Iberia rolled out its new premium economy cabin to media, clients and stakeholders at Iberia’s La Munoza maintenance facility this week.
From May 1, the new cabin will appear on routes from Madrid to Chicago, New York and Bogota, with the airline’s Mexico service to follow in June, and Miami and Boston to launch in August and September respectively.
The airline has so far retrofitted just one A340-600 with the new cabin, which is currently being trialled on the Madrid-Chicago route. The other aircraft will be fitted in stages, with five more A340-600s expected to feature the product on May 1.
Compared with Iberia’s economy class, the new seat provides 20 per cent more separation between seat rows (37in vs 31in), wider seats (19in vs 18.1in), 40 per cent more recline, an adjustable head and foot rest and 12 inch HD touch screens (versus 9 inches in economy passengers. Passengers will also be allowed priority check-in and boarding along with two pieces of luggage.
Extra features include noise cancelling headphones, connection ports for electronic devices, a welcome drink, table linen and an amenity kit along with a gourmet menu, which has yet to be revealed.
As previously reported, a total of 21 existing long-haul aircraft (A340-600s and A330-300s) will be retrofitted with the seat over the next two years, while 16 new A350s, due for delivery from 2018, will be factory fitted with the product.
Business Traveller was at the launch event in Madrid, where the video below was taken. For an interview with Iberia’s chief commercial officer Marco Sansavini see:
