Cloudship

WestJet has started rolling out Premium Class on their wide body fleet (737s). The cabin is 2+2 like most domestic first, but they are using the Premium Economy seats usually found on wide body aircraft. These are also the same seats Delta is using in their first cabin on their A220s. I am wondering if this is going to be a new direction for airlines - coach is 3+3, premium economy is 2+2 with a couple extra inches, and instead of first, you have business, which is lie-flat seats.

pinniped

Makes sense if it's an overnight route where they think the yields will support the lie-flats. Is Westjet deploying these on transcons? The U.S. carriers all either currently have or have tried in the past a "premium" transcon subfleet with whatever their current long-haul J level of comfort is.

With the range of the newer narrowbodies, I suspect this configuration would be profitable for some thin TATL routes as well.

lhrsfo

I can't speak for North America but in Europe I don't see this happening. The convertible model is far too well established and flexible for airlines to consider anything else. The only exception will be the odd route where they use narrowbodies that are meant to be intercontinental but are instead being used on intra-European routes. This will become more common with extended range narrowbodies who can make a European turn in addition to a North American turn.

Mwenenzi

You seem to getting confused between the marketing - advertising spin and the actual physical seats.

What is a first/business/premium economy/economy seat does not have a universal definition. And does vary long haul to short haul and in different parts of the world.

On long flight first class is disappearing and business class is going to lie flat seats. These business seat are similar/better than first class a decade ago.

In USA North America (old 2 class aircraft) domestic first class has been nothing but a name for a long time. Seat quality has been international business class at best, now tending to what is long haul PE with some other airlines.
Delta D1 is really D2nd class (second=business).

Cloudship

Well, let's look specifically at WestJet's Premium product (https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel...flight/premium), vs Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy (https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/g...and-seats.html) v. Delta's Domestic First (https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...rst-class.html)

WestJet is moving to 2+2 in their Premium (note they don't say Premium Economy) class. If you look at the seats, they are not the same as Delta's 2+2 First Class seats. They are the same as Virgin's Premium Economy. In fact on the 787 it is 2+3+2 across. I don't know of any other airlines that are currently marketing a Premium Economy product on their narrow body aircraft that is actually wider than their economy seats, just ones with extended legroom.

Delta has already recognized that there is a difference between domestic first and international business and first class, and uses First for the traditional wider reclining seats on domestic planes, and now calls the lie-flat seats Delta one. They have also started offering true premium economy (slightly wider seats) on some of their international aircraft.

What I am wondering is, will other airlines pick up on this? I know WestJet is just Canada, but will other airlines, I am thinking primarily Us airlines here, decide to ditch "first" as a domestic product, and essentially reposition their first cabins (2+2 seats) at a lower price point with perhaps lower service levels, in hopes of getting more people to actually pay for the upgrade?