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A321XLR Signature Class suites, CR9/E75 and 787/777 refreshes (M. Nasr interview)

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A321XLR Signature Class suites, CR9/E75 and 787/777 refreshes (M. Nasr interview)

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Old May 27, 2023, 1:15 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by cooleddie
I really hope that the new premium economy class product will have movable armrests, so that if there is an empty premium economy class seat next to you, you can lie across or relax a bit more.
Optimizing the product to assume you won't sell it, and to benefit people who are going to get something they didn't pay for (a second seat) doesn't seem like what they'd go for.

Originally Posted by CanadianMike
Do you think (or does AC know) that PY fares are primarily purchased by companies for business travellers...?
I certainly don't know (was just proposing a hypothetical), but I suspect AC has the data.
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Old May 27, 2023, 2:19 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by canadiancow
Optimizing the product to assume you won't sell it, and to benefit people who are going to get something they didn't pay for (a second seat) doesn't seem like what they'd go for.
I also don't think I've sat in PY with an empty seat next to me in many years. The cabin is always completely full on the routes I fly (almost all international), and I believe it has been enormously successful for AC - which makes the A321 decision even more perplexing.
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Old May 27, 2023, 3:10 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by RatherBeInYOW
I also don't think I've sat in PY with an empty seat next to me in many years. The cabin is always completely full on the routes I fly (almost all international), and I believe it has been enormously successful for AC - which makes the A321 decision even more perplexing.
Tough to know whether that's because they're selling PY seats, clearing eupgrades to PY, or just doing opups to PY to make room for more last-minute Y and eupgrades to J.
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Old May 27, 2023, 4:14 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by zkzkz
Tough to know whether that's because they're selling PY seats, clearing eupgrades to PY, or just doing opups to PY to make room for more last-minute Y and eupgrades to J.
I think there is a bit of a mix but having followed a few routes, the PY cabin has had few/no seats left prior to the upgrade window opening... and if you look at PY fares transatlantic they used to be in the $800 range per direction. They are now double that - a sure indication that AC is able to move the seats.
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Old May 28, 2023, 12:00 am
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by EdmFlyBoi
It would seem difficult to market a 2-2 PY cabin when the aircraft is flying in North America and I am curious as to how you think they might market it? AA is reconfiguring their A321's that were used on transcon routes where they had F (1-1), J (2-2), and Y (3-3). 2-2 is marketed as J on domestic, transborder, and sun routes, so it what would be done if the XLR is put on those routes? I see it as a pretty big challenge from a marketing and fleet utilisation perspective if it was J, PY, and Y (although I am sure it could be done).
Could they do a 2-3 PY cabin? That would get rid of the perception that it is the same product as domestic J.
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Old May 28, 2023, 5:29 am
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by zkzkz
Tough to know whether that's because they're selling PY seats, clearing eupgrades to PY, or just doing opups to PY to make room for more last-minute Y and eupgrades to J.
I see a lot more flights that are O2 N0 before the window opens, than the very rare occasions I see O9 N9 (or even O9 N1) at the same point, and even if they were op-upping a few Y pax to make room for last-minute full-Y fares, again those cabins were generally sold to 75-100% before that point arrived anyway.

Originally Posted by YEG USER
Could they do a 2-3 PY cabin? That would get rid of the perception that it is the same product as domestic J.
If there are lie-flat pods in the pointy end of the plane, what's wrong with the PY product being the same chairs you'd get in J on a 220?

Originally Posted by canadiancow
I think the main "marketing" challenge is trying to explain to people why J on a 320 is the same as PY on a 321XLR.
Has there been a problem I overlooked, with people flying narrowbody J on YYZ-YVR who are mad because it's the same seat they'd get in PY on a widebody?

Originally Posted by canadiancow
I rarely buy Y on intercontinental flights, because the upgrade priority sucks. It's unlikely I'm going to buy Y on a TATL currently set to be operated by the XLR, because if there's an equipment swap, suddenly my "top of list" priority becomes "middle of list".
I am convinced that fewer than 1% of all AC elites have any idea that these factors exist.

