Extra legroom and a wider seat on a flight over the Pacific Ocean can go a long way toward improving the travel experience for anyone who typically flies economy. That’s just one reason why the premium economy class is seeing steadily rising demand in the post-COVID air travel era. The relatively new cabin fare has been a hit over the past couple of years, as demand for flying has surged in powerful numbers.

An interesting trend in the post-Coronavirus airline market is that customers are more frequently opting for premium products and are willing to spend extra for a better flying experience. The long-haul international market has especially seen premium economy perform as a strong product today.

There is more that goes into premium economy than just extra seat room. On some widebodies, there is a separate cabin space from economy, and some airlines have repurposed previous business class seating as premium economy. Let’s break down just how this new middle class cabin is changing the model of long-haul air travel.

The new industry-wide trend has evolved into a package including a number of extra perks and services alongside better cabin seating to form a premium economy bundle of upgrades that bridges the gap between business and economy class. This is much more than just an extra legroom upgrade. Some airlines like Thai Airways and Air Canada, offer lie-flat seats and amenity kits that were once business class standard.

Airlines all have their own mix of perks, like free checked bags, free drinks, boarding group upgrades, and upgraded menu options to sweeten the deal and reel in flyers looking to make the next hop over the international date line a bit more relaxing. That has gone a long way in boosting sales for carriers in the wake of the COVID air travel stoppage.

The global supply chain of aerospace manufacturers is still in recovery mode as demand skyrockets for short and long-distance travel alike. The challenges of upgrading, modernizing, and replacing cabin interiors make it very appealing to repurpose equipment like previous-generation business class seats to create a new revenue-generating cabin product.

At the same time, the inability to travel for two years during the Coronavirus lockdown made many travelers anxious to make up for lost time and opportunity. The increased willingness of flyers to pay extra for better service makes premium economy a reasonably priced upgrade for typically frugal customers, with valuable return on investment. Premium economy has proven to be an all-around “win-win’ situation for carriers and flyers alike.

The price difference between economy class and business is still a chasm-like gap for many travelers, and justifying the cost is still impossible for many, but premium economy offers a welcome alternative. The nominally higher cost to the flyer brings a range of improvements to the travel experience that are highly valuable to a wide customer base.

At the same time, the addition of a moderately altered cabin space and service bundle is a light burden for carriers to offer, but brings in healthy revenue. So now that we’ve painted the broad strokes, let’s dive into which airlines are leading the way in this growing space of the commercial flying market.

The Industry Leaders

According to the SkyTrax rankings, the top five airlines offering premium economy cabin fares are, in order from number one to number five: Virgin Atlantic, Japan Airlines (JAL), Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and EVA Air. These five airlines all serve major hubs in the United States with transoceanic, long-haul flight plans to different destinations around the world. Each has unique qualities, but all five offer elevated cabin comfort and upgraded inflight and landside services that are markedly better than standard economy.

EVA Air offers flights to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), with seats featuring cradle-motion recline, footrests, 15.6-inch high-definition widescreen TVs, and privacy panels. The “soft product” on EVA is also renowned for quality, aka the food, amenities, and service. EVA Air was actually the very first carrier to introduce premium economy and has stayed high on the charts since 1991.

Singapore Airlines serves SFO as well as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The seats on some planes are almost lie-flat, but all have deep recline, excellent inflight entertainment (IFE), and industry-leading dining service.

Emirates is a name synonymous with luxury and quality air travel, so it’s no surprise to find the carrier ranked in the top three for this cabin class. Currently, the carrier only serves Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with long-haul premium economy cabin products. The soft leather seats have a deep recline and the seats themselves are specifically named the best in the world by SkyTrax. The service, menu, amenities, bedding, and bar selection are all frequently acclaimed by Emirates flyers.

JAL claimed the best seat in 2024 with its Recaro-designed shell style which offers abundant space and generous recline. The space for premium economy flyers is very generous on JAL with plenty of tray tables and legroom. The airline’s inflight menu also has an excellent food and drink selection with free extras like sake and prosecco included in the perk bundle.

Virgin Atlantic doesn’t have a lie-flat seat, but it does have a very wide and deeply reclining leather chair to keep flyers comfortable and relaxed as they cross the ocean. A glass of sparkling wine comes as a welcome drink after boarding. The soft product (dining and general standard of service) is acclaimed by some reviewers to be equal to that of business class, like Wander Up Front.

Premium Economy’s Rise

Qantas blazed the trail for business class in the 1970s when it began to take delivery of its first Boeing 747 jumbo jets. The double-decker jetliners were the first commercial aircraft to feature a third, intermediate cabin class between first and economy. It would be nearly two decades before EVA Air introduced the fourth class, bridging the gap in service and price between business and economy class, as AeroTime recounts.

The Taiwan-based airline would once again rely on the 747 to host its pioneering new cabin product, deploying 747-400s from Taipei International Airport (TPE) with a 2-2-2 premium economy nose section. The service has not changed significantly yet, but the idea has sparked other airlines around the world to try their hand at the new class. Virgin Atlantic quickly followed suit, and US carriers soon rolled out their own versions.

The “big three” (American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines) made modest experiments with hybrid cabin configurations that included premium economy seating at first. Recently, those efforts have intensified, and now separate cabin spaces exist on some aircraft, with higher service levels being added into the package.

Emirates only began offering premium economy in 2022, but the product’s stellar success has spurred an increased rollout across more Airbus A380s and Boeing 777-300ERs in the airline’s vast widebody fleet. Thai Airways may well break into the top ranking as its newly acquired A330-300s from Virgin Atlantic will be refitted, and the former business class lie-flat seats will become premium economy on select routes served by the three new widebody jets.

Premium Economy Class In 2025

So if you’re looking for the sweet spot between bare bones and indulgent air travel, premium economy airfare is increasingly available on long-haul flights with many carriers around the world. The balance between elevated comfort and cost has made the popular new class a winning product for both the airlines and flyers. Forbes reports that the exact product does vary widely by carrier, so when booking, make sure to read the fine print.

Price can vary widely by airlines, just as the exact service and seating upgrades do, so it is incumbent on customers to evaluate the true return on value before purchasing a ticket. That being said, the trend across the industry is a strong push to offer more premium economy seats with better comfort features as well as elevated services, dining, and other soft products. The shrinking of first class around the world, especially with the US’s big three, also highlights the rising focus on premium economy.

All signs point toward continued growth, improving quality, and rising service standards. The race to the top of the premium economy ladder for airlines is just beginning in earnest, and flyers will likely have many more choices in the coming years. The competition to be the best in this market segment will be a win for flyers on a budget looking for a more comfortable way to travel. Meanwhile, the surging popularity of the fare class is driving industry-wide recovery from the COVID-19 air travel stoppage and promises to help push the industry into a new era of commercial flying.