As the has been one heck of thing last week with Etihad, Air France and others unveiling their new first class (and beyond) products. Whilst this is all well and good, there are a lot of the seats at the back of the plane that need to be filled.
Singapore Airlines has been looking for some time at the back of the plane and have announced they will be launching a Premium Economy product in 2015 aboard their planes, with an eye to having the fleet fitted by 2016.
Singapore Airines Boeing 777-300ER taxing at London Heathrow – Image, GhettoIFE
These seats will be targeted on medium and long haul routes, for those passengers – both business and economy class passengers looking for more legroom aboard the plane.
The airline will look to deploy these seats aboard its Boeing 777-300ERs, its Airbus A380 and the upcoming Airbus A350-900s.
Exact details of the product have not been revealed, with two paths to choose from – a Business Minus style product (taking a business class product and reducing it akin to Qantas), or an Improved Economy style product (such as British Airways World Traveller Plus).
Typical improvements normally call for a larger seat with more leg and shoulder room, as well as improving the food and beverage products.
Singapore Airlines will join other carriers in the region such as ANA, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Qantas who offer premium economy cabins.
For the passenger it offers another option. Whilst Business class seating is the ideal, purse strings have tightened all over the world, with those in charge of budgets sending people around the world as cheap as is possible. If the offering and costs is agreeable, this could be a real boon for those travellers who can argue they need to be appropriately rested and ready when they hit the ground running.