Last Updated on 25 June 2026 by Dan Wilderness
Hello everyone! Whilst Business Class when flying is clearly a significant price point above a standard flight, something that has become increasingly popular amongst leisure travellers is a Premium Economy cabin. Today, I’m going to be conducting a review of Premium Economy and asking our classic question – is it worth your money?
This post is inspired by a recent trip to Japan, where we flew JAL who have a particularly strong premium economy offering and left me impressed. I’ve also flown main UK airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fairly regularly and had good experiences in both cabins.
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Quick Verdict on if Premium Economy is worth it
Whilst there’s a price ceiling at which it stops becoming worth it, we think premium economy does offer a good comfort upgrade in respect of extra seat space and pitch, however generally you shouldn’t expect other aspects of flying to be significantly better. Long haul, consider it. Short haul, save your cash.
How we tested flying Premium Economy
As a tall man, I’ve ended up concluding on longer haul flights that Premium Economy is worth it for the comfort factor and usually pick this as an option when the price increase isn’t ridiculous. I’ve taken flights from the UK with multiple airlines, but primarily British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and JAL.
What is Premium Economy?
Premium Economy is a middle flying class designed for those who want a bit more luxury, space and service than economy, but don’t want to pay for the high charges that business class flights usually require.
It’s not a service that every airline offers, but it’s become increasingly common to see on medium and long haul flights.
Taiwanese airline EVA Air are often seen as the first to see a gap in the market, with Virgin Atlantic then pioneering introduction as a standard part of an airline fleet.
Nearly every airline calls their service Premium Economy, but there are a couple of exceptions that have tried to go with different branding for their Premium Economy cabin. From a UK perspective the most notable of these is British Airways – they call the cabin World Traveller Plus.
Otherwise when there’s variants they are usually simply called Premium or Premium Plus
What Do You Actually Get in Premium Economy? (The Perks)
It’s important to note that every airline does Premium Economy cabin slightly differently so do check your airlines website for specifics, but you can generally expect to find the following amenities:
Premium Economy Extra Legroom
I’m 6’3, and whilst Economy is tolerable for shorter flights, I do find it a challenge for long-haul flights as my legs are generally touching the seat in front!
Given this, the comfort factor is a significant reason as to why I’ve upgraded in the past , but if you’re a little shorter than me this may not be something that influences you so much.
How much bigger is the seat in Premium Economy?
Seat pitches (the point between your seat and the seat in front) tend to be about 30-32 inches in Economy, vs 38-42 in Premium Economy. Whilst that doesn’t sounds like much, it is often the difference between feeling fairly cramped vs. spacious.
Often, you’ll also find that seats can be slightly wider as well.
However, let’s set some expectations – the increased room does not provide a flat-bed layout as you might find in business class with any airline.
Some carriers are now going with a hard-shell seat approach which does allow the seat to slide into more of a reclined position for sleep (and helpfully, doesn’t impact the person behind). It’s not quite a flat bed, but a good approximation to provide some extra comfort.
Here’s a table showing the average pitches for Economy and Premium Economy across some major airlines, which we’ve verified against the official websites. Please also note that some airlines with bigger fleets (like BA) there can be some differences in plane models which can cause small variations.
| Airline | Economy Pitch | Premium Economy Pitch |
| British Airways | 31 inches | 38 inches |
| Virgin Atlantic | 31 inches (Economy Classic) 34 inches (Economy Delight) | 38 inches |
| Lufthansa | 31 inches | 38-39 inches |
| Air France | 31 inches | 37-38 inches |
| Emirates | 34 inches | 40 inches |
| KLM | 31 inches | 38 inches |
| Cathay Pacific | 31-34 inches | 40 inches |
| Japan Airlines / JAL | 33-34 inches | 42 inches |
| ANA | 34 inches | 38 inches |
| Singapore Airlines | 31-32 inches | 38 inches |
| Qantas | 31-32 inches | 38-40 inches |
One thing that really stands out from this is that it’s often Eastern carriers that are offering the most space in Premium Economy products – although in practice, you’re likely to be restricted by who is serving you on your chosen route!
