Book premium economy with this airline – it’s the closest you can get to business class

We’ve all ordered the second-cheapest bottle of wine on the menu, but what about the second-cheapest cabin on the aircraft: premium economy? Is it worth the 50 to 100 per cent bump on economy fares?

The world’s largest airlines would like us to think so. They’re installing bigger, better cabins faster than you can say “upgrade”. The number of premium economy seats on all airlines on an annual basis is projected to treble from 4,000 in 2021 to 11,145 next year, aviation analysts Counterpoint say. 

But, at first glance, the argument for upgrading is not so convincing. Take a look at the cabin. You certainly don’t get 50-100 per cent more space. The seats are only a few inches bigger – although the legroom is 5-6” greater and the seats come with calf- or footrests or both and double arm rests.

The cost per square inch calculation changes, however, if you are travelling in a pair. Grab the window and aisle seat pair and you and your companion have your own row. Almost all economy window and aisle row seats on long-haul jets come in sets of three while premium is 2-4-2 or 2-3-2. 

Snag the front row and no-one can recline their seat into your face and you can get up to stretch your legs or go to the loo without disturbing your companion. Throw in the fact that some premium cabins have as few as 20-odd seats, compared with the 200-plus in economy, and the price bump suddenly appears to be much better value. 

Things get better when you consider the other perks. Most airlines allow premium economy passengers to check in using a dedicated line and to board just after business-class passengers. Baggage allowance is also more generous. 

Now that you’re sitting comfortably, what’s next? The clue’s in the name. Economy. Airlines don’t want to offer a business class-style in-flight service lest too many high-paying business class passengers opt to downgrade. Business-class cabins may make up only one third of the space on a long-haul aircraft but they generate up to 70 per cent of the profits. 

That said, service is improving. Singapore Airlines and Japan’s ANA now offer champagne and the wines on Emirates are as good as business class on some other carriers. All airlines are offering better food and drink, usually served in china crockery and glassware, not plastic. You will be also served more quickly than in economy because the cabin is smaller.

The amenities tend to be basic. You’ll get earplugs, a toothbrush, a flimsy eye shade, a slightly less cheap-feeling blanket and pillow than in economy, and headphones that cancel noise – a bit. You are better off taking your own kit. For overnight flights, I recommend sculpted foam eye shades which enable you to blink easily, Hearos earplugs, and eucalyptus oil nose drops to ward off colds. Melatonin tablets help you to nod off and Elemis instant refreshing gel wakes you up in the morning. And, not sexy I know, but compression socks do help prevent blood clots. 

Boarding and getting off is quicker and easier since the premium economy cabin is in front of economy. Emirates leads here because its premium economy cabin is at the front of the lower deck of the Airbus A380 so you can use the front left-hand door. All other passengers on the lower deck use the middle door. 

The similarities between carriers generally outweigh the differences but there are distinctions which might help you make a choice. Emirates has the snazziest cabin, with cream leather and wood veneer, and it is staffed by a team of cabin crew dedicated to premium economy passengers. On the A380, it offers the best loo-to-passenger ratio – a generous three bathrooms for 56 passengers. The Dubai-based carrier currently has 27 A380s with a premium economy cabin that serve routes between Dubai and London Heathrow, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Singapore, Los Angeles, New York/JFK, Houston, San Francisco, Mumbai, Bengaluru, São Paolo and Tokyo Narita.

Virgin Atlantic calls premium economy Premium, which is way better than British Airways’ word salad of World Traveller Plus. Virgin’s leather seats, softer lighting and more attentive service make its Premium feel more, well, premium than BA’s. On Virgin’s new A330Neo jet the seats have wireless phone charging and there is a self serve snack bar called the Wonderwall.

BA points out that members of its Executive Club loyalty programme earn generous tier points in World Traveller Plus, so it is a good cabin to book if you want to move up from Bronze status to Silver or Gold. On a return flight from London to New York JFK, the lowest premium economy ticket earns you 140 more tier points than the lowest economy ticket.

Qantas’ is raising the bar on its new Airbus A350 jets, which will soon start flying the 20 hours non-stop from London and New York to Sydney and Melbourne. The 40-inch pitch (the measure of leg room) is two inches more than Qantas’s current premium economy and the same offered by Emirates, currently the class leader. There’s more privacy, too. “We’re redesigning the head rest to create a more pronounced wingback chair to give more visual seclusion, which is great if you’re travelling alone,” says Qantas’s designer David Caon. Caon is also refining “a new special pillow that integrates with the headrest and becomes part of the seat.”

The new seat will aid sleep. “You get a better recline, less because the seat back goes back more, and more because the bottom of the seat tracks forward and juts up, that gives you more of a ‘slung’ position. Combined with the footrest, it’s more like the old cradle seats that airlines used to have in business class,” Caon says.  

ANA, meanwhile, is the only airline to offer premium economy passengers lounge access and drinks from the business class menu on board. 

Singapore Airlines’ passengers can use its popular ‘Book the Cook’ service to pre-order meals, but be careful: if you pre-order a meal, it’s hard to swap seats if you spot a better one that is free, since your meal is allocated to your seat. On its Airbus A350 jets from the Lion City to New York, it also offers six coveted single window seats at the rear of the plane. There is a new Out of the Woods amenity kit on flights longer than seven hours. (It is not clear why it has this name). 

Lufthansa’s premium-economy seats are in the same cabin as economy, which betrays a complete misunderstanding of the class system at 39,000ft. All the cabins on the major American carriers have leather seats – but somehow manage to look cheap. 

What’s the bottom line? Premium economy is not as good value as business class since, pound for pound, you get more space and more perks in business over premium economy than you do in premium economy over economy. But choose the right carrier for your needs and snag the best seats and it can be money very well spent indeed.

Premium perks 

Virgin Atlantic: best for hungry fliers

Generous service complemented by the best pantry full of snacks and drinks that you can raid at any time. You can also use the fast-track security when leaving New York’s JFK. 

British Airways: best for night flights

A generous eight-inch seat recline makes BA a good bet for night flights. Book the A380 and you’ll be sitting upstairs so you can, in effect, look down on economy passengers. (It’s the little things…) 

Emirates: closest to business class

The nearest you’ll get to business class with a plush cabin, three bathrooms, class-leading food and wine. I recommend the Thai pepper beef with jasmine rice, with  a glass or two of the Château d’Aiguilhe, Côtes de Castillon 2012, St Emilion.

ANA: best for lounge access

The Japanese carrier is the only one to offer lounge access and drinks from the business-class menu.  

Singapore Airlines: best for comfort

The best seats on any carrier, provided you’re on the mammoth, 19-hour trek from Singapore to New York. There are six solo window seats at the back of the Airbus A350-900ULR that it uses for this, the world’s longest flight, with their own storage bins between each seat and the window.

Qantas: best for heading Down Under

The best value and comfort to Australia is premium economy on Qantas’s Boeing 787 direct flight from London to Perth – and soon on direct flights from London and New York to Sydney and Melbourne. After all, who wants to spend up to 20 hours in economy?

Finnair: best value for Asia

With an elegant cabin of only 21 seats on its long-haul Airbus A330s and 24 on its Airbus A350s, Finland’s flag carrier offers a smaller cabin than most carriers and is often better value than BA on routes to Asia, but you will have to change planes in Helsinki.   

This article was first published in February 2023 and has been revised and updated.