraft entering the fold will open up a range of new opportunities for the carrier.
Hawaiian Airlines already serves a range of long-haul destinations from Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), including destinations in Australia and Japan. Given Alaska’s membership in the oneworld Alliance, adding service to other hubs with a strong oneworld or partner airline presence would make sense.
Where do you think the airline will add next, and which destinations could benefit from a direct flight to Honolulu?
Where Would You Like Delta To Fly The Airbus A350-1000?
As you know, Delta has a firm order for 20 Airbus A350-1000s, with options for 20 more. Deliveries will begin in 2026. The type may become Delta’s highest-capacity equipment. It will surely have many premium seats, which will help dictate where it is flown.
Combined with a high overall capacity, they may be used in slot-constrained airports, particularly in Europe, where it is hard to grow with additional frequencies.
But that’s far less interesting than possible new routes. When combined with their long range, they will inevitably mean more new routes. Delta has teased by suggesting destinations in India and Saudi Arabia.
It flew from Atlanta to Mumbai on the 777-200LR in 2008/2009. Might it return? In the past year, it had 55,000 roundtrip point-to-point passengers, making it a slightly larger market than Delhi. Plus, of course, there is considerable transfer traffic.
Despite being a very long way, the Atlanta-Mumbai base fare was only $712 one-way (excl. fuel surcharge, taxes, e
Air India’s Record European Capacity—Where Else Should It Fly?
Air India currently serves 10 European airports: Amsterdam, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG, Vienna, and Zurich. Of course, there is a big emphasis on Star Alliance hubs.
India’s flag carrier has 16 non-stop European routes, the latest of which is Bengaluru to London Gatwick, which started in August 2024 (it replaced Heathrow, which was served until 2022).
Its European network exists from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Goa, Kochi, and Mumbai. Unsurprisingly, its two hubs—Delhi and Mumbai—have 80% of seats for sale.
In Q4 2024 (October-December), Air India will have 333,000 one-way India-Europe seats, the most it has ever had in any quarter. It has surpassed its prior quarterly record, held in Q3 2024, by 1.2%. And this is before considering the marriage with Vistara. Air India has 22% of non-stop India-Europe non-stop capacity.
Where else in Europe would you like the carrier to fly? It previously flew to London S
Which Long-Haul Routes Would You Like To See Launched?
There have been several new long-haul route launches this month, including avianca’s return to Paris from Bogota, Beond’s arrival in Milan from Maldives (via Dubai), and Juneyao’s inauguration to Brussels from Shanghai. With family across the globe, I would love to see more long-haul flights to the likes of South America and South Asia from Europe. Which long-haul routes would you like to see launched?
Will We Ever See A Flight Longer Than Qantas’ Project Sunrise?
Qantas is planning to set a new record for the world’s longest regularly scheduled flight with Project Sunrise. Project Sunrise will see the airline connecting London to Sydney with non-stop flights using specially modified Airbus A350s. These flights will take up to 20 hours. But do you think we will ever see longer flights in the future?
Etihad’s Next Airbus A380 Destination: Somewhere It Has *Not* Flown The Superjumbo Before
At Routes World, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Arik De, said the A380 is “doing much better than we ever expected.” It originally planned to return five aircraft, but seven will now be used.
They are flying to London Heathrow and New York JFK, with Paris CDG from November 1 (“A380 sales have been really strong”) and Singapore in February. Temporary flights to Mumbai are seemingly partly for crew training reasons, while Etihad planned A380 flights to Jeddah for this reason but then cut them.
Heathrow, JFK, CDG, Singapore. De said the fifth destination (i.e., not Mumbai, which is temporary) would be somewhere that has not seen Etihad’s A380s before. Previously, it flew the superjumbo to Melbourne, Seoul, and Sydney, so they won’t see it again. My money is on Bangkok, but who knows?
Where would you like Etihad to fly the A380? Let us know!
Which Airline Is Best For Transatlantic Flights?
Flight demand between the United States and Europe is at an all-time high. Notably, there are 4,674 one-way flights scheduled between the the US and UK this month, according to Cirium data. British Airways dominates the number of weekly flights. However, there is a host of other carriers with a significant presence in the market both sides of the pond. It’s not only the major operators such as the US Big Three and Virgin Atlantic that have a stronghold. The likes of JetBlue, Aer Lingus, TUI, and Norse Atlantic Airways are also regulars across the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, there are mainstays across the Americas and continental Europe. So, with a range of airlines to choose from, which one is the best? Let us know below!
Malaysia Airlines’ Global Route Additions—But Where Next?
As you may know, Malaysia Airlines will return to Paris in March 2025 after serving the French capital until 2016. Unlike then, when it used the A380/777-200ER, it’ll now run daily on the much more fuel-efficient A350-900.
Air France last served the market in 2015. This means Malaysia Airlines can a yield premium from being the only non-stop operator. In 2023, Kuala Lumpur-Paris had 72,000 roundtrip point-to-point passengers, with Malaysia Airlines’ service naturally set up for Asia-Pacific connectivity.
The carrier will also return to Karachi in December 2024. It last served the Pakistani city on the A330 in 2011. It will now run three times weekly on the 737 MAX 8.
Paris and Karachi join Chiang Mai (new to its network) and Malé (last served in 2015), both of which welcomed the carrier in August 2024. Da Nang will see Malaysia Airlines for the first time in September 2024, while the carrier has removed plans to resume Brisbane flights in March 2025.
