Ranking the world's economy class cabins (plus my South America opinion)

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Today's newsletter is a special edition.

Dan just uploaded a video ranking economy class cabins around the world, and since economy is where most people actually fly most of the time, I thought it would be fun to break down his rankings and add a few thoughts of my own.

Dan has flown 170+ airlines over the last 12 years, so he has a pretty solid baseline when it comes to comparing economy products. Instead of ranking airlines strictly from best to worst, he grouped them into four tiers:

Let's start at the top.

At the very top of Dan's list were airlines like Japan Airlines, ANA, Korean Air, Air New Zealand, Starlux, and Emirates. These airlines stand out because they actually try to make economy passengers comfortable, which isn't as common as you might think.

Japan Airlines is especially interesting. On many aircraft they install fewer seats than competitors, giving passengers noticeably more space. That's a rare thinking in an industry where airlines usually try to squeeze in as many rows as possible.

Air New Zealand also deserves credit for real innovation. Their SkyCouch concept allows three economy seats to convert into a small bed, and I think it can be surprisingly useful on very long flights. I never tried it but it's definitely on my list!

And Emirates, especially on the A380, ranks near the top simply because the aircraft itself improves the experience. The cabin is wider, the atmosphere is calmer, and the whole flight just feels more comfortable. My brother flew from EZE to DXB on an Emirates 777, and then from DXB to BKK on their A380. It has been 1 year since those flights, and he can’t stop saying how far superior the A380 experience was (bad luck for him that the 777 flight is 16 hours long and the A380 flight is 8 hours, he wishes it was the other way around!).

The next tier includes Turkish Airlines, Delta, Qantas, and Swiss, among others. These airlines offer a solid and dependable economy experience, even if they don't quite match the best carriers.

Turkish Airlines stands out mainly for its catering, which is consistently better than most competitors. Delta earned its placement through consistency and technology: seatback entertainment on most aircraft, and an overall experience that feels modern.

Then we arrive at the Econommeh tier: Lufthansa, Finnair, Air Canada, American Airlines. These airlines will get you to your destination, but nothing about the experience really stands out. You're not miserable, but you're definitely not impressed either.

Dan's list mostly focused on airlines flying between North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. But the experience in South America can be quite different, so I wanted to add a few airlines that many of us here fly regularly. Honestly, once you compare this to what we deal with in South America, the gap becomes very obvious.

LATAM

LATAM's economy product is decent overall. Legroom is acceptable and the seats are actually quite comfortable compared to many other airlines. However, a few years ago LATAM reduced meal portions quite significantly, which took away from the experience on longer flights. Because of that, I'd place them at the top of Econommeh. Comparing the same routes, I'd still choose them over American Airlines. It's a perfectly fine product, just not a standout one.

Aerolíneas Argentinas

My national carrier also lands in Econommeh for me (but at the bottom). The planes are mostly old and the service tends to be inconsistent. But to be fair, the seats are reasonably comfortable, legroom is decent, and although the food isn't amazing, it's acceptable. It's a very average full-service experience; nothing impressive, but nothing disastrous either.

Unfortunately, several airlines operating in the Americas fall into this group.

Copa Airlines

Copa is extremely efficient operationally. Their hub in Panama City connects North and South America incredibly well, which is why so many people, including me, use them. But the onboard experience leaves a lot to be desired: no seatback entertainment, a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) system (which I personally dislike), an all-narrow-body fleet, and seats that aren't comfortable. For shorter flights this can be fine, but for 6 - 7 hour flights from cities like Córdoba, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, or Santiago, it starts to feel like a long time to be uncomfortable.

GOL Linhas Aéreas

A similar situation. No seatback screens, BYOD entertainment, and tight seating. I'm fairly tall (186 cm), so I suffer when a seat isn't comfortable, and GOL definitely falls into that category for me. It works fine for shorter hops, but on longer routes like the 7h30 flight from Brasília to Miami, it's not a pleasant experience.

Avianca

And then we arrive at Avianca. Oh my God. 

Their narrow-body aircraft are extremely tight, and the overall experience is that of a low-cost carrier (because that is what they are), offering very limited service, no seatback entertainment, and super dense cabins. To be fair, their 787s flying to Europe (or to major American cities like Buenos Aires or São Paulo) are significantly better and offer proper entertainment. But on most flights within the Americas, the experience is pretty rough. The only good factor is that their connections across the continent are very efficient.

A quick note: I'm leaving most low-cost carriers (like my newest addition: Arajet) out of this ranking entirely. There honestly isn't even a category for them here. The experience is so barebones that comparing them to full-service airlines would be unfair.

If there's one takeaway from all of this, it's simple: there isn't much real competition in South American aviation. A few airlines dominate the market, and because of that there isn't a huge incentive to dramatically improve the passenger experience.

There are also structural reasons for this. The market here is smaller, less premium, and economically weaker than regions like Europe, North America, or Asia. People simply don't fly as often, and airlines focus more on operational efficiency than passenger experience. On top of that, in countries like Argentina, taxes represent more than 50% of the price of a plane ticket, which makes flying significantly more expensive than it appears.

Still, I'd love to see more innovation and better comfort in economy class across the region.

Which airline would you rank as the most disappointing economy product you've flown? I'd love to know!

That's it for today's. If you want to see Dan's full ranking and hear his reasoning airline by airline, go watch the video, it's a fun one.

More deals and strategies coming your way on Wednesday.

Catch you in the clouds, 

Tomi from Points Master