IN RECENT years the travel
industry has witnessed a
number of airlines removing
their first-class cabins, and
others raising their game
to offer a luxurious flying
experience few imagined. At
the same time, business-class
offerings have been upped to
compete for premium travellers
and a more affordable ‘bells
and whistles’ product.
According to Charlene
Muller, VIP consultant,
Rennies Travel Cricket SA, the
needs of travellers nowadays
are greater than in the past.
Airlines are competing to offer
more, but travellers expect to
pay the minimum amount for
world-class services.
No surprise then, that
premium economy has been
a hit, particularly on long-haul
flights. An increasing number
of airlines have introduced
premium economy cabins,
and some aviation experts
believe premium economy
could expand in size, taking
space from business-class and
first-class cabins as these lose
their appeal.
“Air France introduced a
premium economy cabin
because we saw a need for an
intermediate cabin between
business and economy class.
There was a demand for it
and in this market it has
been very well received and
supported,” says Wouter
Vermeulen, Air France KLM
gm Southern Africa. He adds
that Air France has different
cabin configurations within
its fleet allowing for “optimal
set-up depending on the
demand in different markets”.
“We can bring in a more
leisure- or business-oriented
configuration.”
Delta Air Lines launched its
premium economy product,
Delta Premium Select, on
its new A350-900 aircraft in
November last year. “The cabin
is currently available on 50%
of routes between the US and
Asia, and from Amsterdam to
Detroit. We’ve received very
positive feedback and where
corporate travel policies only
allow for economy travel, we’ve
seen customers using Delta
Premium Select extensively,”
says Katie Hulme, corporate
communications manager
EMEA, Delta Air Lines.
Katie says Delta works hard
to ensure the right balance of
business and economy seating
to meet demand. “Our recent
results showed a very strong
business cabin performance.
Premium economy is still a
relatively new product for us.
It’s proving popular, but equally,
Delta One [business class]
remains the cabin of choice for
many passengers.”
Sally George, market
development manager,
Singapore Airlines, says the
airline has had good support
for its premium economy
class in the SA market since
it was launched in June 2016.
But, she adds, at the same
time the introduction of the
A350 on the Cape TownJohannesburg-Singapore
route
saw capacity in the businessclass
cabin increase from 25
to 42 seats.
“Although a trend has
emerged where airlines
are investing in creating or
increasing their premium
economy cabins, there is no
clear trend on whether the
space is coming from economy
class or other premium
cabins,” says Linden Birns,
spokesperson for Airbus.
He says it depends on the
airline and the markets they
serve. “Some carriers might
have a first class on aircraft
they use on trans-Pacific or
US-Middle East routes, for
example, but not on the same
type of aircraft they operate
to other destinations where
the demand for first class is
weak.”
Based on her experience,
Charlene finds premium
economy to be extremely
popular because of the pricing
and value for money. With
little demand for first class,
she believes airlines should
grow their premium economy
capacity but adds: “Airlines
have many restrictions on
premium fares, such as
advance purchases and
other restrictions, which I
think should be more lenient,
as corporates want to use
premium as an upgrade from
economy and expect that the
restrictions would be easier.
Business is the new first
“BUSINESS class today is
pretty much what first-class
cabins were years ago,”
says Annelie Scheepers,
travel consultant for Sure
Maritime Travel. In the past,
she says, passengers were
happy with bigger seats, a
welcome drink and leg-room,
but the expectations now
include priority boarding,
lie-flat seats and extra
baggage. While she feels
airlines should reduce first
class, maintain business
and increase premium
economy, Annelie admits
that there will always be
those willing to pay for “the
over-the-top luxury of first
class”.
Carla da Silva, regional
gm: Africa & Latin America,
Air Mauritius, agrees that
the business-class cabin
has evolved over the years.
“Now, business-class
travellers enjoy a lot more
privacy than in the past.
Individual seats, direct aisle
access, on-demand service
and free WiFi are among
the new features of the Air
Mauritius business-class
product. The traditional
first-class product offered by
airlines is waning and the
need for larger businessclass
cabins has increased
to meet the demands of
today.”
She says Air Mauritius
offers ‘honeymoon’ seats
in its business-class cabin
– two seats together, both
with aisle access.
Delta Air Lines, which
doesn’t offer a first-class
cabin on its international
flights, includes various
high-end amenities in its
business-class cabin,
Delta One. These include
flat-bed seats, Westin
Heavenly in-flight bedding,
customisable TUMI amenity
kits, and restaurant-style
on-board dining paired with
premium vintages selected
by a master sommelier.
“The Delta One suite
will be the first all-suite
business class on flights
from South Africa to the
United States once the refit
of our Boeing 777 fleet
is complete. The suites
offer a private, personal
experience with a full-height
door enhancing privacy and
comfort,” says the carrier’s
Katie Hulme.
Further, she says, the
Delta Air Lines’ Guest
Service Tool gives flight
attendants technology at
their fingertips to identify
and greet customers
by name, highlight their
SkyMiles Medallion status
and address any disruptions
to their travel in real time.
