Is Premium Economy the happy and cheaper medium between economy and business?

Introduction

On my flight to London, I was able to pay 175 dollars more to upgrade to Premium Economy. I was quite excited by this as 175 dollars for 8 hours of more comfort, better food, etc. sounded great, but was it that great? Would I pay much more than that in the future, or save money and sit in regular economy or splurge for business class? Let’s find out!

Is Premium Economy the same as Economy Plus?

Absolutely not! Most airlines these days domestic or international offer an equivalent to Economy Plus. While the experience can slightly vary by airline Economy plus offers the same experience as regular Economy except passengers get extra leg room. Food, Cabin, Service are all the same. I think Economy Plus passengers can board before a few others, but that is it.

Premium Economy is only (usually) offered on overseas flights. It is its own cabin, with different class of service, different seats, priority boarding and check in and other amenities. I think in theory that is worth more money, but let’s put it to the test. On the way to London, I flew American Airlines Premium Economy and, on the way, home I flew American Airlines Economy Plus. Let’s compare!

At the Airport

I did not check luggage and was able to check in via mobile app which made checking in at the airport unnecessary. However Premium Economy would allow me to check in at the business class counter and use the priority lane at security. In theory that is worth something but thanks to my American Airlines status and Executive Citi Card I also would get that on my flight home.

Verdict: Premium Economy wins for those without status or the right credit card

Lounge

Neither Premium Economy nor Economy Plus gets me access to the lounge. However, my status and credit card do! You all know about my love for the Cathay Pacific lounge (NOODLE BAR!) that I accessed with my status.

Verdict: Push

Seat

Think of the Premium Economy seat as the same as the domestic first-class seat. So, it is nice, BUT it does not turn into a flat seat. The leg room was good, but honestly not any better than Economy plus. But the seat itself was significantly more comfortable. Certainly, for an overnight flight it was lovely, but I did not sleep very much.

Verdict Premium Economy

Food

The food is marginally better in Premium Economy, and it is very nice that it is served on glassware and plates. It makes it a much more pleasant experience, but the actual food was only marginally better.

Verdict: Premium Economy, but more for the platers and glassware

Service

The flight attendants in Premium Economy are the same as regular economy or economy plus. My attendants were much nicer and more proactive on the way home when I was in economy plus

Verdict Push

Amenities

You do get an Amenity bag in Premium Economy. This included a tooth brush, moisturizer, sleeping mask and noise cancellation headsets. You also received Casper branded pillows and blankets. These were all very similar to business class amenities. In Economy Plus all I got was a cheap airline pillow and blanket.

Verdict: Easily Premium Economy

Overall

As you are probably noticing, Premium Economy is a little better than Economy Plus and as a result I do believe it’s worth a little more than Economy Plus. I would say based on my unscientific measurement; Premium Economy’s biggest win is the seat. It is dramatically more comfortable and wider than Economy Plus. The amenities were also very nice making the long flight more comfortable. The food while being slightly better is not worth the additional charge. In my humble opinion for a red eye flight, it is worth 50 dollars more per hour (175 total was a steal as my flight was 7 hours) and maybe 10 dollars more per hour for a day flight. I would not break the bank cash or points wise for Premium Economy. Either go big with business or stay home (much better choice than flying economy!), just kidding, or save money/points and fly economy.

Thankfully my next several European flights are in Business class, so this horror story is over!

Bon Voyage!

Andrew