Premium Economy Extra Luggage Allowance
With most Premium Economy offering, you’ll have the ability to take 2 full-size cases on the plane rather than just the one.
Personally I’ve never really needed this in practice, but I can see how for long-haul travellers doing something like heading home for Christmas this can be useful.
In fact as you’ll usually face a reasonably hefty charge for adding an additional bag in Economy, it may be worth investigating the price difference to Premium Economy before you book in it.
Premium Economy Priority Boarding and Luggage
If flying Premium Economy you’ll generally notice a few quality of life improvements as you go through the airport journey.
You’ll get a priority lane for bag drop/check in and often for going through the ticket check as well. You’ll also be boarded first, and some services like Virgin Atlantic will give you a glass of champagne or a drink to get you settled.
Your luggage will usually also be the first to be unloaded ahead of Economy passengers, which can save you time at the other end.
All of these are little extras, but if you find yourself pressed for time or particularly value minimum queue stress, they can be worth it.
Premium Economy Lounge access (rare)
Most Premium Economy offerings do not give you lounge access, but I’m aware of a rare few in the form of the Japanese Carriers (JAL and All Nippon Airways) which do.
Whilst ultimately a nice to have, the airline lounges tend to feature reasonable quality food and drink options and good spaces or work or relax before your flight. If included in Premium Economy I would see this as a value additive.
If you’re aware of other airlines which include Premium Economy as standard, please do let us know in the comments below. And if lounge access isn’t included, you may be interested in our review of if UK Airport Lounge Access is worth it which covers paid for options.
Premium Economy Food Options
Most airlines will have a dedicated menu with a slightly higher quality of food in Premium Economy. With some carriers you’ll see extra amenities like use of china plates, but this isn’t consistent.
Whilst airline food is ultimately still airline food, it’s another nice to have.
If this is a particularly important factor for you it’s worth checking your airline of choice first, as for some the food will simply be the same as that offered in economy.
Premium Economy gives increased loyalty points
It’s not a reason for booking Premium Economy alone, but we spend so much time here at the Wilderness talking about loyalty schemes that we’d be remiss if didn’t point out we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that Premium Economy tickets usually yield a much higher multiplier for frequent flyer points.
For example, flying Premium with British Airways typically earns you more Avios and double the Tier Points compared to a standard discount Economy ticket, accelerating your path to elite status.
The Maths: Price Difference Between Economy and Premium
The difference between the two cabins is always going to be demand driven – at very best I’ve managed to get a Premium Economy cabin for only 10% more than economy which was a very easy decision, but I’ve also seen Premium Economy be more double the price which would definitely cause me to hesitate.
To illustrate rough expectations, I ran a comparison of flights with the major UK carriers for a London Heathrow to New York JFK flight, going midweek in May and returning in a week and booked six months in advance. I got the following data:
| Airline | Economy (with checked bag) | Premium Economy |
| British Airways | £535.61 | £798.61 |
| Virgin Atlantic | £536.61 | £796.61 |
As you’d expect between there’s little difference between the two competing carriers on price, but the price difference is about 48% between the two cabins.
Expect that the longer your journey, the more a Premium Economy cabin will be in demand as people seek comfort.
The Premium cabins tend to be quite small as well so are particularly demand sensitive. If you can be flexible with your flight times, there’s even more scope to make savings here than with regular flights.
When is Premium Economy Worth the Upgrade?
I think a good rule of thumb is that where Premium Economy is not more than 50% extra of the Economy cabin price it’s worth considering, and the lower that percentage gets the clearer the decision.
Beyond that whilst Premium Economy is definitely most comfortable, the value proposition starts to diminish.
I’ve put together a list of questions to consider – the more of these the answer to is yes, the more I’d be inclined to opt for Premium Economy.
- Is the flight I’m on particularly long?
- Am I flying on a night flight / red eye or when rest is particularly important?
- Does the Airline I’m flying with give lounge access to Premium Economy passengers?
- Do I need a second bag when flying?
