Effects of Passenger Comfort

[fatman1683]

I've been playing with some theoretical models and trying to optimize my airline and I've run into a wall when trying to evaluate the effects of passenger comfort on demand.

It doesn't seem to affect load factor in any meaningful way, as when I increase passenger comfort ratings by using better and fewer seats, the number of seats sold doesn't change much, if at all.  Load factor as a percentage goes up of course, but only because I have fewer seats total to fill.

Does anyone have any practical experience with the effects of passenger comfort on demand?  Or maybe if Sami wants to comment and tell us how it works? 

[Sigma]

Prior to v1.1 it didn't do virtually anything at all.  That's why the biggest airlines always ran super high-density planes.

Now with v1.1 it makes a big difference (supposedly, I haven't tried it myself) BUT only on certain flights.  If a flight is longer than 3 hours, passengers won't tolerate even Good seating anymore which is why all larger planes come with Premium seating by default now.  But even with that, I'm not sure if you can test it on a route that you run yourself and see a really big difference.  It may simply be that given the option of better seating they'll choose it -- i.e. if a competitor comes in with superior seating, your pax will quickly shift -- but if you're the only option they may keep flying with you even with undesirable seating.

[samomuransky]

Just one question for sami - why 767-200/300ER don't have default premium seats?

[Sami]

You didn't specify what kind of routes you operate ... if you experimented on let's say 3 hour flights then it really makes no noticable difference (execpt in competition situation where you provide better seating than the next airline). Long hauls are different matter.

But Sigma's comment is inaccurate as you CAN fly standard seats too in longer flights. But people naturally prefer the better seats...

But keep in mind too that pax seating setting is only one of manymany variables in the system that affects the pax movements.

[fatman1683]

You didn't specify what kind of routes you operate ... if you experimented on let's say 3 hour flights then it really makes no noticable difference (execpt in competition situation where you provide better seating than the next airline). Long hauls are different matter.

But Sigma's comment is inaccurate as you CAN fly standard seats too in longer flights. But people naturally prefer the better seats...

But keep in mind too that pax seating setting is only one of manymany variables in the system that affects the pax movements.

Is there a 'threshold' for flight duration at which point comfort starts to matter, or is it a progressive increase?

[Sami]

Progressive but starts to decline much more sharply after certain flight time is passed, depending on the seat type. Check the manual ..

[morgand536]

But actually many real world airlines are still using HD class config in long haul flights. 

[ban2]

and you can too, but you will have to charge super low airfares to compete.