What are the Differences between Economy and Premium Economy?

Back in the day, booking a seat on a flight seemed easy. It was all about picking the one that seemed best. Today, as airlines fight for supremacy, you get tons of options to choose from, which can be rather confusing. Economy and premium economy are some of the most common choices that are presented to you. Even though they sound similar, there are some differences between them in terms of seating space, checking in and pricing.

Before we get into the differences between these classes, let’s take a look at what they really are:

Economy vs. Premium Economy

At its core, premium economy is a gap-filling strategy between economy and business class. However, it must be noted that premium economy is not a lighter version of business class. Rather, it is a slightly upgraded version of economy class. Hence, don’t expect exquisite meals and fantastic service. It’s just like economy but, with a few more tweaks.

With that being said, premium economy definitely contributes to a more comfortable journey. Below, we will be highlighting the key differences between economy and premium economy in terms of boarding, seats, cabins, meals and more.

History of Premium Economy

The concept of premium economy is fairly recent. As the heated rivalry between airlines grew, EVA Air (a Taiwanese airline) came up with a premium economy cabin known as ‘evergreen class’. This was around 1991 and the trend was soon replicated by others.

Virgin Atlantic soon followed suit and introduced its own version of the premium economy class. With the number of flyers increasing in each decade, there was a strong need to de-clutter the overburdened economy class

At present, every airline has adopted the strategy of having a premium economy class. Big airlines like Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, American Airlines, Etihad and Emirates all follow this concept.

The Differences Explained

Checking in and boarding

Most airlines have a priority check-in service for their premium economy passengers. Additionally, they also have more baggage allowance compared to regular economy passengers. For instance, you get to take two checked bags which can weigh 50 lbs. each in premium economy. Some airlines even have a priority tagging system so that your luggage is disembarked faster than regular passengers.

Moreover, as a premium economy passenger, you get to board earlier thanks to a priority boarding system. But, remember, economy passengers will be boarding the aircraft using the same gate as their premium counterparts. Hence, be prepared to witness a big queue of passengers rushing towards their seats in economy.

Lounge access

Almost none of the airlines provide any lounge access to economy and premium economy passengers. As we mentioned before, premium economy is just an upscale version of the economy and you shouldn’t expect it to be closer to the business class experience

But, there are some exceptions like Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA). They provide premium economy flyers access to their business class lounge. These airlines don’t offer much discount or sales promotions, though. Hence, their premium economy tickets are rather expensive.

Seat spacing and cabin

The biggest difference between the two classes is the seating arrangements. Premium economy seats are usually wider, with fewer seats per row as compared to the economy. Plus, these seats have an additional four to five inches of legroom with reclining facilities. However, they don’t recline to an angled flat position like those fancy business class seats.

As for the cabins, the premium ones are smaller than the regular economy. Typically, you can expect four to five rows of premium economy seats, which contribute to a cozy, intimate experience. In comparison, regular economy will have many rows with little comfort.

Amenities

The pillows, blankets and headphones (with noise cancellation) provided in premium economy are of better quality than the economy ones. The latter class usually features inferior quality of amenities. Furthermore, premium economy passengers are also given a superior quality of hygiene kits, toiletries and sleeping masks.

Entertainment options

Apart from a slightly bigger entertainment screen, there isn’t much difference between premium economy in airlines and regular economy. The range of games, movies and TV shows are exactly the same in both classes.

On some airlines, premium economy passengers may get free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. These are nice perks to have, which are completely absent from the standard economy class.

Food and drinks

Similar food but served differently. Yes, that is the only difference in food between both classes. Although premium economy should boast better food, they just serve the same thing in better plates and containers.

As for beverages, it does get better in premium economy. You will receive water, juice or prosecco right after boarding. Some airlines even provide champagne during mealtime. These are nice added bonuses that you won’t get in the standard economy class.

Service and staff

The premium economy cabins generally have a dedicated staff for catering to your needs. In some cases, the cabin crew is the same for both classes. But, they will obviously start serving from premium economy before moving on to the regular passengers.

Whatever the arrangement may be, you will definitely receive your meals faster compared to economy class. On some airlines, you might even get a personalized approach from the premium economy staff!

Mileage earned

As you’ve guessed by now, you will indeed earn more points or mileage in premium economy. In most cases, 100% of miles flown are awarded, while the regular economy passengers only receive 50% miles flown.

Even when you buy discounted tickets, you still earn most of your miles flown in the premium economy class. This makes it much easier to trade in your miles flown for future economy, premium economy or business class tickets.

Pricing Structure

Airfare

The pricing plans for both economy and premium economy will vary across different airlines. On average, you can expect to pay around 30% more for premium economy. However, during peak seasons, the same ticket might cost you double the price of a regular economy ticket. Airlines set prices according to supply and demand so there is no set formula as to what you will be paying.

One positive is that premium economy is about 65% less expensive than business class tickets. Hence, you can buy a bit more comfort than regular economy, while remaining within a budget.

Moreover, premium economy offers the best value when flying shorter domestic routes. But, in most cases, this means that you get an economy seat at the front of the plane, with no one sitting in the middle seat. Hence, many of the amenities of the international premium economy class are missing in domestic routes.

Upgrade options

Many airlines will try to motivate potential passengers into paying more for premium seats, prior to giving them out for free. Most of the time, you will find discounted deals (on a first come, first serve basis) at the gate for premium economy seats. That’s a good time to cash in.

As for free upgrades, passengers with status will get preference. Well-known flyers have a higher chance of getting them before new passengers do.

Redeeming mileage

Just like economy and business class, airlines will allow you to redeem miles to get premium economy tickets. Previously, some airlines did not allow it but, this has changed.

You should definitely check the value of redeemed premium economy tickets. In some cases, you might be able to redeem a business class ticket with 30 - 50% more miles. It’s better to save up for a business class seat in the future.

Final Verdict

Overall, premium economy is slightly more advantageous than economy. One thing’s for sure is that you will definitely have a better experience in premium economy in terms of seating space and miles earned. Plus, you will also enjoy priority boarding with more luggage allowance.

In terms of the food served and the entertainment options, both economy and premium economy are mostly the same. Also, both classes share the same lavatory in most airlines, so don’t expect special service in this regard.

Only choose to fly premium economy if you are willing to pay 30% more than regular economy. However, don’t expect an experience that resembles business class. Airlines have a tendency to market tickets differently, so make sure to check the names and pricing before hopping on board.

We hope this has been an informative read!