A model new airline plans to launch transpacific flights to the US in 2022.
Air Premia plans LAX flights in 2022
Air Premia is a South Korean airline startup that has merely utilized to america Division of Transportation (DOT) for the proper to perform flights to america. According to the making use of, Air Premia hopes to begin flights between Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Los Angeles (LAX) on Boeing 787-9 aircraft from the second quarter of 2022.
The deliberate frequencies or timetables have not however been launched. Suffice it to say that the market between Seoul and Los Angeles is giant and Korean Air and Asiana used as a lot as 5 every day Airbus A380s between the two airports sooner than the pandemic.
Korean Air flies A380 between Seoul and Los Angeles
With the merger of Korean Air and Asiana, the route will shortly solely be served by one airline, so Air Premia needs to provide its shoppers a steady varied.
What’s Air Premia anyway?
Air Premia is a model new hybrid airline startup in South Korea that merely obtained its airline certification a lot of weeks up to now. The airline was based mostly by the earlier president of Jeju Air, Korea’s largest low-cost airline.
Air Premia plans to utterly perform Boeing 787-9s, notably on long-haul routes. Whereas the airline will initially perform domestically to get used to it and due to border restrictions, long-haul flights are to begin from 2022. The airline is considering flights to North America, Australia and Europe. Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Vancouver have all been named as potential journey areas in North America.
Air Premia should not be a normal low-cost airline. The airline’s Boeing 787-9s are outfitted in a two-cabin configuration with a whole of 309 seats:
- There are 56 premium financial system seats with a seat pitch of 42 inches
- There are 253 financial system seats with a seat pitch of 35 inches (that’s just about unknown)
When the airline was first launched, it was mentioned that Air Premia Financial system tickets would worth 80-90% of the worth of Korean full-service airways in financial system class, whereas premium financial system tickets would worth 140% of the worth of Korean full -Service airways would worth in enterprise.
Here’s a video about Air Premia’s Boeing 787-9 cabins (which is weird, and aside from, they can’t even make the actor seem like he finds the premium financial system seat cosy):
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I don’t understand Air Premia’s enterprise model
I’ve to be honest, I don’t understand Air Premia’s enterprise model the least bit, notably with reference to aircraft configuration. Initially, let’s remember that the prolonged haul enterprise is mainly highly effective, notably for airways with out enterprise class cabins (the place lots of the revenue are made in a lot of markets).
What I fail to know is why Air Premia didn’t merely swap to terribly low worth and squeeze 375 seats on its planes. The airline would then have a genuine worth profit over opponents. As an alternative of this:
- The airline has a 35 ″ gap in financial system class, which is very generous however moreover optional when you consider that Asiana and Korean Air are in another case a couple of of the best leg freedoms of the worldwide airways
- The format merely shouldn’t be surroundings pleasant – as an example, proper right here you’ve got obtained a two-cabin format with 309 seats, whereas Air Canada manages to get 298 seats in a three-cabin format with 30 seats in enterprise class with a reverse herringbone pattern pressing, which supplies a rather a lot higher product sales potential
- Air Premia can be unable to compete with the frequencies, connectivity, route networks or frequent flyer functions supplied by Asiana and Korean Air
- From a aggressive standpoint, airways like Asiana and Korean Air benefit from money on long-haul flights with first and enterprise class passengers, and that may be a market that Air Premia should not be attempting to compete in
Personally, I merely don’t suppose the airline stands out adequate to realize success and compete with the big guys. “We price 10% a lot much less and supplies one or two centimeters additional legroom” merely wouldn’t appear to be an essential enterprise model to me if shoppers forego frequencies, a worldwide route group, a worldwide frequent flyer program and connection decisions, and plenty of others.
So whereas South Korea may undoubtedly use some opponents from the Korean Air and Asiana merger, I’m undecided the doctor ordered this?
Bottom line
Air Premia plans to begin out flights between Seoul and Los Angeles from the second quarter of 2022. This is usually a new South Korean hybrid airline that intends to utilize the 787-9 completely on long-haul flights.
These planes could be in a ridiculously spacious two-cabin format with financial system seats 35 inches apart. I’m undecided I understand the enterprise case for this, nevertheless that sounds good to prospects …
What do you take into account Air Premia and the airline’s enterprise model?
