Unfortunately this doesn't seem like a move towards full service, or anything close to it!
Less room in Virgin's new 'cattle-class'
By Steve Creedy
The Australian
September 18, 2009 08:47am
VIRGIN Blue travellers may find flying in the back of the plane more of a knee-crunching experience if a proposal for a virtual low-cost airline goes ahead.
Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said an "airline of the future" project under way at the group included the possibility that aircraft cabins could be split into two, reports
The Australian.
This would see premium and "classic" economy seats before the exit rows and low-cost seating with a reduced seat pitch at the back of the aircraft.
Responding to a question about the status of the airline's shelved proposal for an ultra-low-cost carrier, Mr Godfrey said pitch at
Virgin Blue was as good as at Qantas but the airline never received recognition for it.
He said one of the ideas Virgin Blue was considering was putting in extra seats after the emergency exit.
Premium economy and "classic" economy seating before the exit row would give the airline a low-cost or "virtual" third class at the plane.
"So we're looking at that as a possibility," Mr Godfrey told a
National Aviation Press Club lunch in Sydney.
"Just by putting an extra row of seats in the back lowers our costs overnight by 3 per cent, so that's a good start."
The Virgin investigation into aircraft configurations comes as Qantas is also considering changing the mix of premium and economy cabins as it grapples with how first class and business class demand will look in the wake of the financial crisis.
Mr Godfrey indicated that the proposal to start a separate low-cost carrier was now highly unlikely to proceed.
"I would much rather have one airline that flies 10 flights a day that services both segments of the market than trying to differentiate and pretend that some markets are purely leisure and some markets are purely business," he said.
The Virgin boss also revealed that the airline had decided to extend premium economy seating across its network after a successful trial with Pacific Blue.