Cathay Pacific unveils premium economy offering

CATHAY Pacific Airways has released details of its new premium economy-class product (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 1), which will be progressively introduced on its longhaul services from March 2012, and be available for booking for flights departing from April 2012 onwards.

Cathay Pacific CEO John Slosar said: “Premium economy will be a real upgrade over economy, and passengers will get great value for a great product.”

The new premium economy class will feature a quieter, more spacious cabin than the existing economy class with between 26 and 34 seats. The seat pitch will be 38 inches – six inches more than economy class – and the seat itself will be wider and have a bigger recline.

The seat will also come with a large meal table, a cocktail table, a footrest, a 10.6-inch personal television, an in-seat power outlet, a multi-port connector for personal devices, and extra personal stowage space.

On the ground, premium economy-class passengers will enjoy priority check-in at dedicated counters, and boarding before traditional economy-class passengers. There will also be an increase in baggage allowance from 20kg to 25kg, or two pieces of baggage from 23 kg to 25kg each.

In-air service improvements include larger pillows and noise-cancelling headsets, being welcomed onboard with champagne, and an enhanced onboard meal selection.

The new premium economy cabin will be installed on all Cathay Pacific longhaul aircraft including Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 747-400s, Airbus A330-300s and Airbus A340-300s. The airline plans to have 87 aircraft fitted with the product by end-2013.

Premium economy will initially feature on the Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver and New York routes, followed by London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, continental Europe and other longhaul services.

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