I am so excited about this product, because this resembles mini business class. The seat is wider and comes with leg rest. the TV screen is far bigger than economy's.
Fantastic news for those who fear long haul trips in economy. Also, transfers at Zurich airport is always a breeze. It's the best airport in Europe, hands down.
Verrrrrrry interesting! As the video says, it’s Premium Economy, not just Economy Plus. The seat redesign has many innovations (3-point seatbelt!), with Swiss engineering and durability. But you get what you pay for. How much is the premium price for the Premium Economy?
How much is the premium price for the Premium Economy?
A supplemental blurb ( in the link) had a 'tentative' projection of $250-$350 more than regular economy.
A sample booking for a Geneva- Los Angeles r/t had a difference of ~$600
But you get what you pay for
… and, sometimes you pay for what you get. That extra $600 would’ve paid for a lot of other things on someone’s trip, after they landed. Still, far less than a business class deluxe seat.
What I do like about Swiss is the cleanliness of their cabin. I have not flown AA for a long time and can't remember much of it. However, cabins in UA and DL are quite dirty, even in long-haul business class.
Also, there are on board proportionately more Swiss passengers, who are less likely to be obese and take up the space of the adjoining seat. Each row consists of 2-3-2 seats, which is better than 2-4-2 or 3-3-3.
In addition, their TC screen is larger than average, even for prem econ.
The seat design does seem remarkable - a veritable Swiss Army Knife of a passenger plane seat. They seem to be offering more than just a few extra inches of elbow or knee room.
As noted, the passengers surrounding you can have a real effect on your flying experience. You can’t quite control who’s sitting beside you, but paying more might get you more amenable fellow passengers. It’s still public transportation.
The premium economy on every airline is 2-3-2 seat configuration.
Depends on the aircraft. Delta's A350, for instance, is 2-4-2. But, because the cabin is wider than, say, a A330 or B767, this does not mean the 350 is a tighter fit.
Well, something must be tighter because in coach on Delta’s A350 it’s still 3-3-3.
I'm unclear on your point here. Yes, in coach, the A350 is 9 across, but are you comparing this to the A330, at 8 across in coach? Seems the extra cabin width in the A350 allows one extra seat per row in both coach and PE. The same used to be true of Delta's 777's.
Barkinpark, you're excited for this and I'm happy for you. My husband and I will be experiencing United Airline's Premium Plus in June when we travel to England. I'm especially looking forward to the "La-Z-boy" configuration that I find comfortable enough to be able to sleep in. Here's hoping you'll be wending your way to Zurich in Swiss Air's premium economy class soon.
Thank you, Tom, for the clarification. I appreciate it.
Since Swiss' product is brand new, it is a good idea to try it, if the price is similar to PE in United, whose airplane cabins seem to be last cleaned in 1990's. Also, in general, Swiss has one of the youngest fleets for international long hauls. Their 777s are very new.
