Passengers won’t pay for more space on planes. This is the commonly accepted mantra and driving logic behind the ongoing “densification” efforts to squeeze more seats onto planes. And, for the most part, that’s proven true. A growing subset of travelers are, however, willing to pay more. Delta Air Lines’ Premium Select will expand across the widebody fleet to capture even more of that revenue.
Seats & Cabin
JetBlue Grows Up with A220 order: Big shoes (and planes) to fill
JetBlue’s move to dump the Embraer E190 fleet in favor of the Bombardier CSeries newly branded Airbus A220 comes as a surprise only in terms of timing. And as JetBlue’s fleet evolves to include the CSeries A220 (and A321neo) a number of questions arise over the carrier’s growth plans.
JetBlue takes the A220, refreshing its smaller aircraft fleet.
JetBlue signed on as the very first customer for the newly renamed Airbus A220-300, formerly known as the CSeries CS300. The firm order for 60 frames, plus options for another 60, was announced just hours after Airbus hosted an event in Toulouse formally unveiling the new branding.
Delta’s CRJ900 order brings Atmosphère, improved passenger experience to the skies
A new cabin layout is coming to Delta’s newest CRJ900s starting later this year. Some 20 new planes will feature Bombardier’s Atmosphère third generation interior, with larger bins and a much bigger lav. Sure, it is still more regional jets, but it could be a lot worse.
WestJet Plus goes legit with Recaro CL4710
Euro-biz is going away on some WestJet planes. The carrier is upgrading its WestJet Plus offering to feature the Recaro CL4710 in a proper 2-2 cabin layout. This further moves the company away from its LCC roots and into a role as a global premium operator.
WestJet unveils 787 interior, flat-bed business class offering
It is just an artist rendering but we finally have a first peek at how the new WestJet 787 interiors will be fitted. With three classes of service, including fully lie-flat business class, it is a solid competitor, though not necessarily the “bold” play the company claims.
Emirates (finally) commits to Premium Economy
Passengers still must wait a couple years, but Emirates is finally set to introduce a premium economy cabin on its A380 fleet. Sir Tim Clark offers up a few details on the effort in a recent podcast episode.
JetBlue’s new A320 takes flight
New seats, new screens and more live television took flight one JetBlue this week. The first of the restyled A320 planes is now in service, delivering upgraded amenities. And 12 extra seats on board.
"Smart" luggage battery ban claims its first victim
It was only a matter of time before one of the “smart” luggage suppliers collapsed in the face of airlines banning their batteries in the baggage hold. Bluesmart was the leading contender for such and it delivered, ceasing operations this week and leaving many customers high and dry.
United Airlines’ new "Aspire" economy class seat takes flight
It was a busy week for United Airlines where the biggest news may have been lost in the shuffle. It isn’t as sexy as lie-flat seating but the new Aspire economy class seats now flying deliver some real improvements for passengers. And one significant drawback, too.