Air Premia announced on August 12 that it is enhancing its Hybrid Service Carrier (HSC) business model to strengthen customer service and network competitiveness, focusing on long-haul routes centered around the U.S.
The airline is prioritizing seat services to improve convenience for long-distance travelers. It is expanding the space between some economy seats from 31 inches to 33 inches and is operating a wide premium class that offers more space than standard economy.
In fact, the boarding rate for the wide premium class on U.S. routes in the first half of this year was about 4 percentage points higher than that for Asian routes, indicating a strong customer preference for more spacious seating on longer flights.
Air Premia is also enhancing in-flight services, including meals, baggage handling, and entertainment. Currently, free one-hour Wi-Fi is available on three aircraft, with plans to expand this service to the entire fleet in the future.
Building on this customer experience, the airline has expanded its long-haul network in the U.S. It now serves major cities from the West Coast, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, to the East Coast, including New York and Washington, D.C., as well as Honolulu. Notably, the proportion of foreign passengers on mainland U.S. routes, excluding Honolulu, is approximately 55.3%, ensuring a stable global demand base.
Cargo transport utilizing the long-haul network is also on the rise. Last year, cargo volume reached 34,546 tons, a 47.5% increase from the previous year. The airline is enhancing the utilization of long-haul routes by transporting both passengers and cargo through services like the 'Aloha Express' connecting Incheon International Airport and Honolulu.
As Air Premia expands its long-haul network centered around Incheon, demand for transfer and interline services is rapidly increasing. In the first half of this year, the number of transfer passengers reached 39,110, a 454.2% increase compared to the same period last year. The airline connects its own Asian routes, including Narita, Bangkok, and Hong Kong, with U.S. routes, while also linking to regions in Asia, such as China, through interline agreements, thereby enhancing its network competitiveness.
An Air Premia official stated, "Air Premia's HSC is a business model that enhances both the services and connectivity that customers actually need based on long-haul routes. We will continue to expand transfer and interline services centered around our U.S. network and invest in customer experience to create a differentiated HSC business model."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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