EK goes loco
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EK goes loco
Emirates looking at plans for no-frills economy fares
YOU might soon have to pay separately for your food and luggage when flying cattle class with Emirates, the airline’s boss has revealed.
EMIRATES is considering a massive overhaul of its economy class that will strip back perks like food and baggage allowance and let passengers pay only for what they want.
Emirates president Sir Tim Clark discussed the possibility of low-frills economy fares on the world’s largest international airline to cater to passengers who wanted to fly without all the bells and whistles.
Currently, economy on Emirates is a full-service experience, featuring meals, in-flight entertainment, generous baggage allowance, blankets and amenity kits on selected flights.
But the airline said not all passengers needed those perks, even when flying long-haul.
“We have many, many passengers who travel great distances with just a backpack,” Mr Clark told Airline Ratings.
“Like the software engineer living in Seattle working for Amazon who just wants to fly home to Hyderabad to visit his family for three days.
“He just comes on board with a small backpack — no more.”
Mr Clark said as part of a pricing and product review, the airline was looking at unbundling fares so passengers could buy a basic seat and then select and pay for add-ons they wanted, such as meals.
“This is not about extracting more out of our passengers; it’s about giving them what they want,” he said.
“We recognise the demand for passengers who just want a bit of this and bit of that.”
While the move towards low-cost fares is under consideration, in a separate move, Emirates confirmed it would introduce premium economy class to its aircraft from 2020.
The new class — a step above economy, but not as lavish as business — would be on the Airbus A380 superjumbos Emirates ordered this year, the first six of which due for delivery by 2020, Mr Clark recently announced.
It will also be on its new, smaller Boeing 777s, with seats to be retrofitted on some existing aircraft.
“We will be installing premium economy into those and it will be an Emirates premium economy, so it will be special,” he said.
The new class is expected to offer more legroom than standard economy at a slightly higher price, and aims to capture travellers willing to spend slightly more for their flights.
It will also feature bespoke “sleeperette” seats, which the airline had been working on with the “higher-percentile male and female” in mind, Mr Clark told Australian Business Traveller.
On the double-deck A380s, which fly from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, about 56 premium economy seats will be installed in the front of the bottom deck.
Between 26 and 28 premium economy seats will be on the Boeing 777s.
YOU might soon have to pay separately for your food and luggage when flying cattle class with Emirates, the airline’s boss has revealed.
EMIRATES is considering a massive overhaul of its economy class that will strip back perks like food and baggage allowance and let passengers pay only for what they want.
Emirates president Sir Tim Clark discussed the possibility of low-frills economy fares on the world’s largest international airline to cater to passengers who wanted to fly without all the bells and whistles.
Currently, economy on Emirates is a full-service experience, featuring meals, in-flight entertainment, generous baggage allowance, blankets and amenity kits on selected flights.
But the airline said not all passengers needed those perks, even when flying long-haul.
“We have many, many passengers who travel great distances with just a backpack,” Mr Clark told Airline Ratings.
“Like the software engineer living in Seattle working for Amazon who just wants to fly home to Hyderabad to visit his family for three days.
“He just comes on board with a small backpack — no more.”
Mr Clark said as part of a pricing and product review, the airline was looking at unbundling fares so passengers could buy a basic seat and then select and pay for add-ons they wanted, such as meals.
“This is not about extracting more out of our passengers; it’s about giving them what they want,” he said.
“We recognise the demand for passengers who just want a bit of this and bit of that.”
While the move towards low-cost fares is under consideration, in a separate move, Emirates confirmed it would introduce premium economy class to its aircraft from 2020.
The new class — a step above economy, but not as lavish as business — would be on the Airbus A380 superjumbos Emirates ordered this year, the first six of which due for delivery by 2020, Mr Clark recently announced.
It will also be on its new, smaller Boeing 777s, with seats to be retrofitted on some existing aircraft.
“We will be installing premium economy into those and it will be an Emirates premium economy, so it will be special,” he said.
The new class is expected to offer more legroom than standard economy at a slightly higher price, and aims to capture travellers willing to spend slightly more for their flights.
It will also feature bespoke “sleeperette” seats, which the airline had been working on with the “higher-percentile male and female” in mind, Mr Clark told Australian Business Traveller.
