Here is Qantas’ new international economy seat

Qantas has copped plenty of flak over its decision to drop video screens from its new domestic economy seat.

By contrast, its next-gen international economy seat will be more like a personal cinema above the clouds, boasting an ultra-HD 4K screen featuring the same OLED technology as most big-screen home tellies.

They’ll also be the largest displays ever to grace the back of a Qantas economy seat, and bring the convenience of Bluetooth audio streaming to your own wireless earbuds or headphones.

More importantly, the design of these new economy class seats creates a little extra legroom around the knees, where it’s most often needed on long flights.

There’s also additional cushioning, both on the base of the seat and at the side bolsters, for a comfier ride.

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace describes the new seats as having “been specially created to maximise comfort and provide features that our customers want for international travel.”

Here’s what you need to know about Qantas’ next-gen international economy seat.

Qantas' new international economy seat will debut on the ultra-long range Airbus A350 fleet.

Behind Qantas’ new international economy seat

The seat is being supplied by Recaro, which produces around one in every three economy seats worldwide.

Dubbed the R3, it’s an evolution of the CL3710 model already flying on Qantas’ Boeing 787s.

Qantas has selected Recaro's R3 economy recliner as its future long-range economy seat.

The R3 is also the long-range sibling of the Recaro R2 found on Qantas’ Airbus A220 and A321XLR, as well as the forthcoming Boeing 737 overhaul.

Recaro's R2 is the short-medium range version of the R3.

Less squeeze around the knees

Let’s be honest: there’s only so much you can do with an economy seat to make it more comfortable, especially when it’s the airline rather than the seat manufacturer which dictates how much legroom each passenger has.

But Recaro’s extensive design expertise delivers little tweaks which make a difference on those long flights.

The R3 has been designed to give passengers a little more knee-room.

The tray table is elevated to sit and fold out well above knee-height (unless you’re exceptionally tall) – certainly for anybody of average height, and then some, you won’t feel hemmed in.

And long-haul comfort is often just as much about knee-room as legroom, so you get a bit more space to stretch out, even when the passenger in front of you reclines.

That’ll hold true at Qantas’ standard 32” pitch in economy on the likes of the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380, and it’ll be even comfier with the 33” pitch of the ultra-long range Project Sunrise A350-1000 jets.

Qantas' Project Sunrise A350s will have a 33" pitch in economy.

(For those new to the term, pitch is the distance between a specific point on one seat – such as the tip of the armrest – and the same point on the seat in front or behind.)

The bottom of the seat moves forward when you recline, to deliver more of a ‘cradling effect’, while the leading edge of the seat cushion reduces pressure on your legs; there’s also a custom-designed 6-way headrest that tilts upwards for added neck support. 

‘Screen and stream’

But most immediately noticeable in Qantas’ next-gen international economy seat will be the video screen.

At 13.3” on the diagonal, it’s upsized from the 12” screen of the Boeing 787 – and the pictures will be brighter and more detailed, as Qantas has opted for an ultra-HD 4K OLED screen.

Supplied by Panasonic Avionics, this touchscreen is the key passenger-facing component of the Astrova inflight entertainment platform.

Panasonic's Astrova system brings a bigger, brighter screen to economy class.

Panasonic cites the Astrova’s “infinite contrast ratio and perfect blacks”, with brightness and colour optimised on a scene-by-scene basis.

High-fidelity ‘spatial audio’ can be streamed to the passenger’s own Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, while every seat has a USB-C socket capable of up to 100W output for fast-charging phones, tablets and even laptops. 

Qantas' new economy seats also feature a 'device holder' stand for tablets and phones.

All Qantas jets featuring these new international economy seats will also be fitted with fast free Wi-Fi capable of streaming video and music at 40,000 feet. 

When we’ll see Qantas’ new international economy seat

Qantas will debut its next-generation international economy seat later this year as part of its  Airbus A330 upgrade program.

It will then appear on the Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long Range) jets tasked with launching non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York from 2027.

They’re also expected to grace an additional 24 factory-fresh Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 jets intended to “progressively replace” Qantas’ ageing international A330s, beginning in 2028.

Also read: Here is Qantas’ next-gen A350 premium economy seat