Review of premium econonomy aboard Neos: important not to choose the wrong place
After the experience aboard Neos' economy Extra Plus from Milan to New York, two days later I took the [...]
Neos Air
MXP
United States of America
After the experience aboard Neos' economy Extra Plus from Milan to New York, two days later I took the same plane to travel in the opposite direction, but this time sitting in the best seat on board, since the Alpitour-owned company does not offer business class.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- B787/9
- Class:
- Premium Economy
- Treat:
- JFK - MXP
- Price:
- 450€
- Book
It was simply not the same model of aircraft, this would be normal given that NO only has a fleet of 787/9, but was the very same car, EI-NUA "Las Americas.", and not to be outdone This time, too, the flight was delayed. En plein: just under 3 hours lost on the outward journey and two on the return, definitely the least reliable company I have traveled on in recent years.
Last year I took 146 flights and accumulated a total of 25 h of delays, but as many as 9 had been caused by bad weather. With Neos, in two flights, I'm almost five hours away.
At the airport
Also this time I have not received any communication from Neos regarding the delay and so when around 2:30 p.m. I arrived at T1 at JFK, I found out that the departure from 5 p.m. had moved to 7 p.m.
The check-in counters were virtually deserted, but there was no dedicated lane for those traveling in Premium Economy, yet it says on the website that, in Neos' PE benefits, there is, among other things, a dedicated check-in area.
Having obtained my boarding pass, I headed for the security checkpoint. I didn't take the regular lane, but took advantage of the outside Priority Pass lounge, which has a fast track inside that blows up the whole queue and provides lounge attendants as "butlers," who handle bags, computers and everything else.
On my boarding pass, by hand, the check-in clerk wrote "Air France Lounge," and I was really surprised at the choice. I expected to end up in the [missing complement], and instead you have access to the best lounge in T1, a lounge that ITA passengers no longer access.
I really appreciated the fact that Neos chose to Hosting its premium passengers in the Air France lounge.. Sure, a major expense for the company, but certainly among the best options, if not the best, in T1 at JFK.
The boarding procedures were conducted flawlessly: well-marked lanes, properly routed passengers, also because Italians will probably learn to board in zones only when teleportation is invented.
Also on board the 787/9, the same one that had operated the outbound flight, was the same crew. Because NO does not have a daily off-season flight over NY, pilots and attendants have a very long layover in the Big Apple, which is not the case when a route is daily and, after the law stop, it is straight home.
The booth
Neos' premium economy is very smaller than Norse's, which--I remind you--uses the same planes (they are both former Norwegian) and are the same ones that also fly wetlease for Alpitour's company.
Dividing PE from the economy there is no galley, only a bulkhead: this means that there is no sound insulation, even though the first part of the cabin is sold as adults only. There are 4 rows, with a 2-3-2 configuration, while traditional economy is 3-3-3. I had chosen the 4A chair, the only one available on the window side, unfortunately, however, also the one closest to the bulkhead.
This was not my first time on such a configuration; I had flown on Norse and Scoot before. The first flies from Rome to New York and Los Angeles, as well as from many European cities. The second is. the low-cost carrier owned by Singapore Airlines and flies from Athens and Zurich to Singapore.
The chair
As mentioned, it was not an unknown product or even a new one. Let's say it's version 1.0 of Premium Economy: today all carriers, given the success of this cabin, have or are offering a much more comfortable product and accessorized.
Comfortable seat, but with "serious" flaws that show the years of this product. The IFE screen and coffee table are hidden in the armrests: this means that much space is "wasted" to accommodate these two objects. Today, however, they are positioned frontally, allowing manufacturers to offer significantly wider and more comfortable seating.
Tilt and leg support are controlled by two buttons inserted in the armrest. There is plenty of leg room.
Also convenient is the foot stand, which can be extended at will using the foot stand button. Fairly sized coffee table and stiff enough to eat or work without problems.
What I don't like about this booth
There are basically three shortcomings.
