- published: 07 Apr 2015
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Economy class, also called coach class, steerage, or standard class, (colloquially: Cattle class), is the lowest travel class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel. Historically, this travel class has been called tourist class on ocean liners and third class, or even fourth class, on railways. In some contexts or languages it is (half jokingly) referred to as "wood class" because seats and carriages in the cheapest class were literally made from wood in the 19th and early 20th century. Another common term (both in rail travel and aviation) is "coach class".
Travel classes originated from a distinction between "cabin class" and "steerage" on sailing vessels in the 18th century. Cabin class, for wealthier passengers included small cabins and a shared dining room while "steerage" provided open decks with bunks often near the tackle to operate the steering rudder, usually in converted cargo space on the "between decks" area where passengers from poorer backgrounds cooked their own meals.