ITA Airways' new premium economy is beautiful, but now it also needs premium service
Premium economy is not new: it is not new to ITA and it is not new to the world [...].
ITA Airways
SkyTeam
Premium economy is not new: is not for ITA and neither is it for the commercial aviation world. Designed as a middle ground between business class and tourist class, it never really broke through.
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Then came covid, social distancing, and the world of travel changed. Magically, premium economy became an important class for airlines and passengers.
Certainly a strong impetus came from Emirates, which installed on its A380s what to date is the best Y+ available on the market, but EK is EK and the A380 is a unique aircraft in the world. In addition to Emirates, however, other airlines have also chosen to install this cabin and they did it by focusing very much on the experience that goes beyond the extra inches of space for passengers.
To justify the price of premium economy you have to provide superior all-around service than the normal tourist class: the passenger should feel premium, not a chicken who has been fleeced a few extra euros.
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This chair is even more important now than in the world before because. many companies put this class as a limit to their employees for business travel: having a quality product then can allow companies to have a strong appeal in this area, especially outside the summer season.
In recent months I have traveled in the KLM's Y+, the Dutch airline with its Premium Confort amazed me both as the quality of the seat and the treatment on board, starting with the truly premium food offerings (I had lobster and tuna tartare).
I was much less convinced by Finnair's., where the feeling instead is very un-premium, but here the disappointment of the downgrade may have affected.
I will soon be flying with Swiss, aboard the new Premium Economy on the 777 and I have also already flown in the old PE of Air France, before the pandemic I had also flown in Alitalia's Classica Plus, and I have absolutely no fond memories.
The new armchair
During the transfer flight from Toulouse to Rome Fiumicino, I was able to admire the new armchair and I was really pleasantly surprised by the choices made by the ITA team. This plane was customized piece by piece, and here I must say that all the bricks fit together perfectly.
ITA not only chose a really nice product, but also configured the various options in a really nice way. The heart is the seat, a seat produced by Safran that, on narrow-body aircraft, is used as a business class product.
The configuration is 2-3-2, a standard in this segment. There is really a lot of space in all positions.
Of course, it doesn't become a bed and the actual inclination of the seat is a few centimeters, but thanks to the trick of also sliding the seat feels like a much more prone position. Instead, the feeling is very pleasant and the position (seems) comfortable.
Even when the front passenger reclines his or her seat, there is no feeling of sacrifice: there is plenty of space, and the choice to install a tilting screen also solves the discomfort of those who remain upright to watch the screen without any problems.
Completing the setup is a 17-inch touch screen, with also a remote control to operate the IFE. Each passenger has a power outlet, a USB-C outlet and a traditional USB outlet. I haven't flown there yet, will do so shortly, but I hope ITA will really aim for this product, adding premium software to the hardware.
This means truly premium catering, not a simply larger or more colorful tray. Attention from attendants that recognizes the passenger for that premium he or she paid for, and a better amenity kit than what was distributed by the old Alitalia.
How to know if you will be flying on the new or old PE of ITA
The difference between the new and old PE aboard ITA's aircraft is like a Punto (first series) and a 500e. Currently in blue livery is. only one A330/900neo, a second will arrive in July, two more in August and by the end of the year there will be 9. The old A330/200s, however, will continue to fly until 2025, barring schedule changes.
It therefore becomes critical to understand which of the two products you will be flying with, because the new one is worth the price of the ticket, the old one absolutely not. As we often write, the machine change can always take place and nothing is owed to the passenger if you fly a different cabin: so don't complain if you find out on check-in day, or at the gate that the plane has changed. Conversely, if you have booked a ticket from Fiumicino to the United States and Brazil this summer, check right away if (by chance) your plane has changed to an A330/900neo.
If there is no premium economy, the flight is made with the flagship, the A350. There is currently no premuim economy in these planes, will arrive soon, so if you want to travel aboard the most modern aircraft in ITA's long-haul fleet. You can opt for Economy Comfort, That is, economy with a few extra inches for the legs.
If you search for flights on ITA's website or on third-party sites such as Google Flights, Skyscanner and similar you can check additional information about the flight. Generally, the aircraft information is included in the additional notes and then just point to flights operated with the A330neo.
In conclusion
The discriminating factor is always price. If the difference between the price of economy and premium is not too sensitive I would opt for PE. However, it is also crucial to know which product you will be flying on. That said, ITA Airways' new premium economy is truly a best-in-class product.
The chair is nice and spacious, the screen is very large, and the cabin has beautiful colors (maybe a tiny bit subtle). Now I can't wait to take off and try it on a real flight.
