Premium Economy Seating for Europe

[David Sims]

Hi All,
Been a little while since I last posted back on the 29th April 2008. Great to see the board is still running.

I am trying to book some flights for my elderly mother who is flying to Europe in September this year to do a World War 1 battle fields tour, see where my grandfather fought in Belgium and is sticking a 1 week holiday in the UK at the beginning.

So this is what I need to book:

Leg 1 Sydney - Manchester (Wednesday 14th September)
Leg 2 London (Heathrow) - Istanbul (Turkey 23rd September)
Leg 3 Paris (CDG) - Sydney (5th October late afternoon departure)

I am not sure if there are some people on the board who work as Travel Agents that could assist me in what airlines we should fly. The requirement is that she fly Premium economy the whole way. I know Qantas has Premium economy but they don't fly their aircraft to Manchester.

Thanks in advance

[Steve Crook]

I can speak for the Qantas premium economy product as I used it when flying back from London a few months ago. It is excellent and I would highly recommend it. It's a really well rounded product - seating is very comfortable, catering was a definite step up from economy, plus all the incidentals (great pillows & blankets, noise cancelling headsets, linen tablecloths, partitioned cabin etc) made the whole trip really enjoyable. Having 1 flight attednant for 16 passengers meant that service was quite personal. I can't speak from personal experience but a friend flew over to London on the BA premium economy and found it just ok - more leg room was about the sum total difference with economy. I read somewhere that, while most airlines constructed their premium economy on a "economy plus" scale, while Qantas took a "business minus" approach, and that was certainly our experience.
So, for your mum there is the option of flying QF to and from London with connecting flights to Manchester and from Paris coming home. There is also the option of coming home from Paris on the Air France/Qantas codeshare with the first leg being Air France and the second Qantas. I checked on Skytrax for reviews of Air France premium economy. There wasn't many reviews that I saw and they were mixed, but that would mean one less leg in the journey for your mum.
As for direct flights to Manchester, I don't know if there are any airlines that offer premium economy - I know Singapore Airlines don't (but they would be a second choice option for me as they are a great airline). Emirates don't. I'm sure that some one on the board will be able to enlighten you on any other airlines on the run who have premium economy.
As a side note I'm sure your mum will find the battlefields tour in Belgium very moving. We travelled there about 18 months ago. I'm sure that the tour will include places like Fromelles and Ypres with the Menin Gate. Not only the stories of the battles but also how the memory of the soldiers is still honoured by the locals today are very powerful.

[Matthew Chisholm]

I flew up to Bangkok last month in premium economy on BA, can recommend it.

[Steve Jones]

V Australia's Premium Y is incredible - as good as J on some carriers. You could use that as far as AUH and then the link with Etihad to Europe (either in Y or J depending on what type of combo fare you want).

[Kelvin R]

I would expand your search to business class fares as well. It seems that Seniors fares in J with some carriers are similiar to what QF charges for Premium Economy.

[Ash W]

Hi All,
So this is what I need to book:

Leg 1 Sydney - Manchester (Wednesday 14th September)
Leg 2 London (Heathrow) - Istanbul (Turkey 23rd September)
Leg 3 Paris (CDG) - Sydney (5th October late afternoon departure)


Re leg 2 no airline flying between London and Istanbul has premium economy. BA flies A320 family aircraft between the two cities offering both business class (club Europe) and economy. The seats and leg room in both classes is identical, however in business they don't sell the middle seat and seats A and C are wider has they move the armrests inwards. The D and F seats however don't come in. Business also gets a meal.

Turkish runs either narrow body aircraft normally 737 but sometimes A320 family and also A330's between the two cities, again in 2 classes. Their business class seats are heaps better than BA. Personally I always choose BA because of some scary flights I've had with Turkish over the years, don't know why exactly but they really scare the hell out of me.

Out of interest is your mum going to go to Gallipoli? If so then Turkish fly Istanbul to Canakkale a few times a week. Canakkale is a short boat ride from Gallipoli and the main accommodation centre for the area. Pretty interesting approach to Canakkale too.

[David Sims]

Hi All,
Many thanks to everyone for there help and suggestions.
Sounds like Qantas is the one we are going to go with.
Ash, yep my mum is going to Gallipoli but the trip starts at Instanbul Airport.
Thanks all for the help.

DS