Updated ,first published
Qantas has launched expanded premium economy seating on domestic flights, reserving dedicated bins on more flights for customers paying for the upgraded seats and matching rival Virgin’s popular offering.
Economy Plus seats provide up to 40 per cent more legroom and include priority boarding and priority access. Crucially, coveted overhead baggage space will be divvied up, with dedicated bins for Economy Plus passengers.
The price of the new class of seat will vary according to the route and where in the plane the seats are located: the main section, the front of economy or on an exit row.
For example, a one-way Sydney to Melbourne Economy Plus seat would be $30 more than economy, or 5000 Qantas points. Melbourne to Bali one-way would be $90 or 15,000 points.
In addition to the benefit of priority check-in and boarding, Economy Plus ticket holders will have “priority access” to overhead bins, which are clearly marked.
Qantas will offer 48 such seats on its refit Boeing 737s, while the newer A220s will have 20 seats. Qantas’ new generation narrow-body A321XLR will have 36 premium economy seats.
Since the pandemic, premium economy seating has become established as a profitable class of air-travel. Passengers are willing to pay more for comfort, especially on long-haul flights.
Qantas rival Virgin has succeeded in offering Economy X premium seating that includes more legroom and priority boarding and check-in.
Virgin began offering its domestic premium economy seats in 2017. The Brisbane-based airline has successfully identified a mid-market sector comprised of premium leisure and small and medium enterprise flyers, as well as cost-conscious corporate customers.
Catering to changing consumer preferences, Qantas on Monday said its rollout would expand past what was announced in November. By mid-2026, Qantas will offer the same premium economy seats to its A330 fleet, which covers more international routes, including to Asia.
“We’ve seen strong interest in Qantas Economy Plus from customers already,” said Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson. “We know it will be a great benefit for both our business and leisure travellers.”
The seats won’t be sold just to paying customers, but high-tiered members will get complimentary access to Qantas Economy Plus.
Qantas, which has the oldest fleet of the three major domestic airlines, has been under pressure to replace its aircraft to achieve a better passenger experience, more efficiency and fewer operational disruptions.
As Qantas frequent flyers have sometimes been constrained in their ability to use their points, the Economy Plus seats provide a new, easier to access reward.
With the launch, Qantas Platinum and Platinum One members get complimentary access to the seats when they book, while Gold-tier members get complimentary access from 24 hours before departure, subject to availability.
The benefits extend to passengers travelling on the same booking.
Adele Eliseo, publisher of The Champagne Mile, which tracks and advises customers on loyalty programs, said Qantas’ “initiative is designed to compete directly with Virgin’s Economy X and appeal to business travellers seeking a more comfortable flying experience without paying for business class”.
“Pricing seat selection has allowed Qantas to create a new, tangible status perk,” Eliseo said. “It’s designed to increase the value of status, particularly for travellers who never fly in the business class cabin.”
Eliseo estimated that a third of Economy Plus seating would be middle seats “which may hold limited appeal to paying customers”.
Qantas markets the Economy Plus seats according to their location with separate offerings for Economy Plus seats towards the front of the plane and Economy Plus seats on an exit row.
Despite the complexity of the seating, Australian Travel Industry Association chief executive Dean Long said Economy Plus would be welcomed by business flyers.
Qantas’ Economy Plus will be “a really good local innovation for travellers, particularly in the corporate space, that are on the road a lot,” Long said.
The new seat class will be on flights beginning on Friday, February 6.
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Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.