If you don't sit in row 4, the chair also has a generous tilt. Of course, getting up if the passenger in front of you is asleep is practically impossible, but it is a condemnation of all these cabins where the chair is not inserted into a fixed shell, as precisely the more modern PEs are.
The IFE controller and the management of the electronic part of the seat (light button, crew call) are embedded in the inner wall of the seat, which means, If you move with your leg, you risk changing channels or calling the crew. This happened to me four times during the flight.
The biggest flaw is that the holder where the seat belt attaches protrudes, and in a seat that is not too wide, for a passenger with a little bit of a belly is equivalent to having a spike planted in the side.
Service
On board, there was already a pillow and cover on the seat, the same ones given to Economy Extra passengers.
A small amenity kit is then distributed, of higher quality than what is offered to those traveling in Y Extra +. This is also very appreciable, compared instead to ITA, which offers nothing to those who choose this cabin, and to Norse or Scoot, which instead sell it on demand.
Missing, however, are details, such as the fact that the hot cloth is served after the salty snack Pre-departure and not before.
Of course, the fact that the "bed" product is the same as the Y leaves one with the feeling of being on a less premium cabin.
Food & Beverage
A small aperitif was served posttakeoff.
Next, the dinner service began. Again, I do not understand: in economy is given the menu explaining what is served, here there is not, and the choices are "explained" verbally by the crew, with no opportunity to know, in detail, the ingredients of the dishes offered. OK, it's not a matter of allergies or intolerances, but if I don't like mushrooms or have a problem with Brussels sprouts I'd like to know before I find sauce covering my plate.
Service is done well, by the plate and not by the tray, as many well-known carriers (e.g. Emirates) do in business as well, and the feeling is that it is taken care of. A first appetizer served with warm bread, a glass of glass, and the usual gadgets. Salmon with some salad, good.
Among the three options for the main course-between the same economy lasagna and fish-I opted for the meat with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Fortunately the sauce was on the side, too bad only that the aluminum container in the dish really clashed. In any case, good product.
Finally, dessert: a chocolate truffle.
Just before landing, breakfast is served: better than what ITA offers, but worse than Norse. There is no choice and nothing hot.
Of course, even in premium economy, no drinks are offered, which happens to all passengers regardless of where they are seated.
IFE
The content is the same for everyone, and I must say that one is not bored. Sure, there are not the novelties found elsewhere, but this is probably a chapter where NO saves a few euros per passenger by focusing on less fresh content.
The screen, as mentioned, comes out of the armrest: it is bright, but it does not have a resolution of the most modern. The interface is the same and it's not that it's very modern either, but in the end the important thing is to be able to use it without going crazy.
All passengers are offered a Wi-Fi voucher, which is also a great gesture by the company.
Worst nightmare. The chair does not recline
Then we come to the worst thing about this Premium Economy cabin: the fact that if you travel in row 4, you will not be able to recline the seat except for a few degrees.
The reason is simple: the bulkhead blocks the backrest, and this is a very unseemly thing for a premium economy product. Not only in the choice phase post the Neos site does not say that, but more importantly it is unfair behavior on the part of the company, which sells this session knowing full well that it is inferior to the others.
Because the bulkheads are slightly staggered, the three middle seats in row 4 have even less of a slant-a truly reprehensible thing.
The arrival not on the finger
Of course for an avgeek like me it is a plus, not a minus. However, we arrived almost 60 minutes late., we had to wait for the bus and all the passengers were loaded onto two vehicles, no regard for those traveling in PE, and having to wait for everyone to get off the plane added another 20 minutes of "delay." Too bad I had jammed an appointment in downtown Milan and had to cancel.
In conclusion
The feeling in PE, as in economy, is one of "I wish I could but I can't." Unqualified certainly to sell a "premium" seat that does not recline. Great service, so-so food offerings and content and quality of entertainment.
Pro
- The staff
Against
- The chair does not recline