Now, Condor’s A330neo nautically business class might not be recent news, but social is finally buzzing around the airline’s decision to up-guage its front row of business class to a ‘Business Plus’ proposition. Dubbed ‘Prime Seats’, Condor’s front row of four seats are in effect ‘mini suites’ with a few hidden surprises that the airline has cleverly used to market the product.
A little while ago, Lufthansa mentioned its new Allegris proposition would feature multiple business class seats (too many in our opinion) with throne seats, aisle seats and it’s own version of a front-row business class ‘Plus’ seats with doors – all on top of its First Class proposition further ahead. However Lufthansa’s product roll out has been delayed due to the push back of the 777X, meaning smaller competitor Condor has beaten the behemoth to the market with its own impressive ‘Business Plus’ proposition.
The seat features different bulkhead architecture, which has allowed the carrier to customise the front row with much larger screens, privacy shrouds (albeit no doors here) and a larger ottoman, allowing for buddy dining, although on first impression the dining table seems a little smaller than it should be for that purpose. But what Condor has done, with a very simple low-cost proposition, is enhance the product in a surprise and delight way. Custom, VERY Collectable stripy pyjamas & slippers (like JetBlue does for its front row), as well as small snack baskets with treats and sweets (like Emirates does in First Class) – elevates the proposition without having to introduce an entirely new menu or service proposition.
It seems the carrier has hit the perfect sweet spot, with a PR’able product, surprise-and-delight moments, and an enhanced seat for those wanting to spend a little bit more on their seat. Interestingly, when looking to enhance a seat from Frankfurt to the Maldives, the airline is asking for an extra €299 each way to upgrade from a standard seat to one of these larger suites, although for some routes the price starts at just €199. For the premium leisure market, this is fairly well priced, and should offer up to an additional €10-15m in annual ancillary revenues to the carrier when the entire neo fleet is delivered.
We’re very much looking forward to trying out the product in just a couple of weeks time, to see if the product is worth the additional €299 price tag on a 9 hour flight. Don’t forget to check back to see our trip report, youtube videos and social feeds in March.
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