After the undercut left by the crisis of the coronavirus in air transport, the airlines begin to take some air to the rhythm of the recovery.One of the bets of the companies that before the COVID was upwards was the inclusion - especially in the long radio - of a new middle class: the premium tourist (the name varies depending on the company).This offers more comfort and services than the economic with an overrunate not as high as the executive class.Its benefits convince more and more passengers and has become the most profitable rate for airlines.A safe bet that gains space, even at the expense of removing it to the prestigious business class.

The front of the aircraft remains the vault key and where companies get most of the benefits per flight.Pandemia punished tourism movements and almost made business trips disappear, which were the ones who traditionally copied most of the executive class seats.However, with this movement the airlines ensure that the profitability of the space is even greater than when the plane was divided only into tourist and business, and makes many leisure displacements be carried out by a somewhat higher value.It is always an incentive to be able to make a flight of several more comfortable hours and leave the massive zone of the ship.

The change began mainly in North America, although European firms were also incorporated more than a decade ago.One of the first to include the new class in the old continent was Air France, in 2009.At present, it offers in its fleet between 6% and 11% of the places in this category.“The majority of our clients of the Premium Economy class [so call this firm] are over 45 years and fly frequently.They travel for pleasure and give them the whim of doing it more comfortable, ”explain spokesmen of the company.

In the case of Iberia, he included this rate in January 2017 and the bet exceeded the expected figures until the pandemic arrived.So much so that in the new aircraft commissioned by the firm, the design was already made with a part reserved for this cabin.In addition, in the ships that were already in use, they were made hollow by subtracting space from the executive class."In the Airbus A330 retrofit we remove seven business seats to implement the new premium tourist cab.The benefits that explain their success are divided into two aspects: on the one hand, so it offers travelers.And on the other, for the investment in space and resources that are required.In both directions, there are substantial advantages regarding what already existed.

Travelers in this class have priority access, broader seats, greater recline and a broader restoration option.This, of course, with an additional cost.“On average, the price of a premium tourist ticket can cost between 250 and 500 euros more than a tourist, although it costs between 1.000 and 1.500 euros less than those of Business ”, detail Iberia spokesmen.

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On the side of the company's numbers, the profitability of these rates is also superior.The seats occupy as a general rule just 10% more than the tourist, much less than the 300% needed for the executive."Without going into details, the profitability due to takeoff has increased since we offer this rate," confirm sources from Iberia.In Lufthansa, for example, the class generates 33% more income per square meter than the economic class and 6% more than the business, according to Bloomberg.It is also 40% more profitable than the latter because it is much cheaper to install.In fact, the German airline already studies the possibility of eliminating more executive seats to grow this new class.

Passenger transfer

One of the fears of the airlines was for the passenger transfer to occur as an executive to this new rate.That is, the passage was reduced in the most expensive area of the plane and decreased flight revenues.But reality has been the opposite: the main transfer occurs from the cheapest to the intermediate rate.

This phenomenon is explained because many passengers flying to do tourism prefer to pay a little more in exchange for that comfort.Although the weight of business trips in this class is also considerable, which remains vigor in recovery at the moment.As Bloomberg said, this trend has come to stay and also has an improvement prospects: according to Counterpoint Market Intelligence, the growth rate will accelerate as more airlines incorporate the separate cabin on long -distance flights.

Rate penetration is unstoppable.So much that has also reached the low cost, at least those that make long radio flights like Level.In your case, it is their highest rate, since they have no executive class.“The routes on which it works best are those that go to San Francisco or Buenos Aires.In the pandemic it has been equally affected as the rest, although in recent months we see an increase in interest in it, ”says company sources.Lucía Adrover, commercial director of Level, adds: "Including this class in a low -cost and long radio airline allows us to offer a more complete product".

During the hardest of the COVID, with multiple restrictions on trips and movements for business and tourism almost secreted, the business as a whole has suffered and no rate has been saved from the disaster.Now, with the recovery, those that drag the feet a little more are the high -end, since they miss business trips.“We believe that this is due to the fact that much of the corporate market is still not reactivated to the levels that the other types of traffic have done.And the corporate is an important component of the Premium and Business tourist cabin, ”says Iberia sources.