Budget Business class seats for short-haul flights in Europe?

dowie

dowie

dowie

Caporegime
Joined
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Do any European budget airlines offer larger Premium Economy/Regional Business Class type seats? As in a 2-2 layout when economy is a 3-3 layout.

It seems like Ryan Air and Easy Jet only offer the usual 3-3 layout and people can optionally buy the middle seat to create a 2-2 or 2-3 layout; nice to have when flying as a couple.

Spirit Airlines in the US seems to have a solution for this in their Big Front Seat:
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That seems ideal, even regular non-budget airlines like SAS and BA Club Europe sell "Business Class" tickets which are just economy seats with the middle seat empty/used for a tray. So not too different from what you can customise with Easy Jet or Ryan Air except you're also paying for a lounge and some nicer food too (pointless for a 2-3 hour flight).

Really the big comfy seat seems like a much better offering - do any airlines offer something like this for regional European destinations?
 
Why bother flying business for such a short flight?

I fly internationally all over the world, and as much as I’d love to fly business on long haul (company only allow prem eco), business on Euro flights is pointless. Especially if you have higher status and get a lot of the benefits of business class when boarding/checking in etc.
 
Azza said:
There's probably a couple of 5th freedom routes, but you'd need a route with wide body aircraft for 'proper' business class.
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No, I don't mean international business class seats that fully recline, I'm just asking about (proper) 2-2 layouts in place of 3-3 layouts.

Shadowness said:
Why bother flying business for such a short flight?
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Indeed - the question is about the seats, Business Class offerings on short flights in Europe seem pointless as mentioned in the OP - why do you need a lounge or fancy meal etc.. the big seats would be nice though.
 
Shadowness said:
Why bother flying business for such a short flight?

I fly internationally all over the world, and as much as I’d love to fly business on long haul (company only allow prem eco), business on Euro flights is pointless. Especially if you have higher status and get a lot of the benefits of business class when boarding/checking in etc.
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Agree with this TBH.

Business class for long haul but European flights are just buses in the sky, no need really - you're not on them that long.
 
dowie said:
No, I don't mean international business class seats that fully recline, I'm just asking about (proper) 2-2 layouts in place of 3-3 layouts.
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I'm going to say not that I know of, because the planes come with 3-3 seats the whole way down, it's cheaper just to fix a table on the middle one then remove and extend the 2 or what ever else you could do.
 
Haven't seen any 2+2. BA just block the middle seat (you don't need to "buy it").

America has it because regional jets are a part of life over there, and people will be regularly flying and wanting to pay extra for the comfort. A bit like why the Thameslink has first class.
 
Unfortunately most European carriers don't offer proper business class seats in short haul. Turkish Airlines is one I'm aware of who does and there's probably a few others, but I can't imagine any budget airlines offer it.

I understand the main reason for it is to retain flexibility to shorten or lengthen the business class section of the plane. I however wouldn't ever consider coughing up the extra £200+ BA want for a short haul business class ticket given that the only real benefits are access to the lounge (which are pretty average in LHR anyway) and a meal/drink on the plane.

How anyone places value on priority boarding on shorthaul is beyond me. Why would you want to spend more time in a cramped seat?
 
weringo said:
I understand the main reason for it is to retain flexibility to shorten or lengthen the business class section of the plane. I however wouldn't ever consider coughing up the extra £200+ BA want for a short haul business class ticket given that the only real benefits are access to the lounge (which are pretty average in LHR anyway) and a meal/drink on the plane.

How anyone places value on priority boarding on shorthaul is beyond me. Why would you want to spend more time in a cramped seat?
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My thoughts exactly, lounge is pointless for a 2 or 3 hour trip, it seems;

North America Regional Business Class - marketed as "First Class" but in reality; no lounge + large Premium Economy Seats in a 2-2 layout instead of 3-3.

European Regional Business Class - marketed as Business Class but in reality; lounge + regular Economy Seating in a pseudo 2-2 layout (middle seat empty).

I don't care about the lounge but would be nice to have a 2-2 layout when traveling as a couple, obviously, there is some demand for this, EasyJet/RyanAir allowing "Extra Seat" booking. I think Spirit Airlines seem to have nailed it with their no-frills "Big Seat" option.
 
First class domestic in USA doesn't even cost that much sometimes. Wish there was a similar offering in Europe, too. US carriers are maybe somewhat locked into it with their frequent flier upgrade system that retains their customer base.
 
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Jim99 said:
As above, your best chance would be a long-haul plane doing a short-haul journey.
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That's just reminded me, I left Milan once and they had a full blown wide-body jet doing the route. It did indeed have legit biz. class.
 
Fly "business" plus with sas now and then mostly for extra luggage and a crappy lounge in Stockholm Arlanda yeah without any actually better seats, which id genuinely appreciate being 6foot 7... It's just an expensive lunch at the front of an airbus.

I've always thought about buying the middle seat so I can spread my legs horizontal so to speak but have been told that it could be prone to reselling if the flight is full.....which really pees me off.
 
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