Last edited by YOWgary; May 28, 2023 at 5:36 am
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Old May 28, 2023, 11:36 am
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by CanadianMike
How often are you flying and seeing the aircraft go out with empty PY seats? I genuinely can't remember seeing empty PY seats at all in my flying in 2023.
Granted I don't fly as much as many on here, but I'd estimate my sample size this year is probably > 20 flights on AC aircraft with PY cabins.
I sat beside one yesterday.
That is, until they moved a lady up from row 40-something close to landing time so that she would have a better chance of making a connecting flight.
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Old May 28, 2023, 1:34 pm
  #38  
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Originally Posted by YOWgary
Has there been a problem I overlooked, with people flying narrowbody J on YYZ-YVR who are mad because it's the same seat they'd get in PY on a widebody?
I think we're just back to the equipment swap problem.

If I pay the $300 surcharge for a lie-flat, clearly the lie-flat (and accompanying service) is worth more to me than $300. And wide-body PY is generally cheaper than narrow-body J on a given route.

If I book YVR-YYZ-VIE, I don't even get a $300 refund if they do the same swap.

But what if I'm booked on a 788 in PY and it gets swapped for a XLR? Equipment swaps when booked in PY have always been an issue, but if they had actually done this in a way that all PLH routes would have Signature J, PY, and Y, on all types, then they could have mostly eliminated it.
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Old May 28, 2023, 2:08 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by RatherBeInYOW
I also don't think I've sat in PY with an empty seat next to me in many years. The cabin is always completely full on the routes I fly (almost all international), and I believe it has been enormously successful for AC - which makes the A321 decision even more perplexing.
AC to Australia is all 0s on PE for months out and the price has just continued to climb. I suspect they are very happy with this product
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Old May 28, 2023, 2:33 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by canadiancow

But what if I'm booked on a 788 in PY and it gets swapped for a XLR? Equipment swaps when booked in PY have always been an issue, but if they had actually done this in a way that all PLH routes would have Signature J, PY, and Y, on all types, then they could have mostly eliminated it.
Actually switching between 788 and XLR is a very realistic possibility. 16 vs. 20 J seats. True of course about PY, but that's of no concern to me. However when the XLR joins the fleet, I'll probably do my best to avoid buying B and upgrade on a 788.
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Old May 28, 2023, 3:26 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by lcohen999
AC to Australia is all 0s on PE for months out and the price has just continued to climb. I suspect they are very happy with this product
PE is the only way to have even a remote chance of an upgrade to J to/from Australia.
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Old May 28, 2023, 3:30 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by The Lev
I think there is a bit of a mix but having followed a few routes, the PY cabin has had few/no seats left prior to the upgrade window opening... and if you look at PY fares transatlantic they used to be in the $800 range per direction. They are now double that - a sure indication that AC is able to move the seats.
it's interesting I just booked a PY TATL fare and it was within $200 of a P fare for J. I was really surprised at that - and annoyed I couldn't buy the P (needed a different routing/options that weren't available on it).
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Old May 28, 2023, 4:09 pm
  #43  
 
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On aircrafts with PY cabin, I pay for at least PY, unless it’s something like YYZ-YUL, because sitting in Y on those aircrafts would be painful. If I somehow end up on an A321XLR in the future, I may have to pay for J.

I am not sure if most people pay for PY because they like the product, or they are simply avoiding Y.
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Old May 28, 2023, 6:15 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by songsc
I am not sure if most people pay for PY because they like the product, or they are simply avoiding Y.
I often buy PY and definitely think of it as just avoiding Y. It feels much like what Y used to be like in the 1980s and 1990s, before seats got narrower and cabins denser.
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Old May 28, 2023, 10:38 pm
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by The Lev
PE is the only way to have even a remote chance of an upgrade to J to/from Australia.
I've been upgraded on a Flex Y ticket from YVR to SYD and back this past year. It would have definitely sucked flying that route in Y.
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