New Delhi: The Cathay Pacific airline’s introduction of a premium economy class on its Delhi-Hong Kong route is the latest instance of the segment, comprising service-and-cost-conscious travellers, making their presence felt in the Indian market.
Positioned between the economy and business class in terms of pricing and comfort, it is becoming a preference on routes of more than five hours, for both business and leisure travellers. Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air France and Turkish Airlines are among those offer premium economy on long-haul routes.
Says Tom Wright, general manager -- South Asia, Middle East & Africa-- for Cathay Pacific, “We have introduced premium economy in India for the first time; the product is also new to us and we’re introducing it on the Delhi-Hong Kong route on A-330 aircraft, with 28 out of 242 seats. We see a big opportunity here. Eventually, we will introduce it on other routes. We expect to address a niche market of frequent flyers who want better service than economy, yet can’t afford as high as business class.”
12/11/12 Disha Kanwar/Business Standard
