Economy class
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Economy class, also known as coach class, is the lowest class of seating in airline travel. Although it is reputed to be uncomfortable, with limited legroom and amenities, it is favored by many travelers as it offers the cheapest seats. Some airlines renamed their economy class for marketing purposes. Such names includes British Airways' World Traveller, Air Canada's Hospitality/Hospitalité and Air France's Tempo.
An economy class seat usually includes a pocket of items attached to the seat in the next forward row, containing such things as:
- an airsickness bag
- a magazine and/or catalogue
- a safety information card
- sometimes an In-flight Entertainment (IFE) screen
- sometimes an inflight telephone.
On longer flights a movie may be offered, but headphones to listen to the audio must be purchased on some carriers. This is often called an "entertainment fee". Airlines usually attribute this to being hygenic by not reusing and recleaning headphones. On some carriers, the headphones come in a pack with other amenities such as earplugs, eye mask etc.
Low-cost carriers often offer only economy class. These airlines are often associated with cramped seats, no free food, and often no reading material, but also lower fares. Such airlines include easyJet and Ryanair. Most charter airlines also offer only economy class but Air Transat is now offering Club class. MyTravel Airways offers Economy Plus.
A number of airlines including Virgin Atlantic, KLM, British Airways, and United Airlines also offer premium economy class. This separate section of the coach cabin generally provides more legroom by removing a few rows of seats and sometimes offers better services. Premium economy is often provided as a free upgrade to elite frequent flyer program members and passengers flying full-fare economy, but some airlines also allow non-elite customers to pay an additional fee for a confirmed reservation in the premium section.
A typical meal in economy class is meat, vegetables, rice, a bun, some sort of dessert, tea, coffee and water.
The quality of the food varies depending on a number of factors. Now, airlines have introduced a variety of special meals, such as vegetarian or kosher, that can be ordered before departure.
See also
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