Lufthansa Sleeper's Row
economy class syndrome . The medical terminology coined during the 1990s to treat thrombosis that occur in passengers who travel frequently by plane , in long-haul and economy-class flights , today is used as a little affectionate name to define the long discomfort list that companies have incurred over the last decade in order to generate higher profitability based on extras.
During the last decade, the Abyss of comfort that separates the business class from the tourist class inside an airplane has become even more pronounced , and while business passengers have been able to benefit from all the airline innovation that has been invested in recent years: double beds dressed with sheets and duvets, bars on board and even showers at 38,000 feet , the benefits of the tourist class have been diminishing as the size of its seats has also diminished.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FLY CHEAP?
With the entry onto the scene of companies low cost ’ long-haul and its offer of tickets at hyper-competitive prices (you can fly from Barcelona to New York for €150), economy class received the final blow: no change tickets, no refunds, no seat selection, no bag and having to pay to eat something on board Y even by the headphones to be able to listen to the movie on the plane . The passengers have associated fly cheap to fly without extras , the problem here comes when we must define what is an extra for an airline and what is for a passenger.
The basic rates, or the cheapest , reflect a consumer environment in which many travelers shop strictly based on price and match their needs to their budget. The market, aware of these needs, has done the same: adapt your product, in this case your economy class, to this type of traveler . Or at least this has been the trend until now, when, pandemics aside, it seems that the time has come to win back a traveler who, although he cannot afford to pay the price of a seat in business class, wants to travel more comfortably (hello, economy premium) and above all, without mishaps or an endless list of extras on board . Flying has become part of the travel experience and it seems that airlines are finally getting it.
A BED TO FLY IN ECONOMY CLASS
Let's call it innovation, gift of opportunity or just one bet to satisfy a passenger who is suspicious of health security on board an airplane, Lufthansa has been one of the first airlines to add value to its economy class by creating a new (well, not so new) offer on board its economy class called 'Sleeper's Row'.
Lufthansa Sleeper's Row
This product allows passengers to reserve multiple adjacent seats in the same row for being able to lie down and sleep without flying in business class . But there is still more. to the advantage of power sleep completely lying down without having to pay the cost of a business ticket , other benefits that the airline has associated with this improvement are added, such as priority boarding or a more padded seat dressed in business class bedding . And although the experience will not be the same as what happens on the other side of the curtain, neither is the price, and thank goodness. Sleeper's Row costs €220 for three seats, or €260 for four seats, in addition to the ticket price . The offer can only be purchased at the airport during check-in or directly at the boarding gate and is only available on flights between Frankfurt, Germany and São Paulo, Brazil.
And despite the fact that this Lufthansa initiative has been very well received by the sector in general and passengers in particular, the German airline is not the first airline to offer a similar experience. We now go back to 2011, the year in which Air New Zealand launched his ' skycouch ’, a product called to revolutionize the market, which later did not revolutionize it as much (9 years it has taken another airline to imitate it) because, you know, you have to pay it , which is nothing more than another row of three economy class seats that turn into a flat surface, like a bed in which to sleep completely lying down , the factor most desired by travelers inside an airplane.
Safety cot in the Air New Zealand Economy Skycouch.
THE RECONQUEST OF THE TOURIST
With fierce competition and in a unfavorable economic and health environment like the one we are going through, it seems that the airlines have finally realized that they cannot afford to have dissatisfied customers , not even those who buy the cheapest fares, and both manufacturers and airlines are putting all the meat on the grill to achieve a better flight experience on board their economy class, which undoubtedly includes more comfort
Delta , which in 2019 revolutionized economy class with a new and innovative concept that returned all the lost prominence to this segment of the aircraft, launched its bistro restaurant (a selection of dishes in tapas format served in porcelain dishes) and even a welcome cocktail , a free bellini, served right after takeoff, along with hot towel service. The reception was so good that the Atlanta-based airline It was already thinking of extending this service to its entire network of long-haul flights, until the arrival of Covid-19 left all the plans in the air and the planes on the ground . Delta, which has already confirmed that it will continue to block the middle seat on all its flights, will resume this service when most of its flights do so. Hello, 2021.
In a market as competitive as the air after the liberalization, and democratization, of the sector , the options to seduce an increasingly demanding passenger are limited, so 2021 points out that it will be the year of the particular reconquest by the airlines . Many are already working on it. Hence Qatar Airways boast of offering the widest and most spacious seats in the industry aboard one of the most modern fleets. Every one of those comfortable seats includes an amenities kit that includes lip balm, dental kit, mask, socks and earplugs and, after takeoff, the crew distributes a menu where they specify the selections of the day and the three options of the main dishes to choose from, as is the case with Singapore Airlines. Here are fair concerns. Or nothing.
Flag bearer of French gastronomy in the sky, Air France is one of the few (the only?) airlines that continues to offer champagne on its long-haul flights in economy class , and although its seats have not been perfected as much as in other airlines -everything will come- the exquisiteness of its on-board service and its gastronomy (almost) make up for the rest. The meal, which always includes a portion of cheese and butter, is served on a functional and aesthetic tray, although not made of porcelain, which is designed by Eugeni Quitllet, disciple of Philippe Starck.