Wouter Vermeulen for
Air France KLM says: “The
reality of today is that the
world is changing all the
time and passengers’
needs are too, so you have
to be aware of that and
try to adapt your offering
where possible.” On KLM,
he highlights the ‘Anytime
for you’ offering, which lets
business-class passengers
order different types of
meals throughout the flight
at their convenience.
A spokesperson for
Iberia, says people expect
more personalisation and
the ability to use digital
channels to manage their
flight experience.
“WiFi has become an
increasingly important
requirement for our
customers.”
The airline also launched
a premium economy product
last year, but only offers
economy and business
on its flights between
Johannesburg and Madrid.
Iberia’s business product is
among the most competitive
in the market, “as it was
the first airline to offer WiFi
access on board” and all
seats have direct access to the
aisle, says the spokesperson.
According to Sally George of
Singapore Airlines, the minimum
expectations passengers have of
business class are WiFi connectivity,
fully lie-flat beds, more baggage
allowance (up to 40kg from 30kg),
good flight connections and the use
of lounges.
Linden Birns for Airbus says
the most common passenger
expectation is increased personal
space. “Airbus has developed its
own signature cabin called Airspace,
available on single-aisle A320new
family and on the A330neo and
A350XWB wide-body aircraft.
“It addresses the tangible hard
and soft touches such as more
comfortable seats, larger overhead
cabin stowage and bigger windows,
together with perceptibles such as
ambient mood lighting, air quality,
acoustics and foot-room,” he
explains. He adds that by using more
robust, but lighter structural material,
seat manufacturers have been able
to create seats and seat-surrounds
that minimise space, while also
increasing leg-room.
“Airlines have also experimented
with different seat configurations to
maximise both their yields and their
customers’ space.”
Charlene Muller of Rennies Travel
Cricket SA, says while most airlines
offer business-class passengers a
lot more nowadays, first class will
always have clientele. “First class
is for a select and distinct traveller
and, as much as cost saving is one
of the biggest requirements in travel
lately, the VIP service and recognition
that goes with first class will always
be there.”
According to Linden, some airlines,
especially those whose brands are
synonymous with an “elite travel
experience” are still specifying
aircraft with first-class cabins.
Agents vital to premium travel sales
“A SIGNIFICANT portion of all
our sales come from the trade,
especially in the premium and
business cabins. They are our
partners and we value their support
and contribution to push this
segment,” says Air France KLM’s
Wouter Vermeulen.
The airline’s sales team regularly
gives product presentations and
updates to the trade. “If a specific
need is identified or request made,
we can always accommodate that
with a dedicated appointment to
familiarise agents with what they
need.” He says any major changes
are added to agentconnect.biz and
the airline’s Travelinfo pages.
Iberia says many business-class
customers are corporate travellers
who manage their travel needs
through their travel agents and,
as such, a significant portion of
sales of its premium products
come from the trade. “We always
keep travel agents updated on the
new developments and benefits
of our premium products through
presentations, fam trips or visits
to the aircraft,” says the
spokesperson.
Katie Hulme of Delta Air Lines,
says its dedicated sales teams
in SA and the additional African
markets it serves engage regularly
with travel agents to deliver training
on Delta’s products and services.
“We’ve also invested in online
resources and launched a dedicated
SA and East/West Africa version of
our Delta Professional Travel Agency
website last year. This is a popular
tool for travel agents to find the
latest product information, news and
travel waivers, all in one place.”
Carla da Silva from Air Mauritius,
says agents are educated through
training sessions and workshops,
and receive communications such
as newsletters. “The combination
of our fares and the value is a
great incentive for agents to sell
Air Mauritius. Not only will they
offer their customers a great
competitive fare, they will also
have the opportunity to upsell a
stopover or short break in Mauritius
for travellers flying beyond our
Mauritius hub to our international
destinations.”
While there are differences
between airlines’ business-clas
products, Annelie Scheepers, travel
consultant for Sure Maritime Travel,
says these aren’t vast and she has
sufficient information to provide to
a client when selling a premium
product. She advises clients on the
benefits of travelling in premium
economy with every booking.
However, Rennies Travel Cricket
SA’s Charlene Muller says agents
aren’t offered the same exposure to
products as they were in the past
and have to rely on the Internet
and general office knowledge for
information. “Airlines should invite
agents to see their products so
we know what we’re selling. By
experiencing a service first-hand,
you will be able to sell it much more
easily,” she adds.
For Monique Victor, director
of Victor Voyages, the biggest
differences between airlines’
business-class offerings relate to
their pricing as the services are
generally the same.
Changing the game
Wouter says NDC technoloy will
enable the travel industry to
transform the way air products
are retailed by offering product
differentiation, improving time-tomarket
and giving access to full
and rich air content to create a
transparent shopping experience.
“Currently, travel agents do not
have access to all airline ancillary
services, for example. With NDC this
will be possible.” He says NDC will
enhance communication between all
stakeholders, letting travel agents
compare flight products based on
schedule, price and value.
