REVIEW 2022: The year at Economy Class and Beyond – There is no such thing as normal…

Well, here we are. The back end of 2022 – the year that things returned to normal. Or did they? Here are my thoughts on a year of passenger experience at Economy Class and Beyond. 

Flights and Such

Onto the stats for 2022, as everyone loves stats.

Total Mileage: 22,456

Compared to pre-pandemic years, my travel is down in some respects – an that can be placed at the high prices over the summer, as well as a lack of Asian travel this year. Core trips are in there, whilst my “discretionary” flights remain down.

Equipment Splits:

I blame the Finnair cheap fares for this – with the A350 on short-haul routes being a highlight.

Segment Length Split (Long Haul/Transoceanic)

With Asia slowly opening (and if I am honest – is where I want to end up when flying long haul), I’m hoping that changes. There was going to be a last-gasp change in this – but Washington DC in the winter didn’t happen (and judging by the snow issues at Dublin earlier in December, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing at all).

Travel segment breakdown

Whilst the blog might be called “Economy Class and Beyond”, there seems to be a bend towards business travel at cheap fares, with short-haul business leaping forward with economy class relegated to long-haul travel. Again, this year, it was a matter of what cheap airfares I could find, especially as long-haul economy travel shot up in price towards the end of 2022.

New for me

A few new things for me this year, with a new airline – flying easyJet and being suitably impressed with the passenger experience.

In addition, I flew aboard a  British Airways Boeing 787-10 (which might be one of the better experiences in the air… even in economy class).

As well as a Finnair A330 pre-refurbishment. And I’ve never heard as rough of a massage motor in my life.

And family ones too…

Life is sometimes full of old friends, with American Airlines 787s paying a visit, as well as Finnair A350s.

Some Travel Notes

As post-COVID travel picked up for me (for my sanity, thankfully), restrictions played a significant factor in where I travelled to, as well as the value of the BorisPeso/Trusspenny/RishiCoin.

The year kicked off with how it should have done – a Chicago Trip in March.

There were service changes to accommodate, but American Airlines and British Airways are running adequate services – with the economy product being more than bearable thanks to a full row to myself, and the premium economy showing how it is driving the recovery, with a full cabin in the air

Meanwhile, in June, it was time for the Aviation jamboree that is Aircraft Interior Expo – a time to catch up with the industry and learn. Meanwhile, British Airways Club Europe remains “nothing special” on the one-hour or so segments. Masks were out, but people were still being a little careful.

July and August brought my Tier Point runs to Helsinki with Finnair. It’s interesting how an airline tries to economise – even in its top-tier products, yet it not feeling like they’re making feel like economy. It’s also a sign those A330 aircraft need new seats fast, whilst the A350s can march on for a while.

October brought me back to the Windy City with some of the most expensive airfares I’ve paid to go to Chicago (and the worst part was that was just for economy class – I can get an Economy and Premium Economy segment in March for what I paid, with change for dinner). Mediocre both ways, but good to see that the passenger experience has returned to pre-pandemic offerings.

Finally, December brought me to easyJet. It’s white and orange, slimline seats, but it gets you from A to B at a low cost.

An upward tick in Passenger Experience

As restrictions have loosened, the passenger experience has been recovering to pre-pandemic levels. This can be seen even in long-haul economy class, however much the rise of buy-on-board continues to invade the short-haul cabin.

At least some things like bottles of water and a pre-packaged snack remain – although given the fiscal constraints of next year, expect those to be under the axe if we’re not careful.

Loyalty is a thing, as well as common sense

For me, my loyalty has been tested as usual by British Airways (and I’ve just squeaked over the requirements to renew Silver this year), as the airline returns to pre-pandemic earning methods.

In terms of hotels, I’m still hanging around with the IHG group – mainly as its the most convenient option (even if I’ve given up IHG Ambassador for now – I’m not staying at Intercontinals as much, choosing to stay in different brands within IHG mix).

I’ve also had a proper Ibis this year, but one of the main things has been the use of budget hotels (Travelodge, Premier Inn and so on).

And I don’t have a problem with those at all – value for money has always been a winner in my book over points.

Next Year

To put it bluntly – there’s a lot that is entering preparation and pre-planning already, with the Spring Chicago trip nearing booking, Aircraft Interiors Expo in June being locked in.

But also next year, expect a little more spontaneity as the world opens back up.

There are going to be challenges – least of thanks to certain decisions that were made in 2016 coming home to roost.

I’m also putting in a few plans for long-haul adventures – after all, Tier Points don’t earn themselves. I’m not sure I’ll ever be BA Gold again (as I find the difference between gold and silver to be… minimal at my need level), but you never know

Also, I’m going to be doing a little experiment next year – how long I’m stuck in European immigration queues. I suspect it’ll be an amount that I can start firing up invoices if needed.

On the blog next year

Travel Technology is going to be much more of a thing in 2023 (a leftover of the pandemic) as I continue to explore technology from a traveller (and a ground) perspective.

I’ve got more than a few projects lined up for next year that I’d like you to accompany me on – from DIY Storage NASs to new computer equipment, to repurposing old computers.

Meanwhile, we’ll be keeping up with our news coverage, our passenger experience news as well as the thoughts that pass in and out of my head.

And if I travel, trip reports – because there’s nothing like a deep dive.

Thank you for joining me in 2022 – I look forward to seeing you in 2023.

Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, featuring in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.

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