Premium #321 – On the LEVEL? |

The airline branding needs work Seating does not compare favorably with Norwegian Cabin crew costs look like being a problem for an LCC IAG’s launch of LEVEL, it new low-fare carrier, is an interesting study in competitive dynamics. Clearly, judging from the unimpressive aircraft livery, LEVEL was apparently launched in a hurry as a counter to Norwegian, which is introducing trans-Atlantic services from Barcelona this summer. LEVEL is IAG’s low-cost long-haul carrier and will utilize A330-200 aircraft configured with 293 economy seats with a 30-inch pitch in 2-4-2 configuration, and 21 premium economy seats with a 37-inch pitch in a 2-3-2 configuration. 314 seats on an A330-200 is a very tight cabin. By contrast, Norwegian’s premium class offers 46” seat pitch on their Boeing 787s. Initial routes from Barcelona suggest that LEVEL will be fed by IAG’s short-haul LCC, Vueling, which has a strong route structure with 117 destinations from that airport. IAG is operating LEVEL flights using Iberia crews, and IB flight numbers in reservation systems. We expect LEVEL to hire its own crews, at lower rates, if it is to remain competitive in the very near future. Level will have 6 fare types -- Level, Basic, Optimal, Flexible, Premium Economy and Flexible Premium Economy. Each will offer different amenities, including seat selection, meals, avios frequent flyer miles, ticket changes, and priority boarding. WiFi will be available for a fee, but fast track and lounge access will not be available. Interestingly, the initial services to Los Angeles and Oakland will start about a week before Norwegian begins its transatlantic services from Barcelona in June, and the timing doesn’t appear to be coincidental. Fares to the US west coast begin at a competitive €199 each way, with the standard LCC charges for anything extra. While LEVEL is starting operations in Barcelona, IAG’s chairman, Willie Walsh, made it clear that the new carrier would expand to several airports. Speculation is that for Vueling feed, Rome Fiumicino and Paris Orly may be the next cities at which IAG may want to “LEVEL” the playing field. While we wish them well, there are several things that stand out to us as potentially problematic. First, the use of Iberia crews is too expensive for an LCC, and this will need to change. Second, the seat pitch is worse than the competition at Norwegian, and the layout of the A330-200 with 314 seats seems rather uncomfortable for 12-13 hour flights. Third, the initial scheduling to beat Norwegian’s launch from BCN to LAX and OAK seems somewhat contrived. Fourth, the aircraft livery is just plain ugly. LEVEL looks to the author like a response quickly put together as a competitive response that isn’t well thought out.

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