Qantas is not shying away from the fact that 22 hours on a flight is a long time, so the national airline has made some modifications to its cabins and seats to ensure that passengers feel comfortable throughout the direct journey from Sydney and Melbourne to New York, London and Paris launching mid-2026. 

You can read all about its new look First and Business class here, as well as what to expect from Economy here, but we’ve gotten a closer look at what its Premium Economy offering will look like when the game-changing flight launches. 

The new-look seat features a generous 40” seat pitch, which is the airline’s most spacious Premium Economy seat to date and will allow for more leg room. There’s also an ergonomic calf rest that allows full leg cradling in recline that aims to better help passengers sleep.  

Three dedicated amenity and personal storage pockets have also been added to the seat design to ensure guests have plenty of space to put their personal belongings without crowding seat space. The seat configuration within the cabin will be 2-4-2, which will make the window seats hot property. 

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Another feature of note is the new 8” adjustable headrest that will provide additional comfort to passengers as well as a sense of privacy, isolating themselves from people seated beside them. 

In regards to tech, each seatback is fitted with a 13.3” entertainment touchscreen with Bluetooth audio connectivity (so you can easily connect to your own headphones) as well as two fast charging USB-C outlets to ensure your devices stay connected throughout the flight and are fully charged when you touch down in your destination. The tray table also has a groove in it to support your own devices so you can watch them hands free. 

As 22 hours is a decent chunk to remain offline, Qantas will provide fast and free wifi throughout the duration of the flight to every passenger. 

Premium economy passengers will also have close access to the Wellbeing Zone, which is a space between Premium Economy and Economy cabins that allows up to eight passengers (four per side) to lean against the cushioned wall and follow a guided video to stretch out tired joints and encourage circulation in the body. 

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