Airlines make room for compromise

By GREGOR GARBASSEN

An increasing number of airlines are introducing a new category of air ticket pitched between economy and business class.

Premium Economy, Economy Plus, or even New Economy as British Midland calls it, offers more leg-room on long-haul flights to reduce the risk of thrombosis.

The introduction of the four-class society - first, business, economy plus and economy - was prompted by "economy class syndrome," the illness that made headlines around the world after several economy passengers died from thrombosis.

Forced to sit immobile in a small space for many hours, the victims developed blood clots in their legs that moved to the heart and blocked their arteries.

The new economy plus class offers a safer alternative to holidaymakers for whom first or business class would be too expensive.

British Midland, Britain's second largest airline, introduced its new Economy class on flights between Europe and the United States in April. The new category offers 97cm distance between rows of seats, 15cm more leg-room than in regular economy.

Scandinavian airline SAS will offer a generous 100cm to 110cm of seating space in its economy plus class to be introduced on long-haul flights in September.

British Airways' World Traveller Plus and competitor Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy both offer 97cm of space.

United Airlines is the first US airline to offer the new category. Its economy plus passengers have 92cm of legroom. The class is available on domestic flights and will be introduced on all long-haul planes by the end of this year.

Garuda Indonesia's premium economy class with 100cm and Eva Air's (Taiwan) evergreen deluxe class with 97cm have both been available for some time.

Air France offers an intermediate category called "alize" with 94cm of leg-space on its holiday routes to Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean and Reunion and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.

Air Mauritius allows 92cm seating space on flights between the island and European destinations.

China Airlines has taken a different route for its flights from Taipei and Bangkok to 10 destinations in the Far East and Australia.

In April it introduced the D-class, offering passengers business service and seats with 122cm to 127cm of seating space at around half the usual business tariff. But unlike usual business passengers, clients must stay at their destination for at least six nights, they have far less scope to alter bookings, and earn fewer air miles.

The service in these upper-economy seats are not always better than the cheapest seats. British Airways and United Airlines offer them economy class meals, although Air Mauritius, Air France, Eva Air, Garuda Airlines and Virgin Atlantic serve a better menu choice.

Garuda's premium economy passengers are also served champagne, while Virgin's premium economy get champagne and an ice cream to go with the in-flight movie.

The bonus points offered to upper-economy frequent flyers also vary. SAS and United offer no extra bonuses compared to economy passengers, British Midland offers eight per cent more, British Airways 10 per cent, Eva Air 25 per cent, Air France and Virgin Atlantic, 50 per cent more.

Air Mauritius and Garuda Indonesia offer no frequent flyer programmes, although the Indonesians are especially attractive to smokers, running one of the few airlines that still allows smoking on board.

The pricing system also varies between the airlines.

While Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines passengers who have paid the full economy class are automatically upgraded to the premium class, most airlines demand a surcharge of between $US200 ($500) and $US450 depending on the airline and destination. The most expensive upper-economy class tickets are British Midland, British Airways and SAS, where the extra leg-room costs travellers between 37 and 66 per cent of the regular business tariff.

- NZPA

Feature: Economy class syndrome