What are the most important qualities that a plane used for long-haul flights should have? Two come to mind almost immediately: the plane should have a long range and a relaxing interior. After all, if you’re spending hours traveling from continent to continent, you’re going to want to be comfortable along the way. If a host of recent news coverage is any indication, Airbus’s A321XLR is fitting that bill very nicely.
The “XLR” in its name stands for “extra long range” — specifically, it can spend 11 hours in the air and travel up to 4,700 nautical miles. Airbus’s website touts its ability to travel from Paris to Vancouver, for instance. And airlines with high-profile international service are taking notice. Earlier this month, Qantas’s first A321XLR entered service; according to a recent article at The Manual, the airline will have six in service by next June, with orders in place for dozens more.
Qantas isn’t the only airline making increased use of this plane. Simple Flying reported that Iberia had recently begun international service using an A321XLR, and a recent article by Edward Russell at The Points Guy noted that Aer Lingus was also using the A321XLR to expand its long-haul service.
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We’ll see if some airline makes it a realityThe Points Guy’s analysis also gets to why the A321XLR is appealing to airlines: it’s a single-aisle plane where, according to one industry analyst, travelers don’t see a step down in quality from their experiences on larger planes. Russell covered the same plane in a CNN article earlier this year, which quoted representatives from a number of airlines emphasizing its blend of a longer range with a narrower body. That blend of comfort and performance can get you far — even, say, to a destination an ocean away.
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