QANTAS: Copies Virgin Australia with ‘Economy Plus’ for more leg room
Qantas has announced its newest cabin product, Economy Plus to be launched in February 2026. The product, which provides four extra inches, increases the seat pitch at the front of the economy section from 30 to 34 inches. It means Qantas is going to sacrifice, say, a row of capacity for comfort for its premium flyers, who don’t, or can’t buy Business Class. It brings Premium Economy (sort of) to domestic flying.
The trouble is, Virgin Australia did it some time ago, and is apparently poaching passengers as a result.
Qantas promises up to 40% more legroom, priority boarding, and even that holy grail of modern aviation, first dibs on the overhead bin above your seat.
The Plus product will debut on the new A321XLR (I spied one at Sydney Airport this evening) and A220 aircraft. Economy Plus will be refitted in the remaining 737 fleet, which currently operates everything from Sydney–Melbourne runs to Pacific hops.
Frequent flyers get the front row
This one’s for the loyalists. Platinum and Platinum One members will receive complimentary access to Economy Plus when they book. In contrast, Gold members will have to wait until check-in (because your place on the premium ladder is important, darlings).
Over 21,000 frequent flyers already pre-select those coveted front-row seats every week, so Qantas is essentially formalising what was already an unofficial battle between status tiers, but now providing us platinums with a real front-row seating benefit.
CEO Vanessa Hudson, in her usual calm tones, says this is about “greater flexibility” and “expanded benefits in the areas we know they value most.” Translation: “We realise we need to give Platinums more benefits to keep them loyal.”
A321XLR, A220 and 737 join the club
The timing isn’t accidental. Qantas is in the middle of its historic fleet renewal, with 48 of the A321XLRs on order and several A220s already winging their way around Australia. The new planes will come factory-fitted with these extra-legroom rows, while the 737s — the ones still flying from when John Howard was Prime Minister, and one of the Bushes was President will be retrofitted from December 2025.
The new seat class will also be available on short-haul international routes, such as those to New Zealand and the Pacific, making those Tasman hops just a little more bearable. Pricing? ‘To be announced.’ (expensive enough to sting, cheap enough to tempt.)
2PAXfly takeout
I’ll admit, more legroom is never a bad thing, even when you get it by booking your husband into the window seat, and me into the aisle, hoping that Qantas will keep that middle seat free. I presume that Qantas has done the sums, and is willing to sacrifice a row of seats to give several rows more space. That, or they are going to reduce toilet or catering space even more (sorry, crew).
Offering higher-tier frequent flyers a guaranteed better Economy option makes sense, particularly when the alternative is competing for Row 4 on a Friday afternoon.
But let’s not pretend this is generosity. It’s revenue management with a smile. Qantas has found a way to monetise the same square metre of floor space twice, first through the base fare, then again through Economy Plus. Clever, if a little cynical.
Still, if it means we can stretch our legs, claim our overhead bin, and maybe get to Auckland without an elbow in the ribs, we’ll grudgingly call it progress. Or if you work over at Virgin Australia, we’ll call it catching up, since they have had this Economy X cabin almost since they relaunched.
What did you say?