British Airways says its short-haul business class is booming. Here's why that could be a boost for US budget airlines.
British Airways CEO Sean Doyle said sales in its Club Europe class have "defied our best expectations," The Times of London reported on Tuesday.
While legacy US airlines offer comfier seats and more legroom on all their aircraft, most European carriers have a much simpler premium product on their narrow-body planes.
In the typical 3-3 layout, business class simply has a divider placed on the middle seat. A curtain separating it from the economy cabin can be moved down the aisle depending on capacity.
"After the global financial crisis in 2008, people were saying it wouldn't work," Doyle reportedly said at the International Air Transport Association conference. "And yet it's more popular than ever, especially for leisure passengers."
He pointed to perks like lounge access, priority boarding, and better food-and-drink options.
"There is really important value in short-haul premium for customers, and we are seeing that come through in the numbers," Doyle added, per The Times.
The fact that the hard product — the seat itself — is so similar to traveling in economy means some Europeans don't see the value compared to flying with a budget airline like easyJet or Ryanair.
However, premium options have been in more demand around the world since the pandemic.
That's strained budget airlines, especially in the US. They've been rolling out upgraded offerings in an attempt to attract more customers as their preferences have changed.
For example, Doyle's comments could be particularly welcomed by Spirit Airlines. Last July, it announced a "Go Comfy" option that would include a blocked middle seat in the same style as British Airways' Club Europe.
However, unlike the London-based carrier, "Go Comfy" seats will also have four inches of extra legroom.
Southwest Airlines has also announced premium options, scrapping its signature unassigned-seating policy to encourage passengers to pay for extra legroom.
At the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference last week, CEO Bob Jordan said customers want different cabins, a variety of offerings, and "access to premium."
Doyle's comments suggest that the American budget airlines are on the right path.
Even if their offerings aren't as opulent as Delta Air Lines or United Airlines, passengers simply care more about the experience of flying in a premium class.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A bus and a buzz - Williams on spreading Ashes word
In his BBC Sport column, England captain George Williams spreads the word about the autumn Ashes series and gives insight into the recent squad get-together. Just 100 days are left until this England side gets the chance to taste an Ashes series again and we face Australia for the first time since 2017. Me and Jack Welsby went down to London on Wednesday, driving round the city on a red bus and visiting some tourist sites for photos and filming. We're trying to grow the buzz, to get people talking about the series down there and get involved. As players, you want to be involved in the biggest of games, and I don't see many bigger - if any. Even though there is still a lot of rugby to be played in Super League, to play against Australia at the end of the year is the pinnacle. I actually don't mind doing the press and promotion. I try to do it with a smile on my face and enjoy it, because it doesn't last forever and I'll soon be retired. So I've got to enjoy being in the media, growing the game and being England captain, which is something I'm really proud of. Wane wants higher Super League intensity to prepare England for Ashes We need some Ashes glory in colour, says England's Wane Australia to tour England for first time since 2003 Being in Wane's world We had a meeting as an England group at a hotel near Manchester recently. I really enjoy the England camps. Any time we can get together is good. There were a couple of new faces in there as well, a reward for players that are doing well. It's nice to meet the new lads but also to catch up with the connections you've made over the past few years - I've got some good friends from other teams that you don't see too often unless you play against them. The main purpose of the meeting was for Shaun to get his message across to us all, and point out a few things. It was very Shaun Wane-esque in that mind, the way he delivered it. Weirdly, I'm used to it because I've had him as a coach for a very long time, from my Wigan days and now as England coach. He even says in the meetings that a lot of us will have heard this before - but he knows what he wants from his players. He doesn't go away from that. He knows what works. He's been very successful for a reason. So there were some home truths. Some of the lads already know what they need to do better but it's not nice to see it there in the room; people missing tackles or doing things he doesn't value within a team. It's not personal. He's not having a go at the individual. It's the bigger picture. He is showing us what is not acceptable - and if we continue to do those things, we won't be in the team. It's a tough school. To represent England, you've got to be at your best and that goes for all of us. Whether you're first time in or one of the seniors, there are certain standards you have to reach and he won't go away from them, so everyone knows what he expects. There are no grey areas. Sometimes you won't like what he's saying but you know where you stand. I definitely value it. It's something I took away from playing for Shaun - driving up standards. Origin a good barometer for Ashes test From the Australia side there has been a few things mentioned about what they will do now Mal Meninga has stepped down, but we saw what they could be capable of in State of Origin. I always watch Origin. It's a massive part of the game down in Australia. And a lot of those players will transfer to the Australia team. As much as I do enjoy watching it, it's a little bit of homework as well. I'm sure they'll find someone to fill the coach role. They're the best - and have been a long time - so we're expecting the best of them. They're the number one and we're looking forward to challenging ourselves against them. We're looking to win - there's no doubt about it. 