KEY POINTS:
Comfort in the air is an increasingly important issue for long-haul passengers.
On short-haul flights to Wellington or Sydney it seems price matters much more than comfort. As Air New Zealand demonstrated with the success of its no-frills domestic service, if you manage to reduce fares by squeezing in more people and cutting out meals, you get more customers.
But on long-haul flights to Los Angeles or London it's a different story. If you're stuck in a seat for 12 hours then comfort becomes more important and people are more likely to base their choice of airline on the quality of the seating and to be willing to pay extra for greater ease.
If you want to check out which airlines have the most comfortable seats then one option is to visit the Skytrax website (www.airlinequality.com), which includes in its ratings of the world's airlines a section on seat comfort.
Looking at long-haul economy class, which is where most of us are likely to fly, Air NZ and Singapore Airlines get four stars for their seats, while Qantas, Emirates and Cathay Pacific get three stars.
Another useful website based on the alt.travel.uk.air internet newsgroup (www.uk-air.net/seatpitch.htm) gives details of the seat pitch - that is the gap between the tops of the seats - in economy class.
Once again that website rates Air NZ well, it and Malaysia Airlines being credited with a roomy seat pitch of 34in (86cm) between economy seats on its 747s, followed by Thai Airways with 33in (84cm), Emirates, Cathay and Singapore with 32in (81cm), and Qantas at 31in (78.5cm).
If you can afford to fly business class or first class you might like to check out the quality of the different flatbed seats at www.flatseats.com and www.seatguru.com.
In its rating of business class seats, Flat Seats gives five stars to Air NZ and Singapore, four stars to Qantas and Emirates, and three stars to Cathay Pacific.
But of course those ratings do leave some questions unanswered. For instance, one of Air NZ's strategies for meeting the demand for greater comfort has been to introduce the new premium economy class. But is it worth the extra money?
My wife, Chris, recently had to fly to Britain and back in 10 days and managed to taste the merits of business, premium economy and economy along the way. Her verdict is below.
Several airlines are using the introduction of new types of aircraft to trumpet plans to make flying a more pleasant experience. But is that just marketing hype or can we really look forward to more comfortable flights?
Herald political reporter Paula Oliver had the chance to try out what Singapore Airlines has done with its new Boeing 777-300 ER. Her report on the experience is also below.
Space still at a premium
Chris Eagles
Air New Zealand's new premium economy, above, and business premier class flatbed, right.
Is it worth spending nearly $1000 extra to fly Air New Zealand's premium economy class on a long distance journey? Well, it depends on a number of factors, but personally I'd have to say no.
I had the opportunity to sample all three seat classes offered by Air New Zealand on a round trip to England and was especially interested in this new seating range because it was a first for me.
The older I get, the more daunting the prospect of flying long distances in economy class becomes. More than 20 hours of being crammed into a narrow seat with little leg or arm room no longer appeals and if I can't get an aisle seat I'm a lost cause.
So I plan my trips carefully.
Sometimes, however, things happen over which you have no control.
I had to attend my elderly mum's funeral in England, which meant taking what I could get in the way of flights.
And that meant flying over economy class ($1400 one-way) - interesting that it was the higher-priced seats which had gone - and back in the new premium economy ($2250 one-way).
The flight over in the cheap seats wasn't too bad.
But I was really looking forward to my return journey in the more expensive seats 10 days later.
As I entered the premium economy class area, the nice steward asked me if I wanted the good news or the bad.
I said I might as well have both.
"Well, the good news is we are a staff member short so you are being upgraded to business class [which would have cost me $4300 one way]."
And the bad news?
"It's only to Los Angeles." I could live with that.
Perhaps it was the wrong way to experience premium economy. Would it have influenced me more if I'd travelled in reverse? I don't know. But there is no doubt in my mind that Air New Zealand's business class is - to coin a phrase - in a class of its own.
After savouring the comfort and service it felt a bit sad when we reboarded in Los Angeles and I moved one section back to premium economy.
Sitting in the curtained-off area of 27 seats is a luxury in itself. But what exactly are you paying extra for?
