Introduction

At a time when many airlines are launching ultra economy tickets in a bid to become ultra low-cost carriers, Iberia has bucked the trend by launching a new Premium Economy class, for customers who want that little bit extra, but not at business class prices.The whole service will not be rolled out at the same time but rather will be implemented in stages on 37 Long haul aircraft.

WHAT DO YOU GET ?

So what do you get fo your money we hear you ask ?.Among the features of the offer are seats that recline 40% more than an economy seat, better video, better audio and wi-fi access. A key feature will be wider seats and more space. Charging points for electronic devices will be available, and they claim there will be a more attentive service.
 

NEW CONCEPT TO BE PHASED IN

The phasing in will take a few months starting from May on flights to Chicago and New York, Miami in August, Boston in September, Bogota in October and Mexico in November. Sixteen new planes will come factory-equipped with the new sections.

Iberia are not the only ones experimenting with this relatively new concept.American Airlines and Malaysian have also expressed interest.American is quoted as saying that 'there is a lot of opportunity there' with Malaysian adding that they are 'looking to increase the revenue per passenger in economy class.'

A BIT EXTRA FOR A BIT EXTRA

The development has to be seen within the context of falling air fares and a tendency to cram economy passengers into smaller spaces. It makes good business sense to offer passengers a bit extra (especially in the legroom department) and a few other fringe benefits, in exchange for something extra on the airfare. The only problem with such a young concept is that the definition of premium economy varies between airlines.Consequently, it is best to check what you are actually getting when booking.