[wayne]

It might be a fad, but the current trend in US public aviation is increasing premium cabins and premium revenue: https://simpleflying.com/why-us-carriers-doubling-down-premi...

This is the reason Delta and United and doing well right now and Southwest and the LCCs are struggling.

It wasn't true just a few years ago, but if this continues as a trend, I could see an airline sacrificing fuel efficiency for a dramatically improved onboard experience.

[notahacker]

Premium cabins tend to be a very small proportion of overall seats and are about overcharging for a little extra legroom and service rather than trading off operational flexibility for unique luxury though. Big difference between charging 3x economy rates for 2x the space for a carefully estimated proportion of seats in a mixed configuration (no brainer) and hoping your layout is so good it justifies thirstier, less flexible aircraft to operators (tough sell)...

That said, Boom's customers - if they ever exist - will be a new business class pay extra for supersonic flights category anyway.

[JumpCrisscross]

> Premium cabins tend to be a very small proportion of overall seats

Most of the profit on a plane is made in business class. If airlines could fly an all-business configuration, they would. The problem is the smallest planes that can do high-paying routes like LON-NYC are bigger than that customer set. So the airline throws in economy seats, often barely breaking even on those, to fill space.

In a world with small airliner planes that can make those transoceanic and transcontinental journeys, I suspect we’ll see more all-business class flights.

[bombcar]

But that's just it - the airlines have finally (lol) realized that a huge price "Delta" (lolx2) between normal cattle class and first class was a mistake.

People aren't usually paying 4x for first, but they will pay $10 more for Y, $30 for Z, etc.

The future of airlines is fully adjustable planes!

[jgalt212]

Business Class trades well above 3X tourist class.

[sandworm101]

It isnt a trend. This is marketing. Thirty years ago, the a380 was pitched as having room for luxury too. The new plane is always going to have more legroom, wider aisles and better air conditioning than anything before. But it never happens. The pitch to actual operators is the square-feet of floorspace and how many seats can be crammed into that space at given price points. Just like concord, this thing only makes sense with quazi-economy seating. Do not expect to nap on a nice lie-flat seat.

[JumpCrisscross]

> It isnt a trend. This is marketing

They’re citing historic data. It absolutely is a trend that premium travel is an increasing slice of post-Covid American air travel.