The key facts
- Jet2 Charter has used an all-business-class layout for the first time: 76 seats instead of 189 on a standard Boeing 737-800NG
- Jet2 does not offer business class on scheduled flights — the novelty applies only to charters
- The premium cabin trend is also confirmed by British Airways, Emirates, TAP Air Portugal and Qatar Airways
A low-cost carrier with a business class cabin
The British budget airline Jet2, through its charter division Jet2 Charter, has unveiled a specially converted Boeing 737-800NG in which, instead of the standard 189 seats, 76 business class seats have been installed, each with a pitch of at least 43 inches (about 109 cm) of legroom. This was reported by Euronews. Notably, business class is not offered at all on Jet2's scheduled flights — the new layout applies exclusively to charter operations.
Who the new aircraft is intended for
The airline, based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, attributed the launch to demand from sports, music, entertainment and specialist groups. Jet2's head of charter and airline sales, Trevor Caplis, called this the first time a dedicated business class specification has been used on the company's aircraft and noted that feedback from customers who had already flown on board was «exceptional». In his words, the luxurious cabin, combined with Jet2's service, looks set to be a success with charter customers this winter.
Context: airlines are betting on premium
The Jet2 Charter launch fits into a broader trend: all-business-class flights are already offered by BeOnd and La Compagnie. As Euronews notes, in early October British Airways unveiled a new A380 design in which 106 business class seats occupy the entire upper deck — the largest such cabin in the world, complemented by 12 first class suites. In September, Emirates showed «the world's first premium economy seat with a full-height privacy divider», TAP Air Portugal launched its «economy prime» product back in June, and Qatar Airways chief Hamad Ali Al-Khater said the company is «seriously considering» creating a premium economy class. Notably, Jet2 went beyond the premium economy segment: instead of an intermediate class, the low-cost carrier created a fully business-class charter aircraft, keeping its scheduled flights in the usual format.
