If you thought legroom could not get worse, think again. One budget carrier is about to squeeze 20 more seats onto an already-dense configuration.
Cebu Pacific, the largest budget carrier in the Philippines, will move galleys and lavatories to make way for 20 additional seats aboard its incoming Airbus A330neo aircraft. While Airbus suggests seating for between 260 to 300 in a multi-cabin configuration, Cebu’s 16 A330neos will squeeze even in even more seats than originally planned…a whopping 460 seats.
Mike Szucs, Cebu’s Chief Executive Adviser did not dismiss the onboard customer experience (“customer comfort and experience will be a primary consideration”) but added that airfare is “always an aspect consumers are conscious about”. That’s certainly putting it mildly…
But I really cannot blame Cebu Pacific. The profitable low-cost-carrier is simply responding to market demand. Bloomberg reports 100 million new passengers are flying for the first time each year in Asia. These passengers care primarily about price over product and have full-service options should that be the primary concern.
And let’s not forget that Cebu Pacific may hold the record for squeezing seats onto an A330neo, but even the so-called luxury, premium carriers have squeezed in more seats to the back of the aircraft. Cathay Pacific, for example, moved from 9-across to 10-across on its 777s…following in the footsteps of several other “full service” carriers. We’re just in that era…
CONCLUSION
As long as passengers continue to express preference for lower fares over full service, we will continue to see more seats squeezed into airplanes. Rather than mourn over it, we should recognize that airlines are merely reacting to consumer demand and if we can tolerate the seat, we are in a golden era of travel when it comes to pricing…
image: Cebu Pacific
The Philippines is extremely price sensitive. Making $400 a month is concidered a pretty good salary unfortunately. The market is totally different then the US or Europe. Plus the on board staff on Cebu Pacific are wonderful and if someone tall like me can’t fit in the seat they will figure out a way to get that tall person into a seat they fit in. Plus 99% of Filipinos are not tall but they always smile and are friendly. Flying Cebu Pacific is less stressful then flying a Star Alliance carrier while holding gold status.
Also Matthew you should come to the Philippines. Don’t go to Manila. Go to Palawan, Bohol, Siargao or even Boracay. Then you will figure out why the hell you kept going to the Maldives.
Hey, this is a country where criminally-overloaded ferries sink on a regular basis with staggering losses of life. Year after year after year. Are we supposed to imagine Philippine airline executives would even think twice about cramming more revenue-producing seats in a plane?
You can’t compare Philippines-operated ferries to airline carriers. You should know that Cebu Pacific’s 460 seat config is simply approved by authorities and even Airbus.
Here, I fixed that for you:
As long as idiots continue to be obsessed with getting the absolute cheapest possible price, to the exclusion of any other consideration, we will continue to see more seats squeezed into airplanes
My uncle’s brother’s father’s nephew works for Cebu. They are looking into installing bicycle seats in place of regular seats.
The plane will be partially pedal powered to further lower costs.
I flew Cebu pacific from Cebu to Manila this year. It was a very pleasant flight. This is a very price-sensitive market and many flights are short. The flight attendants were very polite and operations, at least on my flight, were far better than PAX. Please keep in mind that the per Capita gdp in the Philippines is 1/20th the USAs and many of the flight are among a dozen major islands within the Philippines.
How does this pass muster with getting everyone off the plane in 90 seconds? The evacuation time is already a farce, but with 460 seats it seems that things have gone way beyond unrealistic.
Live in Cebu and routinely fly Cebu Pacific. As others have mentioned they offer good on-board experience with friendly flight attendants. I am 6′ 2″ and 230 and just buy a front row seat which has no bulkhead. They sell these seats for less than 20 USD extra. The only drawback is their on time performance, worst in world at 56%.