Special Report
Cathay Pacific’s new Premium product
Introducing a whole new class on board a fleet of aircraft is no easy task as Jo Austin discovers talking to Roberto Abbondio, head of sales and marketing at Cathay Pacific Airways
Cathay Pacific has taken delivery of its first aircraft featuring the carrier’s new Premium Economy cabin. The new seat has a 38-inch pitch and has greater width
and recline angle plus a large meal table, footrest, 10.6-inch screen, USB port power outlet and extra stowage space. Passengers also receive an amenity kit, large pillow, noise-cancelling headphones, Champagne on boarding and additional snacks.
OBH: What was the overall effect you were going for when re-thinking your new Premium Economy Class? RA: Exclusivity with little extras such as a hot towel on the ground, welcome drinks including Champagne and orange juice, a better meal service, a wider variety of snacks and an exclusive amenity kit. Also, a dedicated check-in and a spacious private Premium Economy cabin with 26-34 seats, upgraded seat with enlarged seat pitch/width and special features.
Did the airline take on any special advisors/ specialists for the project? Design House was involved on colour and trim items to maximise the overall cabin seat look and feel.
What were the particular challenges and how long did the project take overall? It took over two years from research to implementation challenges. Premium Economy is not something new in the market. When we decided to offer this product, we had to ensure we were going down the right path in terms of product features and customer propositions. Hence,
Main picture: Cathay Pacific’s new Premium Economy cabin with, below, the environmentally-friendly amenity kit designed by Watermark and new livery; facing page: new meal tray
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www.onboardhospitality.com
extensive research was done to ensure that we offered something customers truly valued. In addition, within two years each and everyone at Cathay Pacific acted fast to accommodate the changes and managed to get everything ready for the launch of the brand new class.
What do you consider to be the most striking feature of the new cabin? • Enhanced seat comfort and overall environment in a private, cosy cabin • Extra personal stowage space in response to passengers’ feedback • Pancake inflight entertainment box to maximise living space
• Cocktail table to allow extra surface space for passengers to enjoy the drink services.
Discuss your environmentally friendly amenity kit. Which supplier/designer did you work with on this and what do you consider are the special/unique features/ contents? Watermark supplied the new kit working closely with us. The bag is made from recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) plastic bottles. The toothbrush in the kit is made mainly from corn starch and cellulose, which is biodegradable, recyclable and uses less resources in its production.
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