Jetstar squeezes extra seats into economy

Jetstar squeezes extra seats into economy

Jetstar, Australia’s largest budget airline will be reshuffling its A320 fleet by adding in an extra row of economy seats.

The airline has promised the move will allow it to operate on a higher-volume basis, with 43 planes in the fleet going under the knife.

Speaking to News.com, Jetstar Australia CEO Dean Salter said, “This is the latest cabin design from Airbus, which is smarter about the way space is used on the aircraft and allows for an extra row of seats and more baggage space.

“The additional six seats improve the economics of these aircraft and help us to keep offering the low fares we are known for and maintain a great customer experience.

“These aircraft will allow us to carry more customers, particularly at peak times, to holiday destinations.”

The makeover will see 6 new seats added to each aircraft, meaning an estimated 600,000 more passengers each year.

While the refurb sounds like it may affect the overall passenger experience onflight, Jetstar has promised the seat width and legroom won’t be altered.

Currently, the average seat on Jetstar is 29 inches.

The news follows Jetstar’s announcement in September, where the airline began offering flyers the option of booking domestic flights eight weeks in advance and paying later via a partnership with everyone’s new best friend Afterpay.

Then in October, Jetstar began offereing keen travellers the ability to book flights just four weeks away using the delayed payment system.

With the Afterpay partnership, travellers can purchase both flights and extras such as seat selection, meals and checked-luggage, although it’s capped at spends of $200 to $1,000 excluding payment fee.

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