10 New Reasons To Fly Coach

LAN Chile: Breathe-Easy Cabins

LAN Chile will soon be using brand-new 787s, which have a hidden plus for cramped, germ-riddled economy cabins: a state-of-the-art air filter and cooling system. It strips ozone from outside air and uses a HEPA filter to blitz bacteria and viruses, and then a gas filter takes out any nasty smells. The result: cleaner, fresher air throughout an entire flight. Although LAN Chile will be one of the first to help passengers breathe more easily, it’s not the only carrier: JAL, Air India, Royal Air Maroc, and Continental/United will also be flying Boeing Dreamliners outfitted with this filter and cooling system.
Photograph courtesy Boeing.
Delta Air Lines: Premium Economy Without a Big Price Hike

Many airlines now have some kind of upgraded economy option, but usually for a hefty premium. Delta is bravely trying to buck the trend with its new Economy Comfort class, available on 160 aircraft beginning in summer 2011. Free for Platinum and Diamond SkyMiles regulars, and otherwise offered at a scaling fee (nominal for Gold and Silver SkyMiles), this new section has plenty to recommend it: priority boarding; 50 percent more recline; four extra inches of legroom; adjustable headrest and, on some carriers, footrest; and free drinks throughout the flight. Cheers!
Photograph courtesy Delta.
Singapore Airlines: Improved In-Seat Entertainment

It may share a name with one of the Kardashian clan, but Singapore’s KrisWorld entertainment system delivers more than just reality stars. It’s like a hybrid of Netflix and Spotify with 80 on-demand movies, 180 TV programs, a dozen radio channels with hundreds of songs, and Dolby headphones for everyone. On almost every aircraft, the airline is rolling out international Wi-Fi with OnAir for a small fee. And even in economy there are USB ports for charging—or for preparing presentations using a thumb drive and the built-in office software.
Photograph courtesy Singapore Airways.
Air New Zealand: A Bed at Your Fingertips

Imagine that an economy row of three seats could convert to a bed with the touch of a button. Well, AirNZ’s Skycouch does exactly that: Arms retract, the seat base extends, and the seatbelts lengthen to buckle up when reclining. Two passengers can snuggle horizontally, leaning against the wall or lying flat. And the price is a steal: Pay a standard fare for each seat, and the third shared berth is half price—or a 25 percent per-person premium. By the end of 2012, every flight to America will offer this “cuddle class.” Until then, AirNZ has a last-minute trick to help economy passengers sleep soundly on all its long-haul flights. If available, an empty neighboring seat can be purchased for a bargain price at check-in (often less than $60 one way).
Photograph courtesy Air New Zealand.
South African Airways: Gourmet Treats and a Toiletry Kit

Forget packing a sandwich at home or worrying about running low on snacks onboard SAA’s long-haul flights to Africa. The airline now offers passengers many of the delicious gimmicks usually restricted to the pricier cabins: grab-and-go juice or water bottles always available at the galley, two full meals and a snack with three different options, and a full, gratis bar stocked with South African wines and unusual treats like Amarula, the local answer to Baileys. Even better, every passenger enjoys not just a blanket and pillow, but an amenity kit with after-dinner toothpaste and eye masks.
Photograph courtesy South Africa Airways
Lufthansa: Slimmed-Down Seats for Extra Legroom

Trust German engineering—whether it’s BMW or Recaro, the aviation industry’s answer to a sports car. This seat manufacturer has just pioneered a simple-yet-brilliant upgrade to economy seating that creates more legroom. Lufthansa has embraced the design, purchasing 32,000 new seats across the fleet for $175 million. The seats themselves have been thinned down (without compromising comfort) and the magazine pouch shifted from knee height to behind the tray table. The result? Stretching your legs a few more inches without stretching your wallet.
Photograph courtesy Lufthansa Airlines.
Qantas: More Comfortable Seats

Qantas deeded all its design needs to industrial icon Marc Newson—and he hasn’t forgotten about economy passengers or the little details that can make a big difference. On the A380, seats have movable bases that recline as the back does, making for a smoother nap. But his canniest tweak is a new riff on the footrest. Newson strung a net from the seat like a foot hammock. It’s surprisingly comfy and a great prophylactic against deep vein thrombosis as it keeps circulation flowing.
Photograph courtesy Qantas.
Jetstar: iPad Brackets

The Pinnacle seat by B/E Aerospace is an industrywide economy standard—more than 200 million have been produced. But the Aussie budget carrier Jetstar has snapped up a new version with an ingenious tweak: an integrated bracket so that an iPad can be snapped onto the back of the seat in front, creating a TV-like screen. Passengers who don’t have their own iPads needn’t miss out: Jetstar will soon offer an in-flight rental service for $8.40.
Photograph courtesy B/E Aerospace.
ANA: Luxury Toilets

Japan’s ANA is the first airline to launch Boeing’s much-delayed and much-anticipated 787, nicknamed the Dreamliner; the first delivery is expected by the end of September 2011. And in all classes, ANA is introducing select women-only bathrooms and outfitting all bathrooms with windows and the Japanese-style bidet-toilets known as Washlets, which offer warm, pressurized water jets for a fresher clean than one-ply paper. They’re common in Japan (60 percent of households use them) and will surely make a splash internationally.
Photograph courtesy All Nippon Airways.
Airline To-Be-Determined: Automated Flight Attendants

Developed in Germany, this reinvented trolley leaves the rest looking as outdated as a VCR. Via a touch screen, the Skytender uses syrups, water, and a carbonation pellet to produce almost three dozen different drinks, among them hot coffee, tea, juice, sodas, and even beer or mixed drinks. (All that, plus a major eco-boost since fewer bottles and cans will be discarded.) It’s currently undergoing a few final design tweaks before its onboard test in the fall; expect the Skytender to surface in-flight by spring 2012.
Photograph courtesy SkyMax.