On the double-deck A380s, which fly from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, about 56 premium economy seats will be installed in the front of the bottom deck.
Between 26 and 28 premium economy seats will be on the Boeing 777s.
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Ek management; throwing jello at the wall and hoping it sticks......they don’t seem to know what they are or what they want to do, complete lack of leadership, while the airline is in a full stall, loosing pilots, parking airplanes, and in full denial that they are in deep do do.
Seriously though, maybe they should figure out how to consistency deliver the Y service they have before they start offering other versions of it.
Can you imagine all the cheap fare hunters buying these "no frills" tickets then harassing the crew for stuff? I mean there's already enough of the "I didn't get the super low sodium gluten free unicorn poop veg meal I didn't actually order or think about until I saw someone else get one" going on with full fares.
EK will expect the crew to keep track of who''s paid what? (Like the success of extra leg room seats, THAT was fun) without specific sectioned seating it's just adding more ****e onto an already long list of stuff for the CC to manage in the service (which blows out to almost 4hr on some flights).
And this with the reduced crew on long haul. Yuck.
Can you imagine all the cheap fare hunters buying these "no frills" tickets then harassing the crew for stuff? I mean there's already enough of the "I didn't get the super low sodium gluten free unicorn poop veg meal I didn't actually order or think about until I saw someone else get one" going on with full fares.
EK will expect the crew to keep track of who''s paid what? (Like the success of extra leg room seats, THAT was fun) without specific sectioned seating it's just adding more ****e onto an already long list of stuff for the CC to manage in the service (which blows out to almost 4hr on some flights).
And this with the reduced crew on long haul. Yuck.
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“This is not about extracting more out of our passengers; it’s about giving them what they want,”
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
Ehm, Sorry, couldn't resist.
Allegedly he spoke the words above without laughing.
That's quite an achievement!!
Have fun
KL
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
Ehm, Sorry, couldn't resist.
Allegedly he spoke the words above without laughing.
That's quite an achievement!!
Have fun
KL
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Cattle class...Welcome to the Emirates slaughterhouse.. with expensive extras. Pay as go airfares are more expensive, unless you travel with Carrefour plastic bag with home sandwich for a 16hr flight
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What is very interesting in the study of airlines is that what is a 'value proposition' to begin with, once established as such begins a ever tightening spiral, as accountants set their self existence on reducing unit cost.
There is no doubt airlines are hard work: Capital requirements as huge and margins fluctuate.
The surest way to make sure of the eventual demise is focus incessantly on labour unit cost. When a mature business loses the value proposition (offering a better service for price) and follows the Low Fare Brigade, it is almost a sure sign that the parasite has control.
The industry is littered with airlines like this.
There is nothing stopping EK offer a demand stimulating Y class fare, it is called yield management. However to 'un bundle' and see Low Fare Airline passengers mixing with full fare passengers confuses the customers.
There is an airline in Australia who have tried to remove themselves from their Low Fare Origin and fly a mixed, non divided cabin, some passengers get food, some don't.
The product thus loses its value, the customer looses appreciation for the brand and they head off looking at alternatives...
There is no doubt airlines are hard work: Capital requirements as huge and margins fluctuate.
The surest way to make sure of the eventual demise is focus incessantly on labour unit cost. When a mature business loses the value proposition (offering a better service for price) and follows the Low Fare Brigade, it is almost a sure sign that the parasite has control.
The industry is littered with airlines like this.
There is nothing stopping EK offer a demand stimulating Y class fare, it is called yield management. However to 'un bundle' and see Low Fare Airline passengers mixing with full fare passengers confuses the customers.
There is an airline in Australia who have tried to remove themselves from their Low Fare Origin and fly a mixed, non divided cabin, some passengers get food, some don't.
The product thus loses its value, the customer looses appreciation for the brand and they head off looking at alternatives...
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Nothing new. Some time ago another post victorian hero tried a similar loco bs out of the UK. Funnily enough he was also titled "Sir', it was Freddie Laker. He failed.
