Expedia to add ratings for flight cabins

Air New Zealand’s Space Seat, wooing passengers

A Garuda Indonesia A330-300 flight at 5.45pm scored 8.7, its rating helped no doubt by the US$248 fare, more than US$200 cheaper than three Singapore Airlines B777-300 flights to Jakarta, which also rated 8.7.

Routehappy, a company that scores in-flight experience, has partnered with Expedia, giving the online travel agency access to Routehappy’s content. 

Expedia brands will be able to integrate Routehappy’s data so customers can filter results by seat, amenities and trip duration. 

In total, Routehappy pulls data from Aircraft Type, Seats, Entertainment, Power, Wi-Fi and Fresh Food to output its “Happiness Factor,” and by searching for flights on their website, it’s possible for consumers to see and filter through the itineraries Routehappy considers most comfortable.

We tested Routehappy, entering a Singapore Changi to Jakarta route, flying November 15.

A Garuda Indonesia A330-300 flight at 5.45pm scored 8.7, its rating helped no doubt by the US$248 fare, more than US$200 cheaper than three Singapore Airlines B777-300 flights to Jakarta, which also rated 8.7.

Malaysia Airlines scored a Happiness factor of just 3.0 for its B737-800 flight to Jakarta via Kuala Lumpur. A 30-inch seat pitch (compared to SQ's 32-inch seat pitch), could lead to an uncomfortable flight, according to Routehappy.