Premium Economy Value Matrix
Here’s also a decision matrix offering a general rule of thumb for when you’re getting good value out of Premium Economy
The General Rule of Thumb: When to Upgrade
- Night Flights Over 7 Hours: Highly Worth It. The extra recline and wider seat drastically improve your chances of sleeping, saving you a day of jetlag. If the price difference is under £250, just book it.
- Day Flights Under 6 Hours: Rarely Worth It. You can easily entertain yourself with movies and a laptop. Save the money to spend on a nicer hotel at your destination.
- Booking with Points (Avios/Virgin): The Best Value. The ultimate financial hack is booking a standard Economy ticket and using frequent flyer points to upgrade to Premium Economy.
Which Airlines Offer the Best Premium Economy?
Skytrax’s World Airline Awards are generally closely monitored by airline enthusiasts and they presently have Virgin Atlantic as winning the best Premium Airline Product.
You can see the full list at the SkyTrax website, but their top 5 are:
- Virgin Atlantic
- Japan Airways / JAL
- Emirates
- Singapore Airlines
- EVA Air
(We’ll note the other main UK carrier British Airways came 7th in the awards).
Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy vs. British Airways World Traveller Plus
For the major UK Carriers, I’ve flown both Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy and BA World Traveller Plus on many occasions and feel they’re both good products.
From my own experience, I agree with the Skytrax result in I have a slight preference for the Virgin product. It’s generally little things that have left me feeling I’ve got more out of it – I’ve noticed seat quality seems better and little touches like being offered extra drinks and ice creams missing from BA.
As such whilst I’d opt for Virgin if on a route both carriers off, but in reality the core offering is very similar and there is not much difference between the products.
As we expect most of our readers may be particularly interested in comparing BA and Virgin, we’ve put together a comparison table below going into a bit more detail on what each airline offers:
| Feature | Virgin Atlantic — Premium | British Airways — World Traveller Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Brand / cabin | “Premium” (separate cabin) | “World Traveller Plus” (separate cabin) |
| Seat pitch (approx.) | Typically 38? (aircraft-dependent) | Typically 38? (aircraft-dependent) |
| Seat width (example) | A350 Premium: ~20? | A350 WTP example: ~18.7? |
| Checked baggage included | 2 × 23kg checked bags | 2 × 23kg checked bags |
| Cabin bags | 1 × 10kg hand luggage | Cabin bag + personal item (standard BA policy) |
| Priority on the ground | Premium check-in, priority boarding, priority baggage delivery | Priority boarding (plus WTP check-in lanes on many routes) |
| Dining & drinks | Glass of sparkling wine on boarding; meals served on china | Glass of sparkling wine after take-off; two meals; full bar |
| Seat selection | Standard Premium seats selectable anytime; preferred front-row seats may cost extra | Advance seat selection may incur a fee (free at check-in or with status/flexible fares) |
| Extras | “Wander Wall” self-serve snacks on selected aircraft |
Specifics may obviously slightly vary depending on aircraft and route.
Verdict: Is Premium Economy worth it when flying?
Our experiences of flying Premium Economy have been very positive and left us feeling Premium Economy is worth it, but only at the right price point.
If you are lucky and the gap is relatively small, it’s an absolute no brainer.
Beyond this, the main benefits are the question of space and easing stress at the airport. These are nice problems to resolve, but it’s an expensive way to do that and if the gap was significant, I’d probably pause on if it’s worth it.
As we discuss above when talking about the value proposition, we think value is questionable when you go above an additional 50% in costs.
However, it’s undeniably comfier as one of life’s taller people, and so the product particularly appeals to me for the extra space.
I also think there’s particular airlines worth targeting. The Japanese carriers JAL and All Nippon also offering lounge access is a really nice extra perk and does add value.
Emirates also really has a reputation for being top of class in its offering, and we can see from the seat comparison table they’re also at the higher end of the space offered in the cabin.
In conclusion – it’s a great product in most cases, but consider if it really offers value to what you need it for.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about flying Premium Economy we’d love to hear from you! Just leave us your thoughts in the comments below.
For those who are regular flyers, you may enjoy our guide on how to get a great value holiday or our guide to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club!
And that’s it!
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Anything is worth it, if you can afford and it brings you comfort. that’s my mantra