Any flight above 6 hours without food and drink is foolish. You will certainly find the punters buying into it, stinginess is not exclusive to airline owners. And they will stubbornly not buy into anything additional that could spoil their cheap deal. But on long trips we will therefore probably experience even more unwell or unruly fools, due to low blood sugar or dehydration. More intermediate landings, or more emergency feeding and hydrating of pax will inevitably lead to higher workload for crew and finally more cost for the stupid company. Some pax will quickly learn this trick on how to get free food and drink and our beloved beancounters will want the poor cc to make them pay for it etc. etc.
Nothing is thought through and carefully trialled at EK. When some manager lets go any fart, it is simply implemented and when it backfires, the frontline has to bear the brunt. Reversals never happen, because the holy management can't err, can't lose face.
Any flight above 6 hours without food and drink is foolish. You will certainly find the punters buying into it, stinginess is not exclusive to airline owners. And they will stubbornly not buy into anything additional that could spoil their cheap deal. But on long trips we will therefore probably experience even more unwell or unruly fools, due to low blood sugar or dehydration. More intermediate landings, or more emergency feeding and hydrating of pax will inevitably lead to higher workload for crew and finally more cost for the stupid company. Some pax will quickly learn this trick on how to get free food and drink and our beloved beancounters will want the poor cc to make them pay for it etc. etc.
Nothing is thought through and carefully trialled at EK. When some manager lets go any fart, it is simply implemented and when it backfires, the frontline has to bear the brunt. Reversals never happen, because the holy management can't err, can't lose face.
The arguments of confused passengers wrt EK service standard and the increased risk of health problems/diversions on longer flights have all been bravely argued by those in product development. Unfortunately when the new boss believes his former model from Air Berlin is the future of all airlines, the argument becomes very one sidedl.
The future looks bright. Cheap and smelly, but bright all the same .
The future looks bright. Cheap and smelly, but bright all the same .
Last edited by donpizmeov; 8th Jun 2018 at 11:23.
120 EK pax does not equal 120 Air Berlin pax. Nowhere close. Watch how it hits the fan when the single crewmember allocated to that position is the one who got it because they're junior and no one else wants to do it. That'll be fun...
Glo, there was one a little while ago.... the 'new' economy service was a disaster, so they reverted back to the 'old new' economy service and called it a 'refresh'. Anything to not admit that the old way worked better than what they tried to bring in.
Glo, there was one a little while ago.... the 'new' economy service was a disaster, so they reverted back to the 'old new' economy service and called it a 'refresh'. Anything to not admit that the old way worked better than what they tried to bring in.
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Our friends down the road have been offering hand baggage only fares on some routes and charging for some snacks in between meals for some time on their ULRs. BA allow you to pay extra to get a better quality of meal on longhaul in economy and are about to extend their hand baggage only fares to long haul shortly. EK is just following the competition. The modus operandi for long haul economy travel nowadays, seems to be all about offering options for passengers to create their own bespoke experience and it's all extra revenue for the airline.
The introduction of Premium Economy in 2020 at EK will only reinforce how a two tiered economy product can be justified, when the concept was brushed to one side by TC not that long ago. How times have changed!!!
The introduction of Premium Economy in 2020 at EK will only reinforce how a two tiered economy product can be justified, when the concept was brushed to one side by TC not that long ago. How times have changed!!!
taking a good deal of the airline up the road investment with it .
Funny I didn’t notice that on the new manager,s CV broadcast by Hr M .... ?
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Businesses need to evolve and adapt to a changing environment. In the old days we only had First and Economy classes. Then Business class came in the middle. Then First class started being dropped while Business class improved with lie flat beds. Now Premium Economy is appearing between Economy and Business Class.
Low costs were once all one class, now many of them have a Business Class which is similar to a full service Premium Economy class.
What worked 5 or 10 years ago may not necessarily work today with a different demographic. Think of all the household names which have disappeared from the high street because they didn’t adapt.
Ryanair is/was the largest airline in Europe and around the fifth largest in the world and are a penny pinching LCC.
Future growth will be in the Low cost area rather than full service.
Low costs were once all one class, now many of them have a Business Class which is similar to a full service Premium Economy class.
What worked 5 or 10 years ago may not necessarily work today with a different demographic. Think of all the household names which have disappeared from the high street because they didn’t adapt.
Ryanair is/was the largest airline in Europe and around the fifth largest in the world and are a penny pinching LCC.
Future growth will be in the Low cost area rather than full service.