The service seemed the same as in business class, apart from some minor details like a paper wrapping around your cutlery rather than a nice green velvet tie, or a choc mint instead of boxed chocs with the coffee.
And premium fliers are served second, naturally, because the stewards cover both sections.
However, the main thing I was looking for was comfort and that was missing. There is definitely more leg room, and a footrest.
But, though I'm not a large person, the premium economy seat in a row of three didn't feel any wider than economy class.
I couldn't get comfortable, had trouble sleeping and, frankly, didn't think it was any better than economy class.
So, why won't I upgrade to premium economy on my next long trip?
Mainly because I'm too tight to spend $850 for service rather than comfort and, to be honest, flying in economy on the way over wasn't half bad.
No, in future, if I can scrape the dollars together I'll go the whole hog and go business class.
If you want comfort, it's the only way to travel.
* Chris Eagles paid her own way to Britain.
New design puts paid to cabin fever
Paula Oliver
The battle to win a traveller's heart at 35,000ft has taken another step forward, with Singapore Airlines gradually introducing a new-look US$360 million ($484 million) cabin that has been four years in the making.
The arrival of the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft has allowed the airline to upgrade its cabin, and introduce the new economy, business and first class seats.
Consultation with passengers has been a big part of the seat design process and the cabin is significantly different to what passengers would have experienced before on a Singapore Airlines jet.
The new business class seat I occupied on a Boeing 777 flight between Singapore and Paris was, at 76cm wide, the widest I have seen in a business class cabin.
The airline says the design research made it clear that passengers wanted a wide seat so it was easier to move around and more comfortable to sleep in when converted into a flat bed.
The new business class seat layout has also been altered from two seats alongside each other to a 1-2-1 configuration, giving each seat access to the aisle.
Getting into the seat for the 12 hour-plus flight to Paris, it was striking how spacious the cabin felt.
From the lighting right through to the design of the overhead baggage holders, and especially the distance between my seat and the one in front, the cabin was distinctly roomy.
The seat itself had so many innovative storage compartments that it was tempting to spend five minutes opening and shutting everything to see what was inside.
By the time I had checked out the built-in vanity area complete with mirror, well-positioned drink holder and ideally placed headphone and magazine storage compartment, there was little left to wish for.
It was nice to be able to take what was needed during the flight out of my bag and have adequate storage so I didn't have to worry about dragging the bag out again mid-flight.
The cabin redesign encompasses economy class, where seats have also been improved and passengers given a touch more legroom.
In first class, passengers relax in so much space it resembles a living room.
Back in business, the new menu is so attractive that it was easy to forget that what was being served on to the starched white tablecloth was actually plane food.
The entertainment system has also been bolstered, and the screens on which the extensive range of movies and other entertainment play have been widened. My 39cm screen made it easy to watch Oscar-nominated Babel while lying on my flat bed under a duvet, and the language tutor was handy to brush up on French before stepping out in Paris.
The seat-to-bed conversion was relatively easy (partly thanks to the training video which played shortly after boarding), and it was possible to stretch out in almost every direction when it was time for sleep.
Although a few turbulent bumps disturbed sleep every now and then, I was delighted to realise that in the final hour or two of the flight the lights of some of Europe's major cities were visible out in the darkness.
After a hearty breakfast then freshening up in the slightly more spacious bathroom, I was ready for Paris, even if Paris wasn't quite ready for me at 6am on a Sunday morning.
Singapore Airlines' new cabin is in operation on several of its long haul flights to European destinations, but there is no date yet for it to be introduced on flights to New Zealand.
A version of the new design will be deployed on the long-awaited Airbus A380 aircraft when the airline takes delivery of the giant jet later this year.
There is no firm plan yet to retro-fit the airline's existing aircraft - such as the Boeing 747 which does the Auckland-Singapore route - with the new look. But the fleet renewal programme is so extensive that the new cabin will be available in time to a large chunk of the airline's long haul destinations.
* Paula Oliver flew to Paris as guest of Singapore Airlines.
* Further information
Check www.singaporeair.co.nz for details of what routes the new planes are flying.
