The Best Premium Economy Class? We Compared 20 Airlines

Air France has two different types of premium economy seats. The seats in their Boeing planes do not recline in the conventional sense but instead slide forward. This can be a bonus, especially on a day-flight since you’re not disturbed by the person sitting in front of you. Tall passengers, however, have difficulties sleeping, as “reclining” leads to very limited leg room. The seats in Airbus A350 planes are better and are closer to the competition. Air France’s premium economy, however, has a major downside that has nothing to do with the seats: The cheapest fare includes 0 checked luggage to most destinations! Furthermore, the service and catering are often disappointing.

Austrian Airlines launched its premium economy product in the spring of 2018. It’s very similar to what Lufthansa offers. For instance, the identical type of seats is being used. The conclusion remains the same as with its sister airline from Germany: The seats are good, but the rest is nothing particularly special.

British Airways named its premium economy class product World Traveller Plus. The cabin with extra legroom and great food is available on flights from and to BA’s hub London Heathrow. The seats are fine, although not super adjustable. Furthermore, you get to check 2 x 23 kg of luggage.

Finnair is one of the latest airlines to offer a real premium economy. And yet, they’ve managed to come up with one of the most lackluster “premium” cabins. The seat is average, the food is nothing special, you barely have any benefits at the airport, and to top it all, you get 0 (zero!) free baggage.

Spain is known for its good food and wine. Iberia didn’t want to fall behind expectations here. Many flight reports comment on the excellent catering that Iberia offers to passengers flying in their premium economy. Furthermore, you get to check 2 x 23 kg of luggage and the seats are also not bad. So, overall a very solid product.

ITA’s premium economy class is offered on long-haul flights from and to Rome. An extra cabin with a maximum of 17 seats provides a nice and cosy atmosphere. 2 x 23 kg of luggage are included, and you’ll save some time at the airport by skipping the check-in line and being among the first to board the plane.

KLM has recently added a small premium economy cabin to most of its Boeing long-haul planes. The seats are among the best on the market, the service is good, and you also get SkyPriority services at the airport. However, there is a big downside to flying with KLM: Except on US flights, KLM’s premium economy includes no free luggage.

LOT’s premium economy seats look like they are 50 years old. Nevertheless, LOT does have a few advantages. The seats are very wide, the recline is fantastic, you enjoy all priority services at the airport (except lounge access), and you even get better service on the short-haul feeders. The recline however can also be a downside, as you’ll basically have the person in front of you on your lap (which is why reserving the bulkhead seats may be a wise decision). Another strange feature: The inflight entertainment screen is not on the back of the seat but has to be taken out of the armrest. Also, LOT has no wifi, not even for a charge.

Lufthansa offers a very good seat that’s available on long-haul flights from and to Frankfurt and Munich. The rest of the experience, however, is nothing special. At the airport you enjoy 0 (zero!) benefits as a premium economy passenger, and the food onboard is not exactly great either. At least you get to bring 2 x 23 kg of luggage.

SAS named their premium economy product that they operate on long-haul flights SAS Plus. The seats are not particularly wide but offer a nice footrest. Together with various premium services at the airport – especially in Europe where even lounge access is included – SAS put together a neat bundle. The fact that only 1 piece of luggage is included is below average but still acceptable.

Virgin Atlantic has similar seats to its SkyTeam partner Delta. If you’re flying to North America, Delta is often a slightly better choice. If, however, you intend to travel from London to a different destination, such as the Caribbean or Shanghai, Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy is a great choice. Furthermore, their planes have quite a large premium economy section, which often leads to good prices being offered. Virgin Atlantic, however, will not be an option to most Europeans outside the UK, as they lack a short-haul feeder network.

Air Canada offers a solid premium economy class product. Nevertheless, it lacks a stand-out feature. Everything is on a slightly above-average level, but neither the catering, the airport services, nor the seat are top-5 material. Still, if the price is good, there’s no reason not to book Air Canada’s premium economy.

American Airlines has almost the same seats as its US competitors United and Delta. What sets them a bit apart from the competition is their superior catering. Within the Oneworld alliance, American probably offers the best premium economy for transatlantic flights.

Delta’s seats are similar to those of United, American, and KLM. They are very comfortable and modern. But not only the seat is on a high level. Being able to pre-order food is quite rare in this travel class, as is access to fast lanes at the airport. Another positive is that they stuck to the 2 x 23 kg baggage allowance despite their European SkyTeam partners wanting to completely cut free luggage altogether.

United has a very good premium economy. At the airport, you’ll enjoy all premium services except for lounge access and you get to check 2 x 23 kg of luggage. Onboard, you get noise-cancelling headphones, a fantastic blanket, good service, and sit in a comfortable seat. Overall, United definitely offers one of the best premium economy experiences.

The Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific consistently gets ranked as one of the top airlines in the annual Skytrax report. So it’s not a big surprise that also their premium economy class product gets good reviews from passengers who travelled with them. While the soft product is excellent, the seats have become a bit outdated, which is why the airline is currently installing a newer generation of seats.

The seats that China Airlines installed in their premium economy class are among the best in our comparison. The tremendous overall impression is only clouded by the catering that seems to be subpar, according to flight reports.

While Singapore Airlines’ premium economy seats are nothing special (some may even say below-average), the excellent catering makes a massive difference to their economy class. If you’re into good service and food, they are an excellent choice. If the seat is your main concern, partner airlines like Lufthansa may be a better choice.

Air New Zealand’s premium economy class is definitely among the best, especially regarding the seat. The seat pitch is huge, offering you 105 cm to stretch your legs. But it’s not only the enormous seats that are among the best – the service and food are also quite excellent. It’s a shame that they don’t offer any flights to Europe anymore.

According to Business Insider Australia, Qantas’ premium economy class can compete with other airlines’ business class products. While we think that this statement is a long shot, Qantas’ premium cabin can be ranked among the very best when compared to other carriers.