Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is introducing a new on board product called Economy Space. This will provide more room for customers in Economy Class that require it.

All ten of Etihad’s Airbus A380 fleet will feature the new seating from the end of December 2018. That is a pretty fast turnaround – most airlines take forever to change their configurations.

Economy Space

It’s not just the Airbus A380 fleet receiving the changes. By the end of 2019, a total of 21 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 12 Boeing 777 aircraft will also feature the product.

Economy Space will feature increased seat pitch of up to 36 inches. Etihad are offering these in response to high demand for extra legroom seats.


Etihad’s press release is quite specific in what it does leaves out. This is not premium economy which usually adds more frills than just legroom. It is solely extra room for Economy Class passengers who choose to pay for it.

Considering the increase on Airbus A380 will be from 20 to 80 extra legroom seats, it must be quite a popular option. The price per seat on Sydney to Abu Dhabi is A$251.30 which is I think is reasonable enough on a flight of that length.

Overall Thoughts

Could Etihad be on to something here? Where other airlines are going for a Premium Economy product which has all the bells and whistles such as better catering and separate cabins, Etihad’s solution seems elegantly simple.

Give people the same product with extra room and charge more for it. They would save costs as fewer passengers means reduced weight and less catering for example, plus they make more money out of it. There are also no additional costs such as staff training for a new cabin.

What do you think of Etihad’s Economy Space product? Is it something you would use? Would you prefer a proper premium economy on a long flight instead? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Featured image by Mark Harkin via Wikimedia Commons.
Economy Space image via Arabian Business.