If there’s one thing Qantas passengers consistently criticise, it’s the lack of legroom on the airline’s narrowbody 737s and now its newer A321LR aircraft.
Listening to their customers, Qantas have today announced Qantas Economy Plus, a new cabin product designed to give customers more choice with extra legroom seating, priority boarding and priority access to overhead baggage space.
The Economy Plus seats will give customers up to 40 per cent more legroom. This new product will be available from February 2026 on the Airbus A321XLR, A220 and Boeing 737 aircraft which operate on the airline’s domestic network as well as to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Offering passengers in-flight entertainment, meals, snacks and beverages (including alcoholic), Qantas continues to set the global standard for domestic travel. Australians are among the tallest travellers in the world and, like Americans, often fly some of the longest domestic routes.
Today’s announcement gives passengers the choice between comfort and the tight 30-inch seat pitch that’s become standard on other domestic flights and carriers.
AirlineRatings CEO Sharon Petersen said of today’s announcement, “In my opinion, Qantas receives a lot of unfair criticism. What’s offered onboard for a domestic flight is exceptional — well ahead of what travellers would experience in the United States or Europe. The inclusions, service and network, combined with Qantas’s outstanding safety record, truly set it apart. That said, the 30-inch seat pitch, particularly on transcontinental routes, has long been something we’ve wanted to see improved. Today’s announcement shows Qantas is listening to its customers and giving them real choice — and for that, we applaud them.”
The airline will begin reconfiguring its 737 aircraft in December, while new A321XLR and A220 deliveries will come with extra-legroom seating already installed.
Pricing for these seats has not yet been released.
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