Emirates Considers Adding Budget Economy Section to Lure Frugal Flyers
Photo Credit: Emirates has a single large economy class cabin today on its Airbus A380s. But that could change — and Emirates President Tim Clark said passenger preference for cheap fares is the driving force. Emirates
Skift Take
Consumer groups may criticize Clark for even considering adding a "budget economy" section on the Airbus A380. But a sizable segment of passengers continue to demonstrate they want only one thing — cheap fares. Why shouldn't Emirates create a cabin that will allow it to compete for these customers?
Emirates, long known for its high service standards and comfortable seating, even in economy class, is studying whether to create a "budget economy" cabin with narrower seating and fewer perks to satisfy frugal customers who always book the lowest price, airline president Tim Clark told Skift on Thursday in London.
"The fact of the matter is there is a whole stream of new market segments coming in that are budget conscious," Clark said in an interview at the Aviation Festival, an annual conference. "I think we can adapt what we do to be able to accommodate not all of it, but some of it."
Emirates generally does not not compete directly with major long-haul low-cost carriers, such as Air Asia X, Norwegian Air, and Wow Air. But it is still often undercut on price on popular international routes, both by major legacy airlines with strategic goals or excess capacity and by carriers with lower costs.
Clark acknowledged Emirates is generally considered a premium carrier, but said it
