The Smart Choice for the Business Traveller

~ Words by Vickie Sam Paget, Sky Blue Content ~

As executive travel budgets get slashed, businesses still want their travelling executives to arrive in destination relaxed and refreshed. Air Canada’s new Premium Economy Class allows you to offer them just that—without the steep price tag

We all know that today’s discerning business traveller now views their air time as a precious opportunity to catch up on the workload or to relax in a level of comfort befitting a busy executive. So it’s no surprise that airlines are falling over themselves to woo these lucrative travellers by creating more and more perks—and more and more classes—to keep these valuable business travellers content.

As a result, impressive levels of luxury are no longer restricted to the pointy end of the plain. A range of classes have rippled through the rest of the cabin, ensuring that there is a seat and service to suit the most demanding of travellers.

But how on earth is today’s travel agent supposed to navigate all of these different cabins? Well, the savvy agent is well-versed in the different classes available and is fully aware of where more lucrative options—like Air Canada’s Premium Economy—sit in the range of what’s available.

What is Air Canada’s Premium Economy?
Well, it’s not Premium and it’s not Economy: instead it nestles comfortably and stylishly between the two, offering a level of comfort and service that is superior to Economy, but without the price tag of Premium. And it’s the obvious choice for today’s discerning business traveller who has their eye on the bottom line.

What does Air Canada’s Premium Economy offer your clients?
The Premium Economy experience can make all the difference to your clients. And it comes with a whole range of extra comforts and added amenities. It allows them to truly pamper themselves while experiencing superior comfort in a dedicated cabin, a premium meal service, impressive amenities and priority airport services.

Enhanced Comfort
Available on an increasingly expanding selection of routes, Premium Economy features a larger seat with more recline and extra legroom, so they will have plenty of space to stretch out and get comfortable. So tempt them with a larger seat than those on offer in Economy—a chair that also offers a greater recline of 17.8cm. Add an uber-comfy 96.5cm seat pitch, a fully adjustable headrest and some ambient mood lighting, and you can send them off on their business trip knowing that they will make the very most of their travel time.

The Premium Experience
But it’s not just about enhanced comfort and extra legroom. The superior Premium Economy experience comes with an increased baggage allowance; priority boarding, check-in and baggage handling; in-seat power; a single- pin audio jack; and a USB port for charging that all-important cell phone.

If they want to spend their air time grabbing some down-time, there are hundreds of hours of on-demand entertainment available; premium cuisine on offer; complimentary wines and spirits; a hot towel with every meal service on international flights; a complimentary copy of enRoute magazine and a selection of newspapers; an amenity kit and a comfortable pillow and blanket for some precious snooze-time.

And then there’s the Premium rouge service that’s available on board a growing selection of Air Canada rouge flights. This stylish service allows your clients to breeze through the airport with priority check-in and relax in the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge before they enjoy priority boarding. They’ll then spread out in seats with more recline and an extra seven inches of legroom, before indulging in free premium meals and beverages and accessing the wireless inflight entertainment system on a complimentary iPad.

What does this mean for your clients?
As some companies are tightening their Premium Class purses, Air Canada’s Premium Economy Class offers business travellers additional choice. The opportunity to make a small upgrade to Premium Economy will see your client—the busy business executive—arriving in destination feeling far more refreshed and revived.

In short, when it comes to business travel, Premium Economy makes financial sense.

Image: Courtesy of Air Canada
This advertorial first appeared in CT Magazine, a publication for Canadian travel agents.