Do ultra long haul flights attract more premium class passengers?

Abstract

Improved aircraft technologies have allowed aircraft to fly faster and farther, which offered more flexibility to the airlines to operate ultra long haul flights. This chapter reviews the development of and examines the changes in traveler demand after the introduction of ultra long haul flights. Five ultra long haul routes including Singapore/New York, Perth/London, Singapore/Los Angeles, Manila/New York, and Sydney/Houston were examined. The result has demonstrated that airlines offering ultra long haul flights are obtaining a larger market share between city pairs as passengers were attracted away from direct flights and connecting flights. There was evidence that passengers were willing to purchase premium services for more comfort on most ultra long haul markets where the origin and destination cities are large business centers.