It is somewhat funny that th
Which Widebody Have You Flown The Most?
In August, the world has more than 8,600 daily widebody-operated flights. One in 12 of the world’s services is on a twin-aisle. Most flights are on the Boeing 777-300ER, an excellent variant for range, high-capacity passenger cabins, and considerable belly-hold freight volume. The A330-300 is second, and the 787-9 is third. It raises an obvious question: which widebody type or variant have you flown the most? Let us know!
Which European Destination Should JetBlue Launch Flights To Next?
I was at Heathrow Airport to welcome JetBlue’s first flight to London in the summer of 2021. Since then, the airline has launched services to Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris! This shows great ambition from the hybrid carrier, which has grown across Europe at a swift rate. Where in Europe should the New York-based airline fly next? The airline’s incoming Airbus A321XLRs will help it reach further east on the continent, leading to some new long-haul routes! What do you expect? Let us know below!
Which Airline Should Join The Oneworld Alliance Next?
Given oneworld Alliance carrier Alaska Airlines’ recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, it would appear another brand is set to join the oneworld fold. The smallest of the three major airline alliances with just 13 current members, the group has the potential to grow even further.
Two airlines have already confirmed they will be joining the program in the coming months. Fiji Airways (which is set to adopt the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program) and Oman Air (the second Gulf carrier to join oneworld following Qatar Airways) will officially join the group.
Speaking to Simple Flying’s Sumit Singh earlier this summer, oneworld CEO Nathaniel Pieper said that any future airlines must bring a range of new destinations without significantly eroding the market share of existing oneworld carriers. Which airlines do you think have a complimentary network that would fit well in the oneworld Alliance?
How Much More Can Air India Expand In The US?
Air India already flies to five destinations in the United States – Newark, Washington Dulles, New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare, and San Francisco. Some of these routes are served by multiple Indian airports. Still, during a chat with Simple Flying last month, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson shared that his airline is keen to expand within the US once it receives more widebodies. There have been reports about adding Dallas and Los Angeles to the works. Still, how much could the airline expand across the US? Could we see some additional routes along both coasts? Let us know what you think below!
Where Would You Like United Airlines To Fly The Airbus A321XLR?
United plans to have 50 Airbus A321XLRs, with the first aircraft due to enter service in 2025. Naturally, the carrier said they’ll partly replace the Boeing 757-200ER, including to Europe. Unlike the A321LR, a variant United does not have and has not ordered, the XLR is a true 757 replacement – just with a longer range and much better fuel burn.
The XLR may also help United to make some seasonal routes year-round while right-sizing capacity with demand on others, freeing up other equipment to be used elsewhere. It may also enable higher frequencies.
More interesting are new route possibilities. While necessarily vague, United said, “The XLR can fly much further [than the 757] and will open new stations that either don’t have service from an airline today [from the US], or they don’t have United service.” Where would you like the carrier to fly the type? Let us know!
Should Emirates Join An Airline Alliance?
Most major carriers are part of an airline alliance. Whether it’s oneworld, Star, or Skyteam, operators see benefits from being part of such an initiative. An exception to the rule is Emirates. The company has managed to partner well with other airlines and form an expansive network without the help of an alliance and doesn’t see the need to change its approach. Still, should it join one to reap further potential benefits? Let us know below!
What Is Your Most Flown Airline?
While there are several factors at play when choosing a flight, many people will tend to gravitate towards a particular airline. This could be because they live near a base, have frequent flyer status, or simply prefer the service on offer. I track all of my flights in the Flighty app, and today took a look at my most flown airlines and was slightly surprised to see British Airways claiming the top spot with 49 flights compared to 41 at Ryanair (which I had expected to be at the top)! Equally cool is Air Astana with 7 flights from a single trip to Kazakhstan last summer. What are your most flown airlines? Join the conversation below!
Which Airline Has The Biggest & Best Economy Seats?
As much as we love to dream about trips in the cabins up front, the majority of us enjoy most of our flights down back in the cheap seats. There’s usually not much to write home about – just enough space to be tolerable, perhaps some IFE if we’re lucky.
But not all economy seats are equal. At their smallest, economy class seats might be 17 inches wide, with a pitch of 28 or 29 inches. Conversely, some carriers treat passengers to 34 inches of pitch and seats that are 18 inches wide; when you’re packed into the economy cabin, every inch matters.
Of course, seats are very aircraft-specific. Within one fleet, there may be an Airbus A220 with a generous 19-inch seat width and 32 inches of pitch, alongside a Boeing 737-800 with seats of just 17 inches wide and a 30-inch pitch. You’d think long haul aircraft would have the best economy seats, given the time we’re expected to spend in them. But get this – the seats in the A321neo are 18 inches wide; in the 787 Dreamliner, they’re only 17
Which Airline Alliance Do You Prefer To Fly With?
There are three major airline alliances in the world. These are oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam. Frequent travelers will often try to stick to member airlines of one alliance as their status is reciprocal across the alliance. Being based in Frankfurt, I tend to find myself flying with Star Alliance carriers, though I also enjoy flying on oneworld Airlines when I get the chance. Let us know which your preferred alliance is in the comments below!
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Publish date : 2024-10-23 19:24:00
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