Iberia says NDC technology will
enable it to distribute a much wider
range of content for agents to
provide to customers so that they
can make fully informed choices.
“Iberia will offer the same service in
both channels, GDS and NDC, and
we are currently working on that.
Choose your own frills
Some airlines are allowing
economy passengers to buy
premium add-ons such as seat
choice, extra leg-room, priority
boarding and upgraded meals.
Some industry experts believe
this could increasingly become
the norm in years to come.
“Customers can already
purchase upgrades to Delta
Comfort+ as an ancillary option,”
says Delta’s Katie Hulme.
Delta continues to roll out more
options in line with customer
requests, including the ability to
pay with miles.
How to get an upgrade
Delta’s Katie Hulme says joining an
airline’s frequent flyer programme is
the best way to work toward earning
miles that boost a passenger’s
status and increase upgrade
potential.
A spokesperson from Iberia says
the airline offers customers the
possibility of buying an upgrade to
business class, depending on flight
availability and says Iberia Plus
cardholders can also do this by
using their Avios.
Air Mauritius, explains Carla da
Silva, offers all travellers the chance
to upgrade to business class on the
day of departure. “We recommend
arriving at the airport early. Upgrades
are R3 000 one-way on our A350-
900 service to Mauritius, R2 500 on
our A340 service to Mauritius from
Johannesburg, R2 800 on our A340
service to Mauritius from Cape Town
and R1 800 on our A319 service
to Mauritius from Durban and
Johannesburg.
BA invests heavily in improved Club World
SOUTH African passengers
are now able to experience
the best that British
Airways’ Club World has to
offer with the introduction
of new bedding and
luxury amenity kits on
Johannesburg and Cape
Town flights.
This forms part of the
airline’s plan to invest
£600 million (R11bn) to
enhance its Club World
offering, which also includes
a new seat with direct aisle
access to be introduced
next year.
The bedding has been
exclusively designed for
BA by The White Company
to enhance passengers’
comfort and improve
their sleep. The airline is
also assisting Club World
travellers to maximise sleep
by providing breakfast cards
on which they can indicate
whether or not they’d like to
be woken up.
BA also recently launched
restaurant-style dining in
Club World. Customers can
select from a choice of
freshly prepared starters
and desserts from new
display trolleys, served on
new table settings on all
flights between Cape Town
and Johannesburg and
London.
Colin Talbot, British
Airways head of catering,
said: “We’ve really focused
on attention to detail with
the new Club World menu,
with the aim of delivering a
real restaurant experience
in the sky. We’ve considered
everything, from the flavours
and textures, to the look
and feel, all of which have
to work at altitude. The
dishes are designed to pop
with taste and the table
settings are both elegant
and practical, with thoughtthrough
details such as
stemless wine glasses.”
In addition to the product
and service improvements
in Club World, all customers
can also look forward to
the latest generation WiFi
across British Airways’ longhaul
and short-haul fleets
over the next two years.
Air France launches duo fare
AIR France has launched
a business-class duo fare,
making it more affordable
for passengers to travel
in pairs.
The sales period for
the fare, which applies
to flights between Cape
Town and Europe and
the North Atlantic, is
until August 31 for travel
between August 15 and
December 10.
Flights must be booked
at least 14 days before
the travel date to benefit
from the discounts.
These range from
15%-25% per person
depending on the
destination.
Did you know?
Research commissioned by Airbus and carried out by the London Sleep Centre found the time it took
to fall asleep in an economy-class seat on a long-haul flight improved by 14,7% in an 46cm-wide seat
compared to a 43cm-wide seat. Further, passengers’ sleep quality improved by 53%.
Delta to bring new premium products to SA
DELTA Air Lines is in the
process of retrofitting its
Boeing 777 aircraft to offer
Delta Premium Select and
Delta One Suites on more
of its international routes,
including JohannesburgAtlanta.
“By 2021, all our
international wide-body
aircraft will be equipped
with these cabins,” says
Katie Hulme. Delta
Premium Select gives
passengers more personal
space, with up to 97cm
of pitch, seat width of
47cm, 18cm of recline,
and adjustable leg and
head rests. There are also
pillows, blankets, TUMI
amenity kits and meals
have been upgraded and
are now served on Alessi
service ware.
In the meantime, Katie
says Delta Comfort+ is a
popular travel option out of
SA. “The seats are available
on all Delta’s African flights
and offer customers a
host of benefits, including
10cm of extra leg-room and
more recline than Delta’s
standard international main
cabin. It also offers priority
boarding and dedicated
overhead bin space for
storing carry-on baggage,”
Katie adds.
Photocap: Simply Premium
Virgin Atlantic has changed the name of its premium
economy class, from Premium Economy to Premium. The
airline, however, says there will be no change in the level
of its service and comfort in the cabin. Service includes
dedicated check-in, priority boarding and one of the
most spacious leisure seats in the class, boasting a 97cm
pitch. Snacks are on offer throughout the flight from the
Wander Wall, and in-seat power keeps devices charged
at all times. Entertainment comprises 300 hours of
movies, TV shows and music.
