Australia’s flag carrier announced on 7 November the launch of ‘Qantas Economy Plus’, a dedicated extra-leg-room zone that will debut from February 2026 on new Airbus A321XLR and A220 jets and be retrofitted to the Boeing 737 fleet. Seats will offer up to 40 per cent more pitch, priority boarding and guaranteed overhead-bin space. Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers will receive complimentary access (at booking or check-in respectively); other passengers can purchase the upgrade once fares are filed later this year.
The product responds to sustained feedback from corporate travellers who want more space on domestic and short-haul international sectors without the cost of full business class. Qantas says more than 21,000 passengers a week already pay to choose forward-cabin economy seats, indicating strong latent demand.
![Qantas unveils ‘Economy Plus’ cabin with 40 % more leg-room ahead of 2026 rollout]()
Economy Plus will also appear on Qantas’ refurbished 737s from December 2025, creating fleet-wide consistency before the airline’s Project Sunrise A350-1000s enter service in 2027. Competitors Virgin Australia and Rex currently sell ‘Economy X’ and ‘Rex Extra’ seats, intensifying the battle for premium-economy-lite travellers.
Travel-policy managers may need to update class-of-service rules and negotiate bundle rates as employees begin requesting the new product for trans-Tasman and intra-Australia flights.
The product responds to sustained feedback from corporate travellers who want more space on domestic and short-haul international sectors without the cost of full business class. Qantas says more than 21,000 passengers a week already pay to choose forward-cabin economy seats, indicating strong latent demand.
Economy Plus will also appear on Qantas’ refurbished 737s from December 2025, creating fleet-wide consistency before the airline’s Project Sunrise A350-1000s enter service in 2027. Competitors Virgin Australia and Rex currently sell ‘Economy X’ and ‘Rex Extra’ seats, intensifying the battle for premium-economy-lite travellers.
Travel-policy managers may need to update class-of-service rules and negotiate bundle rates as employees begin requesting the new product for trans-Tasman and intra-Australia flights.
