American unveils new international Premium Economy cabin
American Airlines is shaking up the "premium economy" market among U.S. carriers by adding a new class of service of that promises to make it more competitive with the world's top carriers.
The world’s biggest airline announced Wednesday morning it is adding an entirely new premium economy cabin on its long-haul aircraft. In a first among the big U.S. airlines, American’s new seats will represent a distinctly separate class of service – one that’s positioned between business and economy class.
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A growing number of international carriers have already rolled out enhanced premium economy seats, but American’s move will make it the first among the big U.S. airlines.
Rivals Delta and United do already offer premium economy seats on their flights, as does American. But, as with American’s current “Main Cabin Extra” seats, those seats essentially offer fliers little more than a few extra inches of personal space and free alcoholic beverages.
The move also promises to make American more competitive with global airlines like Lufthansa, Air France, Singapore Airlines and a number of others that have already done so.
"Our customers tell us they want a class of service between Business Class and Main Cabin, and this feedback provided the genesis for our new Premium Economy service,” Andrew Nocella, American’s chief marketing officer, says in a statement announcing the new seats.
“Premium Economy is offered today by many premier carriers around the world. We studied those offerings and developed a world-class product with larger seats, more legroom, improved entertainment and upscale headphones and amenity kits, just to name a few features of this new service. As the world’s largest carrier, we are excited to introduce this product for our customers," Nocella adds.
American will add the new Premium Economy cabin to most of its long-haul, widebody aircraft that fly overseas routes. The seats will be added to all of the carrier’s Boeing 777-300ERs, 777-200ERs, 787-8s, 787-9s and Airbus A330s “over the next three years.” Premium Economy will also be installed on the Airbus A350, which begins arriving at American in 2017.
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American says its Boeing 767-300s will not be retrofitted with Premium Economy since those planes “are scheduled for retirement in the coming years.”
The first aircraft to get the new Premium Economy will be American’s new Boeing 787-9, the first of which is expected to enter service for the airline in late 2016. American says three rows of Premium Economy seats will be arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration on the 787-9. The aircraft will continue to have American’s “Main Cabin Extra” seats as well as lie-flat seats in business class.
U.S. airlines slow to the game
While American becomes the first of the big U.S. carriers to add a distinct premium economy class of service, a number of prestigious foreign carriers have already done so or have announced plans to do so. Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa are two of the latest, joining a an ever-growing list of global carriers.
United has offered its Economy Plus seating since 1999. Delta rolled out its Economy Comfort seating – since rebranded as Comfort+ -- in 2011 while American began adding its version – Main Cabin Extra – in 2012. Alaska Airlines just announced its own such cabin, though that airline flies only narrowbody and regional aircraft to destinations in the USA and North America.
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But, until American's announcement, there's a significant difference between the enhanced economy offerings of the U.S. airlines and those of the international carriers. The U.S. carriers offer only a few extra inches of legroom. Some throw in free drinks and move fliers up in the boarding and check-in queue.
But, on international carriers, "it's a completely different class of service," says business-travel writer Joe Brancatelli, who authors the JoeSentMe.com travel website newsletter. He calls it the "the fourth class" of air travel – distinct from the traditional offerings of first-, business and standard economy.
Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific are among the growing cadre of global carriers that offer enhanced economy sections as a distinct class of service. Even more than extra space, the premium economy cabins on international carriers often feature custom-designed seats that are better – not just more spacious – than standard economy.
On Air France, for example, the premium economy seats are enclosed in their own shell, offering privacy and protecting personal space from the recline of other passengers.
The service is different, too. Customers buying premium economy seats on international carriers typically can check-in via the first- or business-class lines. Meals are typically served on China and feature menus more similar to what's served in business class. Flight attendants patrol the premium economy more frequently with refills for wine and water glasses.
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