Cathay Pacific - New Economy/Prem Eco

Cathay’s recent announcement about the implementation of a Premium economy class and a total rejuvenation of the economy product wont come as a shock to most of you who keep in touch with such things. However the Cathay press release does in fact mention a few interesting little tidbits.

Firstly let me say how glad i am that Cathay are ditching the hard shell seat, that, frankly speaking was less comfortable that a lethal injection table looks. Especially as far as the taller gent in concerned. In most economy class seats, when someone reclines the seat in front of you they recline into your legroom, that legroom can easily be recuperated by reclining your own seat. In the case of the hard shell fixed back seat, the only way of not sitting bolt upright for 13 hours is by sacrificing half of your legroom -a daft proposition.

According to Cathy’s press release, the seat will feature an enhanced recline position, which to my mind will be similar to the British Airways Concorde seats designed by Terrence Conran, in that the whole seat, base and back will recline backwards and cradle the passenger, rather than the passenger slipping forward on a flat base. As far as smaller seats go, the BA Conran seats are some of the most comfortable I have experienced.

As for the premium Economy product, we are all waiting with baited breath to see where Cathay take this one. Personally, I am hoping for something a little avant-garde like the Air New Zealand product but based on the below rendering, we could be in store for something a little more biege - along the British Airways Prem Eco Line.