British Airways wants fewer people on board its enormous Airbus A380s. It sounds like an odd decision for an airline operating out of slot-constrained Heathrow, but a quick look at the underlying numbers tells you where airline economics are heading.
Once refurbished, each superjumbo will carry 417 seats against 469 today. Economy class shrinks by 88 seats to just 215, a cut of around 30%.
In their place comes a substantial increase in premium capacity. The entire upper deck will go to Club World, creating what BA is billing as the world’s largest business-class cabin with 106 Club Suites. Even more striking is the growth in World Traveller Plus, BA’s premium economy product, which gains 29 seats to reach 84 – an increase of more than 50%.
While First Class falls slightly from 14 suites to 12, the broader message is clear: BA is using tight capacity to serve more customers willing to pay for something beyond economy.
First
Source: skift.com