'Opportunities I have to listen to' Right now there's a lot of negotiating going on and logistics surrounding my future beyond 2025, so I'm leaving it up to my agent. I've had some great, respectful conversations with Warrington - everything's above board and there are no bad feelings between anyone involved. I'd be stupid not to listen to a great opportunity from the Australian NRL and I think the club understand that. I've stressed to them it's not the case that I hate it here and I'm wanting out - but some things arise in life and I'd hate to have any regrets. We'll have some good, honest conversations and see what will happen. Get in the 'six', anyone's game We've won three in a row at Warrington now and given ourselves a chance to get back into the Super League's top six. The win over Catalans down in Perpignan was a tough one, and the weather was mad. First of all we were happy to get in and out of there with a win, but it was 30C and cracking the flags on the Thursday and Friday we were there - and then come game day on the Saturday, it decided to have a storm for five or six hours. It wasn't ideal. It was hot, muggy and the ball was slippy as anything. We didn't play well either, but I'd rather play rubbish and win than play well and lose. We've had a rollercoaster of a year. We've lacked consistency but now we've a great chance to keep our season alive. Get in the six, and it's anybody's game. If we beat Castleford at the weekend, it's four from four. We have to go into work with a smile on our face and work hard. Feeling sad won't do anything. We want to be better.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trader Joe's adds 16 new stores to 'coming soon' list: See locations
Trader Joe's has added 16 new locations to its list of stores that are "coming soon!" The company operates stores across 42 states, leaving only Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Mississippi, and West Virginia without locations Nakia Rohde, a spokesperson for the Monrovia, California-based company, said it adds to the "Store Openings" tab on its announcement page "almost every month." The company had announced 21 new locations the previous time USA TODAY surveyed the page in April. Since then, the company has opened six of the previously announced locations, including one in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, which is across the street from the already existing Riverside Drive store. Rohde told USA TODAY at the time that the company intends to keep both locations open, saying that the new store "is bigger and has an attached underground parking lot." Where are the new Trader Joe's locations? Here are the latest future locations Trader Joe's has announced:
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
United Airlines warns profit still suffering from Newark chaos — but travel demand picking up
United Airlines said Wednesday travel demand has picked up since the beginning of July, thanks to less geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty. The Chicago-based airline, however, expects its earnings to suffer in the current quarter due to operational constraints at Newark airport near New York City — one of its largest hubs and among the busiest in the country. United reported a 6 percentage point acceleration in overall travel demand and a double-digit acceleration in business bookings in the third quarter from the prior quarter. 3 United expects its earnings to suffer in the current quarter due to operational constraints at Newark airport near New York City – one of its largest hubs and among the busiest in the country. REUTERS As a result, it now expects its full-year adjusted profit to come in the range of $9 a share to $11 a share. That compares with analysts' expectations of $10.04 a share. 'The world is less uncertain today than it was during the first six months of 2025 and that gives us confidence about a strong finish to the year,' United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. United's shares were down 1.6% in after-hours trading as its third-quarter profit estimate came in below Wall Street estimates. The company expects an adjusted profit in the range of $2.25 a share to $2.75 per share in the quarter to end-September. The midpoint of the forecast is $2.50 per share, compared with analysts' average estimate of $2.60, according to LSEG data. It estimates a hit of 0.9 percentage point in the third quarter, compared with a 1.2 percentage point impact in the second quarter, due to the operational issues at Newark airport. In April, United took an unusual step of offering two different earnings forecasts as President Trump's trade war dented consumer and business confidence, making it harder for carriers to predict their business. 3 Industry executives say travel demand has stabilized since April. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post Weak pricing power Since then, industry executives say travel demand has stabilized. Passenger traffic in the US, however, is still down from a year ago, leading to a decline in airfares, government data shows. The improvements in booking trends encouraged rival Delta Air Lines last week to reinstate its full-year profit outlook. But the latest earnings reports show airlines are still grappling with weak pricing power. United's yield, or average revenue earned from each paying passenger, was down in all geographies in the second quarter. The weakness was most pronounced in the US domestic market. 3 'The world is less uncertain today than it was during the first six months of 2025 and that gives us confidence about a strong finish to the year,' United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. Getty Images Echoing Delta, United said it expects the industry's efforts to slash unprofitable flights to boost airfares in the second half of the year. United's second-quarter adjusted profit came in at $3.87 a share, topping analysts' expectations of $3.81 a share. The company will discuss its financial results on a call with analysts and investors on Thursday morning.
