On 8 January 2020, low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways introduced three fare categories to its Economy Class: Light, Value or Extra. The airline says that these categories "come with a set of services to meet [passenger] needs". While some airlines have been 'unbundling' their services, this move could be considered more as a 're-bundling' as each fare category bundles together a particular set of extras.
Three categories of economy class
Economy Class Light: This is the lowest fare category. In Economy Class Light, passengers are only allowed a carry-on and a small bag. Extras can be purchased separately, as needed. No refunds are provided for the cancellation of Light fares tickets.
Economy Class Value: This type of ticket includes 20 kilograms of checked-in baggage allowance. Bookings for this category (when made with Jazeera Airways) can be canceled up to 24 hours prior to departure.
Economy Class Extra: In this category, passengers are allowed an extra 10 kilograms of checked-in baggage - a total of 30 kilograms. Furthermore, they are given priority check-in and the ability to choose from the Preferred Seats located on rows 4 to 10. As with Economy Class Value, bookings for this category made with Jazeera Airways can be canceled up to 24 hours prior to departure.
“Our customers can today enjoy great flexibility about the way they travel. They also have the choice to change their mind at the last minute and add on the service that best suits their needs.” -Rohit Ramachandran, Jazeera Airways Chief Executive Officer
New priority service
Jazeera Airways also rolled out its new Priority Service. With the purchase of this package, passengers have access to the following extras:
- Priority Check-in,
- Priority Baggage,
- and Priority Boarding.
The cost for this Priority Service bundle will be 10 Kuwaiti Dinar for one-way and 15 for a return journey. This equates to approximately $33USD and $50USD respectively.
All-economy fleet
Having moved to an all-economy configuration* for its A320 fleet, the new options for seat
selection are as follows:
- Premium Seats located in rows 1 to 3. These seats offer 33–inch seat pitch. Passengers of these rows also have a first selection from the Jazeera Café menu.
- Preferred Seats are located in rows 4 to 10 and provide a 31-inch seat pitch
- Extra Legroom Seats are located on rows 11 and 12, giving passengers the maximum legroom in the 35 to 38-inch seat pitch.
- The Standard Seats offer 28-30-inch seat pitch and are located at rows 13 to 28 / 29.
*The only exception to this is on Cairo flights, which have apparently retained the old configuration.
A Jazeera Airways spokesperson tells us that the old configuration consists of a business class, and an additional premium economy class for flights to London. The business class provided additional legroom, an empty middle seat, a free meal, as well as priority check-in and priority boarding.
Conclusion
Our new fare categories and services have been designed to make [the passenger's] journey with Jazeera Airways all the more personalized and enjoyable.” -Rohit Ramachandran, Jazeera Airways Chief Executive Officer
Moves like this can make passenger's decision-making processes a little easier. Rather than seeing one price followed by a list of 10 options and their prices, Jazeera Airways has bundled some things up into three simple categories. Hopefully, this does indeed make their passenger's journies more enjoyable.
What do you think of this new fare structure for airline services? Would you be more inclined to purchase a 'higher' level of economy class? Let us know in the comments!