Although I just posted a rather negetive view on an opinion from www.airlinequality.com I coulndt help but notice the 'new' SQ Economy class product that is in the works... I also just recently read a trip report about Air New Zealand in Y class. It would seem that these 2 carriers would have the best Y product on the market today. I wonder what effect, if any, the introduction of the new SQ Y class will have on other carrier? With products like ANZ "Pacific" Y class and SQ's new economy I wonder if it will force up the Y standard on other carriers? The specs on both products seem to put all else to absolute shame. Do any other carriers seem to match them?

NZ has had that product for years so we can see how the marketplace has reacted ... is there reason to believe that other routes will be any different? Rather sad but it seems that offering better Y service doesn't pay (while a premium Y product, such as VS and BA offer at a higher price, does). As an aside that premium coach seating is identical to the first generation business class seats (in terms of pitch and seat width).

You are quite rigth about Air New Zealands Y product being around for years...but SQ's is just going to be introduced... Looking at all thier numbers, it seems as if they are re-inventing the product, I think its an interesting idea!

Also, I wonder what the new Y A340 product from SWISS will be like, which is in place now, not to mention Emirates new Y offerings...anybody had experience?

[This message has been edited by WPutnam (edited 11-03-2003).]

What is the news about SQ in economy. I had a flight a few months ago from CPH to SIN a 777jubilee I didn't notice anything spectacular about that.

I have though read about the SQ 345 Leadership - but this i guess won't be a normal economy ticket but some special deal like all the other carriers are offering. Although a standard 37" between rows would be a welcomed upgrade for Y travel. :-)

[This message has been edited by Mogensen (edited 11-04-2003).]

I've heard that TG's economy is pretty good - 34" leg room with good food and service. The only negative is a lack of personal IFE.

Of course, AA also have MRTC, with personal IFE on the 777. Food and service a little more variable.

From a US domestic view, the trend is in the opposite direction.

From a service point of view, most of the domestics seem more on the path of degrading their FC service down towards Y levels, rather than the other way around.

From a seat confort point of view, a few airlines have experimented with increased pitch, but that doesn't seem to be catching on like wildfire. TWA tried "comfort class" starting around 1993, and ditched it before being aquired, AA has MRTC, but they are switching almost 1/4 of their fleet back to LRTC (all 757s and A300s, so it is probably more like 1/3 of their seats), and UA has E+ in a few rows of Y, but that hasn't been copied by any others.

So the US airlines seem to just consider their passengers as "self-loading cargo", I would expect to see shoe-horn like devices lubed with vaseline (to load faster, tighter) at the loading doors before seeing any major improvements here.

Ryanair already does this in Europe. And they make a profit. Go figure.

At the other end of the scale, MH has an outstanding long-haul Y class, at least on its 777. It has 34" legroom, good food, good enterainment, and great service.

I'll second NZ...their only flaw is the IFE which is terrible, everything else though is amazing...

N674UW

I will have to update you on the new SWISS A340 Y product which I will fly next month. I think it is nice to have a discussion of Y innovations and products as most of the activity is about J and F. I think carriers who are making changes, such as LRTC on AA or Singapores new Y class makes for an interesting discussion. I am wondering if SQ Y class will only be offered on that nonstop flight LAX to Singapore as an above comment suggested.

If the OP is referring to SQ's new "Executive Economy" class, it's not a new thing across the fleet. It's the equivalent of other airlines' premium economy products (BA, BR and VS spring to mind) and as I understand it is currently destined only for the A340-500s which are going to operate 18-19 hour long sectors.

If it's a raging success, then I suspect we may see it pushed out across the fleet but only as limited availability additional cost option to normal economy, which is almost certain to remain.

I will second MH, although in limited experience. I don't recall the pitch on the 744 being as much, but turned a what I thought would be a nightmarish and very long transpacific journey into a pleasant experience.