Ticket Classes Explained

Premium Economy, Business or First? What do you really get for your money and which airlines provide the best value?

Booking flights should never be a difficult process. However, it might start to feel like you’re being barraged with all kinds of options, and you’re only choosing a seat! Premium economy, economy, short-haul business class, long-haul business class, first class…it’s enough to make anyone feel a little overwhelmed. To make matters more complicated, not every airline will offer the same inclusions or features for their classes which means booking business class with one airline might be totally different when booking with another!

It’s okay, take a deep breath and let us help you make sense of what some of the key differences are when booking flights, ensuring that the expectations of your boss can accurately be met.

You can always also head to https://www.qbt.travel/contact-us/ to schedule a free consultation with one of our travel specialists and leave all the hard parts for them to deal with.

Premium Economy

Sitting pretty in the middle of economy and business class, positioning itself as comfort that meets value is Premium Economy, something for the traveller more mindful of their convenience and pleasure when flying.

How does Premium Economy look in-flight? Well, Singapore Airlines offer recliner seats, Wi-Fi, seat chargers for laptop or phone, On-Demand TV, priority check-in, boarding and baggage. For British Airways, Premium Economy is debuted as “World Traveller Plus”, also offering recliner seats and On-Demand TV. However, even though they are both two major airlines, their services do vary. British Airways provides that extra leg room and higher quality meals however, they don’t offer Wi-Fi and some aircraft need a specific in-flight adaptor for charging; these are only provided on board and sometimes may not be available.

Tip: Premium Economy would be the most convenient for those whose travel policies don’t allow for Business Class travel.

Business Class

Home to the often jetlagged and exhausted flyer is Business Class, one of the crowd favourites for international flights. Airlines understand the complexities of long-haul business travel and the necessity for passenger ease, usually boasting close to double the leg room of Economy and wider seats, more degrees of recline on the seat, laptop power ports, and premium food and beverage service. Business class also has variations of seat options; recliner, angled flat-lie beds, fully flat beds and suites and every airline hones something different. For example, the Emirates Business Class has an open suite which is essentially a mini cabin, providing flyers with a flat bed, Wi-Fi, a work station and event their own personal mini-bar. Conversely, Air China Business Class largely only offers angle lie or flat beds.

Tip: Short haul Business Class can be quite underwhelming in comparison to its long haul counterpart and some flyers do feel disappointed by the product. In these instances, there is potential to save money by trading off Business Class for Premium Economy or Economy by researching the inclusions of your airlines class fare.

For domestic flights in Australia, business class is the equivalent of first class, which brings nicely us to…

First Class

At last, you’ve reached the utmost luxury with the airline class that allows you to be as indulgent as possible during international flights, First Class! Coming in with roughly 25-70 centimetres more leg room than Business Class, more privacy and premium food and wine services, First Class is often distinguished by its more attentive service, exclusivity and augmented levels of luxury. Again, different airlines will offer distinct variations in First Class service, be it Wi-Fi availability, private suites and power outlet accessibility. And taking it to the extreme end of this is Etihad’s “The Residence”. With a private butler, in-flight chef and three room suite (including ensuite), this really is airline luxury at its finest.

However, a small problem is that first Class often won’t be included in most company’s travel policies and is very expensive in comparison to other airline classes.

Tip: If avid to fly First Class, it is most desirable to do so for long-haul flights where the comfort of a business traveller is considerably more important.

Although it might seem like a lot to take in all at once, your company’s travel policy will surely narrow down the available options. It’s also important to understand your traveller’s needs and wants; if they need a power outlet, Wi-Fi and simply want a little extra room, Premium Economy might be the best choice. From there, conduct quick research into what the fare type will include for each individual airline and the respective flight as they certainly won’t be the same across the board.

If you want to see how we can help simplify the whole booking process for you, start a conversation with one of our experts – https://www.qbt.travel/contact-us/