Qantas is extending its Economy Plus product into long-haul flying, confirming the new cabin will roll out across its Airbus A330 fleet from mid-2026.
The move takes Qantas’ new elevated economy option beyond short-haul routes and deeper into the airline’s international network.
The A330 expansion means Qantas Economy Plus will soon feature on more services across Asia, giving travellers extra legroom, priority boarding and dedicated overhead locker space on longer flights. Until now, the product has been limited to domestic and short-haul international operations.
From today, QF customers can book Economy Plus on Boeing 737, Airbus A220 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with the first services operating from 6 February. These aircraft cover the airline’s domestic network and nearby international destinations, including New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Bali.
Reconfigured B737s offer 48 Economy Plus seats, the A220 has 20 seats, and the A321XLR includes 36 seats in selected cabin zones. The new zone will be identifiable by its branded headrests and overhead bin placards.
According to the carrier, Platinum One and Platinum members will receive complimentary access at booking, while Gold members will be able to select Economy Plus seats 24 hours before departure, subject to availability. Travellers on the same booking also receive access.
The flying kangaroo says pricing will depend on routes, aircraft and seat location.
“Qantas Economy Plus brings together extra legroom, priority boarding and priority access to overhead bin space; all the elements we know make a real difference to our customers when flying,” Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said.
“We’ve seen strong interest in Qantas Economy Plus from customers already, and we know it will be a great benefit for both our business and leisure travellers.”
Elsewhere, Qantas is replacing preferred seating with a new forward economy zone across much of the fleet. Eligible frequent flyers – Platinum One, Platinum, Gold and Silver – will access these seats at no extra cost.
Updated seat maps that include the Economy Plus cabin are now live across Qantas’ website and app.
In related news, QantasLink’s next-gen Airbus A220-300 aircraft embarks on its first international flight today, debuting on the thrice-weekly Brisbane–Wellington route. Read more about that here.
KARRYON UNPACKS: While Economy Plus goes on sale today, the A330 rollout is the bigger story here. The new cabin is moving from short-haul add-on to long-haul strategy, giving travel advisors another upsell option as Qantas quietly reshapes economy yields.
