Although it often seems prohibitively expensive, air travel has actually become far more affordable in recent years. A flight from Sydney to London, for example, costs roughly the same as it did 30 years ago, despite inflation.
And flying to Europe is about to get even cheaper for Australians, with Singapore-based airline Scoot offering flights from the east coast to Athens for less than $1000.
But cheaper isn’t always better …
News reports about the Scoot move have focused on the aircraft to be used — the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is indeed a wonderful plane with many modern features and better fuel efficiency than older aircraft.
But the plane itself is only as good as the way it is configured and the service the passengers receive.
While passengers don’t mind getting squishy on shorthaul flights, such as those connecting European airports, exactly how will they handle narrow seats and tight legspace for the long flight from Australia?
The Scoot website notes that its standard seats in economy “have an average 31 inches (79cm) seat pitch and 18 inch (46cm) seat width”. Scoop claims its economy cabin is “more roomy than other low-cost carriers and comparable to full-service airlines!” It also offers “Stretch” and “Super” seats with more generous dimensions.
Business class seats have “at least 38 inches (96cm) of legroom, 22 inches (56cm) of width, 8 inches (20cm) of recline and fully adjustable headrests and legrests”.
Scoop is already flying throughout Asia, and from Australia to Singapore. Price details for flights to Athens and elsewhere are here.
Oh, and of course, the cheapest deals only buy you a seat. Meals, a baggage allowance, Wi-Fi access and etxra legroom cost more.
