Passengers flying with Qantas from 6 February will have access to the carrier’s new Economy Plus* cabin layout. The new, paid premium offering will initially be available on the carrier’s 737, A220, and A321XLR aircraft.
Typically Qantas offers 30″ of pitch on board. Most Economy Plus seats will be pitched at 34″, while exit rows fly with a 38″ pitch. Front row Economy Plus seats are pitched at 39″ for the A321 and A220 types and an impressive 51-52″ for the 737-800.
Notably, the extra legroom seats are not only at the front of the cabin. This opens increased monetization options for the airline, while also accounting for aircraft layout requirements.
On the A220, for example, the bulk of the 20 Economy Plus seats are in the 2-seat section, though the front and exit rows also offer the extra legroom on the 3-seat side.
On the 737-800s the 42 seats are concentrated at the front of the cabin, plus the exit rows, more in line with other airlines’ allocation of those seats. And the rendering seems to confirm the massive legroom for that row.
The A321XLR offers 36 extra leg room seats spread throughout the cabin. The first two rows of economy class are positioned that way, but then no more until the exit rows. And, notably, the two rows aft of the exit also get extra legroom.
Passengers choosing to sit in rows 8-13 will pay extra to be towards the front of the plane, but without the extra space. Similarly, pricing on the A220s shows a premium for the 3-seat section towards the front, but still an up-charge to sit there.
As a nod to its frequent flyers, Qantas will offer the Economy Plus seats complimentary at booking to its Platinum and Platinum One tier members, as well as passengers on the same reservation. Gold tier members can select the seats at 24 hours from departure.
Read more: Unexpected Shifts in Premium Economy
The cabin updates will extend to the carrier’s A330 fleet from the middle of the year. Similarly, the branded headrests and overhead bin markers will roll out in the weeks ahead.
*Not to be confused with United Airlines‘ Economy Plus product which offers roughly all the same benefits and features. Though, at least for now, not on overlapping flight routes. Still, gotta assume someone didn’t register United’s branding in Australia to protect it??
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