When Qantas’ first two new 200-seat Airbus A321XLRs entered revenue service in September, some folks’ initial impressions were less than favorable due to the miserly passenger-to-toilet ratio in economy class, with one lavatory allocated for every 90 passengers in coach, and a third for the 20 passengers seated up front.

The airline was quick to provide clarity, explaining to Guardian Australia on the socials that: “All 48 of the A321XLRs we have on order will have four toilets (three in economy and one in Business). When we first ordered the A321XLRs in 2022, the aircraft were planned to have the same number of toilets as the 737 it was replacing, which have three toilets. We later made a decision to add another toilet (which involves removing three seats) to all aircraft following feedback from customers and crew.

“The first three aircraft to join our fleet will initially have three toilets, as the layout was already locked in for the manufacturing process. We are adding an extra toilet to these three aircraft within a few years. The first aircraft to arrive with four toilets is due in December this year. All future A321 deliveries will have the same layout.”

Now, Qantas has announced plans to offer even more comfort options on the A321XLR twinjets, and indeed on its Airbus A220s and Boeing 737s, with the introduction in February 2026 of a new ‘Qantas Economy Plus’ product that will feature extra-legroom seating plus priority boarding and priority access to overhead bin space for baggage.

Thirty-six Qantas Economy Plus seats will be offered on the A321XLRs, forty-eight on the 737s and twenty on the A220s, which serve Qantas’ domestic network as well as to New Zealand and Pacific Islands.

To accommodate the new 737 layout, specifically, Qantas will need to remove seats on the 174-seat twinjet. “Our brand new A321XLR and A220 aircraft are being delivered with the extra legroom seating installed and we’ll be retrofitting it to our 737s from December,” the airline explains.

Naturally, the already-spacious exit row seats found on all three aircraft types and priced at a premium will be designated as Qantas Economy Plus, and continue to offer 38” of pitch.

The front row of each jet’s economy class will also be positioned as Qantas Economy Plus, with 51-52 inches of pitch offered on the 737 and a 39” pitch offered on both the A321XLR and A220. (Qantas frequent flyers know that Row 4 on the 737 — the first row of seats behind Business — is a sweet spot that offers loads of legroom and is usually reserved for top tier flyers.)

Seats designated as Qantas Economy Plus within the main cabins of all three aircraft types will be pitched at 34”, a full four inches more than the 30″-pitched standard economy seats. According to the renderings provided by Qantas, the Qantas Economy Plus seats will be embossed with Plus branding on the headrests.

Platinum members and above will receive complimentary access to Qantas Economy Plus when making their flight booking and Gold members will receive complimentary access at check-in, subject to availability, assures Qantas. Otherwise, pricing will be announced closer to the date.

There is already much discussion online about the new 737 configuration, as it will require the removal of seats. But your author confesses to being most curious about what the new LOPA (layout of passenger accommodations) will look like for the forthcoming new-delivery A321XLRs (number four and onwards) as these will have four lavatories on board (as opposed to the current three) and they’ll boast a total 18 Qantas Economy Plus main cabin seats pitched at 34” (on top of the 12 exit row seats and six seats in the front row of economy.)

Will the lav be positioned mid-cabin on the A321XLR, as accommodated by Airbus’ Flex Zone flexibility, thus reducing the queue for lavatories at the front and rear of the aircraft?

Of potential note, United Airlines trademarked Economy Plus (for its extra-legroom economy product) in the United States some twenty-five years ago, and according to the Australian Government’s trademark search engine, it later sought to trademark Economy Plus in Australia. The US major appears to have allowed the application to lapse but filed again in December 2023. Its latest request is now listed as ‘under examination.’

However it is positioned, Qantas’ decision to offer extra-legroom seating on its narrowbodies is a plus for passengers.

“This is an evolution of our economy offering and delivers more choice for our customers while recognising our most loyal frequent flyers with expanded benefits, in the areas we know they value the most,” says Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.

“We’re always looking for ways to enhance the onboard experience and maximise comfort for our customers. We believe this new seating product will be popular with our corporate and leisure travellers when it launches next year.”

In separate remarks discussing Qantas Group’s latest trading update, Hudson notes that the carrier is “on track for another successful half” with all segments continuing to perform well and mostly in line with previous guidance.

“Australians’ love of travel continued to drive strong leisure demand, with the resources sector and small and medium business travel also growing,” she says.

“Corporate travel continued to grow, although less than previously forecast. We are adjusting domestic capacity in the second half to match the demand profile we are seeing.”