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Qantas has announced a new economy class seating product called "Economy Plus," set to launch early next year on its short-haul network. Offering passengers extra legroom and other priority perks, the Australian carrier will introduce Economy Plus across its Airbus A220, Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 737-800 fleet. Slated to debut in February 2026, Economy Plus will be sold as a paid upgrade bundle or a complementary upgrade for elite Qantas frequent flyers. Newly delivered A220 and A321XLR will come with the new configuration, while Boeing 737-800 refits will begin in December. Introducing Qantas Economy Plus Passengers across Qantas' domestic and short-haul international network across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands will be able to fly with improved comfort and benefits starting from February. According to the Australian carrier, Economy Plus seats will offer up to 40% more legroom compared to its standard economy seats, along with priority boarding and first access to overhead luggage bins. Its Boeing 737-800 fleet will be refitted by removing one economy row to accommodate the extra space, and is set to offer the largest number of Economy Plus seats at 48. Qantas' Airbus A321XLR will feature 36 Economy Plus seats, while on the A220, this will be a more modest 20 seats. In a move that challenges Virgin Australia's popular "Economy X" product, Economy Plus will help Qantas capture lucrative corporate and premium leisure revenue. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson commented, "This is an evolution of our Economy offering and delivers more choice for our customers while recognising our most loyal frequent flyers with expanded benefits, in the areas we know they value the most." Free For Elite Frequent Flyers Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members will get free upgrades to Economy Plus when booking a regular economy ticket. For Platinum and Platinum One travelers, seats will be available immediately at the booking stage, while Gold members will have to wait until 24 hours before departure for a free upgrade. Silver and Bronze members, as well as non-members, will only be able to travel Economy Plus as a paid upgrade. Prices of seats will vary according to flight distance, with the airline promising more details on the new product closer to launch. Seat pitch in Economy Plus will be a standard 34" on most rows, but goes up to 38" on exit rows and even higher on the front row. Retrofits on the 737-800 will begin in December, although the airline has not given a timeline on how long the entire project will take for completion. Qantas has a total of 77 Boeing 737-800s in its fleet and has the type for over two decades. Meanwhile, the A321XLR is a new addition to the Qantas network, with the Australian airline completing its first A321XLR revenue flight in September, while the A220-300 is set to make its international debut in February between Brisbane and New Zealand's Wellington. Extra-Legroom Trend Selling passengers a travel experience that sits somewhere between economy and a dedicated premium economy cabin has proven a successful model in the United States. One of the more recent converts has been Southwest Airlines, which is rolling out extra legroom seats early next year. Extra legroom seats have also done well at Qantas' rival Virgin Australia, which launched Economy X in May 2017. The product has been popular with both business and leisure travelers happy to pay anywhere between $10 to $70 for a more comfortable journey. According to Qantas, its frequent flyers already select more than 21,000 preferred seats towards the front end of the economy cabin, demonstrating the level of demand for small but significant flight upgrades.
