Getting Rid of Middle Seats for Premium Economy Passengers?
Jackie Reddy October 29, 2018
The seats will give passengers more space without the airlines losing seats. Image by Imagery & VR Experience © Neutral Digital, 2018
For those feeling the squeeze, Gol has said that it’ll be getting rid of middle-row seats within the premium economy cabins of its soon-to-be launched routes between Brazil and the U.S. In addition to offering premium economy passengers more space, the airline hopes to offset increased fuel prices.
Brazilian carrier Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes has announced that it will be getting rid of middle-row seats within the premium economy cabins of its soon-to-be launched services from Brazil to the U.S., CNBC.com reports.
As of November, the airline will commence services from the northeastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza as well as the capital of Brasilia to Miami and Orlando, routes that will be served by Gol’s new 737 Max 8 planes. Gol’s fleet, explains the outlet, is comprised Boeing 737s, all of which have two rows of three seats, with each bank of seats being separated by an aisle.
The idea, explained Richard Lark, Gol’s chief financial officer, is that the middle seats within the premium economy cabin will be replaced by a table. On flights that aren’t far off of eight hours in duration, this, Lark explained, is a feature that will afford those traveling in this part of the plane a little bit more personal space.
But Gol – like many other carriers – is having to contend with surging fuel prices, which have increased by over a third within the last year, the outlet states. It is hoping that, by offering and enticing passengers with this more spacious experience, it will be able to mitigate these costs.
For those hoping to indulge themselves, the outlet reports that, “Fares vary. But a recent search for a roundtrip ticket in early November between Orlando and Fortaleza on Gol’s website showed a premium economy seat was $636, more than double the cheapest coach class fare. Premium economy seats also feature 34 inches of legroom compared with 31 inches in regular economy.”
[Photo: Shutterstock]
Isn't this what BA has done for years?
This is not new, it has been done by WestJet in Canada for a long time. Their 737 "Plus" seating has the middle seat blocked off and a removable table installed there.
If they eliminate the middle seat in Premium Economy, you will pay dearly for that revenue loss. It will likely price these seats much closer to Business Class seating prices. While I much prefer Business class over Premium Economy, I'm generally pleased with the Premium Economy value.
The picture shows three rows of three seats - nine across on a 737?
The photo does not match the story, and the article is very poorly written. Perhaps it was translated from Portugese by somebody who does not understand idioms? Will the individual seats be any different from economy? Otherwise, it sounds similar to Euro-Biz, where they just leave the middle seat empty. It would be a shame to insert an 18" table instead of wider seats.