Thomas Cook Set To Stretch Their Legs
In a move which was a little unexpected, it seems that UK based airline Thomas Cook will be introducing extended leg room on some of its planes from May 2008 onwards. While this is not the first time that a well known airline has tried such a move, there are hopes that it could be the beginning of a trend, but who will follow?
The arguments regarding leg room have been ongoing for many years with many airlines only offering a total of 30 inches per seat. Thomas Cook Airlines will be extending this to 33 inches, and although this may not sound a lot, it will effectively take away up to 10% of seating on each flight. When you consider the tight margins that many operators trade upon, this really is a bold move. But why have they decided to change?
The fact that the extension of leg room will only happen on the company’s Airbus A330 long haul flights, could maybe hold a clue to the reason for the change. Over the last few years we have seen an increase in reported instances of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), something which is linked to long haul flights and can be fatal. As with any potential for harm while in the care of a corporate entity, many are expecting a wave of law suits claiming damages for the growing number of cases of DVT, and the fact that leg room is often very cramped on board today’s jets.
While the changes will obviously be well received by Thomas Cook’s customers, it seems that maybe the potential loss of revenue may be a small price to pay when considering potential future compensation payments. As with any competitive industry, it all comes down to numbers, the amount of money they can bring in, compared to the amount of money they may have to pay out. Has commercial sense prevailed, or will Thomas Cook be forced to revert to cramped seating in the future?
Who knows………