Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Premium News Roundup

Two updates on premium travel:

1. My post yesterday regarding the disappearance of all premium aircraft is no longer valid, as OpenSkies announced today they would be removing the 30 economy seats on its aircraft and replacing them with 12 Prem+ seats. This had been long rumored and the timing is not surprising. The seats will be in place by October 1st just as OpenSkies enters the peak period for premium traffic.

2. Continental unveiled a new Business product. They are going lie-flat and it will be a huge upgrade. It is a wider seat and extends to 6'6 when fully flat. However, as Cranky points out, window passengers are going to have climb over their aisle counterparts to get to the bathroom. This a let down. Most premium passengers travel alone and thought of paying $4000 for a ticket and then having decide if your bathroom needs are urgent enough to risk waking the person next to you isn't the most appealing proposition. On the other hand, it is probably easier to jump over a flat bed than an angled seat.

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