But the risk was to degrade before classes

The word "premium" is ambiguous. For Iata, it brings together the business class and first of the front of the aircraft. However this word made an appearance marketing to enhance more recent, intermediate between business class and economic classes. In its new meaning, the word is sometimes added to "economy", but not always. "We must constantly explain to customers that neither early nor business classes," complains a travel agent.

The emergence of these new classes facilitated by the difference of prices and services who ceased to grow between the two large traditional classes. "Premium new introduce a notion of average contribution", said Brigitte Jakubowski, JK Associates Consulting firm. They allow a company to optimize its budget travel, while giving employees more comfort and a recognition of their status, which sticks well to the SME market. For carriers, it saves a bit of profitability and serves as a buffer zone to avoid, for surbook, too costly upgrades.

Some 20 companies in the world today offer this enhanced eco class. Its pioneers were Eva Air and Virgin. The Taiwanese company had launched it since its creation in 1991 in Asia, and in 1993 intercontinental. His class called "Evergreen Deluxe" on its B 747 was reconfigured and renamed "elite" in 2008 on its 777 B where it holds 63 seats on 316, without first. The model was resumed in the Japan by ANA in 2005 offering four classes, with 24 seats Premium out of Paris. Rival JAL followed in 2007 with 44 seats on the 777 B.

Differentiate between segments

Virgin Atlantic had launched its Premium Economy as early as 1992. The company held 30 seats in this category until today in each of its 38 aircraft tri-classes out of London. Ten years ago, another British, British Airways (BA), took the idea. "Our World Traveller Plus immediately was a success," says Patrick Malval, BA commercial Director. The company always offers 40 of these seats on each of its long-haul and reflects on their potential increase. The choice of BA was followed by Qantas, its closest ally in Oneworld, which has also since more than a year of 32 seats in this category in each of its B 747 and A 380.

The last wave of Premium was accelerated by the crisis. The most spectacular entry into the club of Premium Economy is that of Air France, which launches this fall a Premium Voyageur class (traveller is the name of its class eco, ex-Tempo). Alitalia should soon follow. KLM, for its part, preferred, as a first step, dédensifier the first rows of its economic seats without creating a dedicated class. Other companies are thinking. In reality, the Premium Economy concept is not everywhere the same product.

For a company very long mail without first, as Air New Zealand, the Pacific Premium Economy is fairly comparable services and (2.5 times higher in eco) price for a medium business. Launched three years ago with 8 seats on the upper decks of its B747-400, this quasi-Business has been a rapid success, and its quota of seats was increased to 39 on two decks. For Virgin, this exactly intermediate class is however equivalent to a "class business for ten years." In contrast, in British Airways, it remains clearly an eco, with the same service in the lower class, but with a different seat in a separate cabin. Its price, 15 to 20 more expensive, reached 35 for flexible tickets. It is also the willingness of JAL to stay close to the eco. The company offers the same plateau-repas, but one shell seat depending on the model which is taken over by Air France.

In fact, the product remains quarterly. Patrick Malval explains that "the initial goal in BA was to improve the income raising in range of the eco clients who were not ready to go in Business." But the risk was to degrade before classes. "Since two years, he admits, it serves companies that wanted down in eco, we thus avoiding a too high yield degradation." Because the risk is cannibalize class Affairs, the ability to top customers in the economic class appearing difficult in times of crisis. If the danger remains insignificant for flights of 20 hours or more, it is not everywhere.

"The new Premium will meet the same logic as in the large distribution to paste with several brands to its customer segments." It responds to a natural reflex and good logic. "But this choice derives revenues down if it is not offset by a better differentiation of segments," warns Franck Brault, consultant with Simon - Kucher & Partners (SKP).