5 reasons why upgrading to Premium Economy is not worth it

Summary

Comfortable seats with more padding, legroom and reclining functions make Premium Economy feel like First Class on domestic flights, but at a higher price.
Amenities such as Wi-Fi, meals and blankets are similar to those in the main cabin, making the cabin feel less exclusive than expected.
Inconsistent branding and offerings on different routes can cause confusion among passengers.

Premium economy is a booming seating market among airlines. This special cabin offers an upgraded experience compared to the standard main cabin, but is not as luxurious as first class or business class. While many travelers look for the most comfortable travel experience on long flights, premium economy is a sort of hybrid offering and is considered by many to be the cheaper alternative to sitting at the front of the plane. In fact, it has become so popular that most airlines with long-haul international flights have upgraded the interiors of their wide-body aircraft fleet to offer their version of premium economy.

Traditional airlines with Premium Economy

All three traditional US airlines – American Airlines Delta Air Lines and United Airlines – offer the class on select flights. Premium Economy is a class of its own and should not be confused with a subclass in the main cabin that offers more legroom. American offers Premium Economy on the Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, 787-8 Dreamliner and 787-9, while Main Cabin Extra is the subclass in the main cabin.

Delta Air Lines Premium Select (DPS) is installed on most of the airline’s widebody aircraft, including the Airbus A330-200, A330-300, A330-900neo, A350-900, 767-300ER and 767-400ER. The cabin is also branded on select 757-200 flights. Delta Comfort+ is the main cabin subclass. United Premium Plus is available on the Boeing 767-300ER, 767-400ER, 777-200ER, 777-300ER, 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10. The main cabin subclass is known as Economy Plus.

While Premium Economy offers some advantages, there are some elements that make it clear that upgrading or purchasing this class is sometimes not worth it.

1 Familiar seat

A first-class experience at home?

First and foremost, the seats in Premium Economy are more comfortable than the seats in Standard Economy:

They have more padding and are thicker
Some airlines offer more legroom and even footrests
More centimeters of inclination

Photo: Cathay Pacific

In addition to comfort, there is more space as the seats are often arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration, as opposed to a 3-3-3 configuration in the main cabin. Although these seats are spaced far apart, the experience is very similar to that of first class on domestic flights. In fact, many of the seats are the same product an airline would offer in first class on their narrow-body aircraft, reclining further than the standard seat. Yet airlines often charge a significantly higher amount for premium economy seats than for first class on domestic flights, despite the fact that they are a similar or exactly the same product.

Is First Class dying out or is it just being renamed?

The end of first class has been touted for some time, but is it true? Oman Air has announced a new business class suite to replace first class. The airline’s CEO cited declining demand for first class as the reason for the change. Several airlines have moved from three classes to two: business and economy. Some have kept three classes, replaced first class with business and introduced a premium economy cabin. Others, like SWISS, continue to offer a narrow-cabin first class suite.

I always have a problem when people say first class is dead. It’s not really. But it has been renamed. When I started working on aircraft cabins in the early 1990s, the first class seat consisted of a reclining chair, similar to what you now find in first class on domestic flights in the US and in many premium economy cabins around the world. Even when Air France and British Airways revolutionised first class flying in 2000 by introducing reclining seats,

2 Slightly upscale experience on board

Not exclusive to the class

Long-haul flights can quickly become uncomfortable, so airlines have introduced the Premium Economy experience. However, some of the amenities offered are similar to those in the main cabin, depending on the airline and aircraft. Many airlines advertise their Premium Economy offerings as including:

Wi-Fi and sockets
Chef-inspired dining with complimentary alcoholic beverages
Pillows and blankets

Photo: Benjamin Cooper | Easy flying

Wi-Fi is available in all cabins, so it is not an exclusive extra in Premium Economy. It is also usually available for purchase in all cabins. On long-haul flights, meals are served in every class. Free of charge alcoholic beverages are an upscale offer compared to the main cabin, but on American Airlines they are only intended “on flights with full beverage service”, And “The number of drinks served may be limited.” In addition, airlines typically provide light blankets, although pillows may not be available in the main cabin.

Interior view of the Premium Economy cabin of Emirates Airbus A380.

What are the advantages of Premium Economy cabins?

Major airlines such as Delta and Emirates are shifting their focus to premium economy cabins as travel resumes.

3 Minimal airport discounts

Nothing special for frequent flyers

With a Premium Economy ticket, airlines offer a handful of privileges on the ground, including:

Priority check-in
Priority boarding
Exclusive security checkpoints

A woman checks in at United Airlines' Premier Access counter

Photo: United Airlines

These benefits are minimal considering that they are not exclusive to Premium Economy Class Travelers can also receive many of these perks based on their frequent flyer status. With priority check-in, there is usually a designated line at the check-in counter or kiosk. However, the line is sometimes not recognized by infrequent flyers, leading to confusion or potentially an even longer line. Exclusive security lanes are not offered at every airport and often depend on the day and number of travelers going through security.

Should all first class tickets for domestic flights in the United States include lounge access?

Flying in premium cabins comes with many benefits, and not just on board the aircraft. Passengers with business and first class tickets can often take advantage of perks like priority check-in, expedited security screening, and of course, lounge access. One area of the airline industry where this doesn’t apply, however, is for US domestic first class ticket holders, as these fares generally don’t automatically come with lounge access. Instead, this is determined by frequent flyer status. While many first class passengers have sufficient status anyway, such a system seems unfair to those who don’t but may treat themselves to a one-off premium flight and therefore value lounge access more than the frequent flyers who get it every time. So I think all US domestic first class tickets should include some form of lounge access, but what about you? Let us know in the comments!

4 Inconsistent offers

Depending on the aircraft and route

Although Premium Economy is considered a separate class, it is only referred to as such on long-haul flights. Delta, for example, occasionally uses its A350-900s on domestic flights, meaning that First Class passengers have a lie-flat seat during their journey and travelers who choose to purchase a Comfort+ seat sit in DPS. This can be confusing for some passengers. Additionally, because the class has a different name, the amenities may not be the same as on a long-haul flight.

Interior view of the first class cabin of a Boeing 737-900 of Delta Air Lines.

Photo: Delta Air Lines

The branding could also be reversed, for example by having Delta offer DPS specifically on select 757-200 routes:

From Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to Keflavik Airport (KEF)
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Keflavik Airport (KEF)
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to El Dorado International Airport (BOG)

Although this experience is offered, the aircraft is not equipped with the same seats as Delta’s wide-body fleet, meaning the product is not consistent. For this reason, Delta notes that the 13.3-inch seatback screens offered in DPS in wide-body cabins are not available on the 757-200. The airline also does not offer noise-cancelling headphones on this aircraft type.

The “prudent” fleet strategy behind Delta Air Lines’ success

Were the actions of the airline’s former CEO crucial to Delta’s current success?

5 More money

A big fee for a small upgrade

Premium Economy has some advantages, but every passenger should consider what to expect when they upgrade. For some airlines, this is a bit of a strategy, as it is clear that any kind of premium experience on a flight is preferred. Airlines now have a variety of fare classes to choose from, varying in price and product:

First class
Business class
Premium economy
Economy Plus (more legroom)
Business
Basic Economics

Photo: Cathay Pacific

With all the choice, passengers have a variety of options to suit their needs. However, in some fare classes, such as premium class, it can be easy to make money.