Qantas’ massive change to economy seating
For once, it’s economy rather than business class passengers who will see the benefits...
By David Flynn, March 23 2025
Economy class passengers on Qantas flights to Asia can look forward to new-design economy seats which will not only be more comfortable but will redefine the inflight video experience and offer fast free WiFi.
The airline is embarking on a multi-million dollar upgrade of ten international Airbus A330-200 jets seen on key routes into Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
But here’s a shock: the focus is on the 200+ economy seats, rather than the 28 business class flatbeds where high flyers are already cossetted.
Those worn old economy seats are being replaced by all-new recliners.
And they’re the same economy seats that will feature on non-stop Qantas flights from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London, set to take wing in 2026.
Qantas' new A330 economy class seats.
That makes these new Qantas A330–economy seats built with long-haul comfort in mind, including:
- thick sculpted side-bolsters
- lumbar support for the lower back
- a six-way adjustable headrest
- additional space from your knee to the seat in front
Each seat will be fitted with a super-sharp 4K HD 13.3” touchscreen (20% larger than the current display) with advanced OLED technology.
And in a first for Qantas, the screens will allow Bluetooth pairing with a passenger’s own headphones or earbuds.
That’s a boon for travellers who have invested in quality noise-cancelling models which can shut out the thrum of the engines and general cabin noise so the audio of that inflight movie or TV show comes through loud and clear.
Qantas' new A330 economy class seats.
Each of the new Qantas A330 economy seats also comes with a high-power USB-C port capable of fast-charging phones and tablets, plus a fold-down device holder for tablets and smartphones.
And as we’ve recently reported, these same Airbus A330-200 jets are also being fitted with free satellite WIFi, so that travellers can choose to remain connected above the clouds throughout their journey.
Other key elements of the A330 cabin upgrade program include new mood lighting and the replacement of all curtains and carpets.
Qantas' new A330 economy class seats.
Meanwhile, at the front of the A330 – well, nothing changes.
Passengers will find the same business class seats that debuted in 2014, which lack those modern economy-bound niceties such as the USB-C and Bluetooth audio streaming.
Qantas' A330 business class seats.
All the same, these spacious Business Suites – an evolved version of which appears on the Boeing 787 and upgraded Airbus A380s – remain comfortable in their own right and highly competitive on Australia’s transcontinental east-west routes, since Virgin Australia axed its own A330 jets.
Qantas' A330 business class seats.
“We’ve used our fleet renewal program to completely rethink the inflight experience and these cabin upgrades mean we can bring next-generation features and designs to our existing aircraft,” says Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace.
“Customers can look forward to brand new economy seats that have been specially created to maximise comfort and provide features that our customers want for international travel.”
Work on the first A330 is expected to start in mid-2025 in Qantas’ Brisbane maintenance facility, with the first refurbished aircraft taking wing by the end of the calendar year; the refit program is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
