Travelers willing to pay for extras

According to the observations of one expert, more travelers from the UK are willing to pay a little extra in order to take advantage of the luxuries offered by upgrades.

Anna Knowles of Virgin Atlantic claims that the demand for economy class tickets has fallen, particularly on long-haul flights. Although capacity in the economy class is increasing, this is the first time, she says, the industry has seen demand fall in this manner.

Conversely, demand for other classes of tickets seems to be increasing, with more holidaymakers willing to shell out a little more money for improved services.

“There is definitely a growing segment of people who are willing to pay for more space and luxury when they are travelling on their leisure trips and who are contributing to the growth in the premium economy sector,” Ms Knowles commented.

According to Ms. Knowles, long-haul flights are cheaper now than they have ever been before and sometimes cost less per mile than shorter flights.

A number of airlines are expanding their premium services in order to respond to this new turn in demand. Qantas just put tickets in its premium economy cabin on sale for its flights from London to Sydney and Melbourne. All business-class airlines like Silverjet, which offers flights from London to New York and Dubai, are also continuing to be highly successful.

www.virgin-atlantic.com