Compared: The best premium economy airlines for comfort and perks

With extra legroom, gourmet meals and priority perks, premium economy offers a comfortable and often luxurious experience, at a fraction of the cost of business or first class. 

However, not all airlines offer the same premium economy experience. 

From spacious seats to amenities and entertainment, we’ve compared some of the top international carriers to help you find the best premium economy experience for your next trip. Let’s dive in!

What is premium economy?

Premium economy is the seating class between economy and business class. It gives you access to upgraded amenities compared to regular economy, without the business class price tag. 

The major distinction between economy and premium economy is space; premium economy affords you more legroom and generally a wider seat, allowing you to fly a little more comfortably.

It’s worth noting that this seating class is typically only offered for long-haul international flights and you generally won’t find it as an option for domestic travel. However, particular airlines may offer slightly elevated economy experiences, for example, Delta’s Comfort+ or United’s Economy Plus, which offer priority boarding and extra legroom.  

Your best bet for experiencing premium economy for yourself is with an international flight. A long-haul flight, in particular, makes the most sense to invest in a premium economy ticket so you can soak up the added benefits for longer and have a more enjoyable flight experience. 

Best premium economy airlines

Not every premium economy experience is created equal and not every airline offers premium economy. These are some of the best airlines to fly with if you’re eyeing an upgrade. 

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines’ premium economy on the A350, A380 and Boeing 777 offers an opulent experience. In fact, Singapore Airlines secured 4th place in the 2025 World Airline Awards for the coveted title of World’s Best Premium Economy Class, making its premium economy one of the best in the world.

Passengers enjoy spacious seats with built-in calf and footrests, an extensive recline, USB ports, power outlets and a personal reading light. 

Dining involves a ‘Book the Cook' option, which enables travelers to reserve their main meals in advance of departure. These dishes are part of an extended menu, which includes the option of champagne or a curated selection of red and white wines.

Travelers on flights over 7 hours receive slippers, an eye mask and lip balm in a sustainable pouch. Additional perks include priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines’ premium economy delivers a truly refined travel experience, coming 2nd in the 2025 World Airline Awards for the World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airlines. 

Passengers are treated to priority check-in and boarding, 2 checked bags (up to 23kg each) and access to airport lounges at select locations. 

Onboard, you’ll find spacious seating, with a generous 42-inch seat pitch, ample recline, leg rests and footrests for maximum comfort. Amenity kits and blankets are provided, and passengers are served meals on elegant tableware, with a selection of beverages available, including sake and wine.

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific’s premium economy, available on its Boeing 777-300ER fleet, offers comfortable seats with a generous recline, extra legroom, supportive headrests and full-length calf and footrests. 

Dining includes classic Cantonese dishes, plant-based wellness options, and mid-flight treats like Hong Kong egg tarts and Cathay’s Betsy beer, brewed for high-altitude enjoyment. Cathay Pacific came in at number 5 for Best Premium Economy Class Airline Catering at the 2025 World Airline Awards.

Long-haul travelers receive an eco-friendly amenity kit with travel essentials and enjoy added benefits like dedicated check-in, priority boarding and increased baggage allowance.

Emirates

Emirates’ premium economy, available on its Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft, features a spacious cabin with cream leather seats, generous recline and adjustable head, calf and footrests. In fact, Emirates came in the top spot for Best Premium Economy Class Airline Seats 2025 in the World Airline Awards, proving the top-tier nature of its seating.

The airline also took out the title of Best Premium Economy Class Onboard Catering in the Middle East 2025 in the awards. Dining is elevated with meals served on Royal Doulton china and stainless steel cutlery, plus a wide selection of drinks including Chandon and premium wines from the business class list. 

On longer flights, passengers receive sustainable amenity kits and cosy blankets made from recycled plastic bottles for added comfort.

Qantas

The Australian airline, which took out Best Premium Economy Class Airline in Australia/Pacific 2025, offers its thoughtfully designed premium economy experience on its Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 aircraft.

Seats feature generous recline, extra legroom, ergonomic headrests, footrests and a private cabin of 32–40 seats with a dedicated crew. Passengers enjoy multi-course meals on designer tableware, with expert wine pairings from onboard sommeliers and access to self-serve drinks and snacks. 

Amenities include a complimentary kit (eye mask, socks, dental kit), a large cotton pillow and a wool blanket. The experience is rounded out with dedicated check-in, priority boarding and early disembarkation.

British Airways

On British Airways’ premium economy, World Traveller Plus, passengers enjoy wider seats with extra recline, lumbar support and extended legroom, along with a head and footrest for added comfort. 

Dining includes a glass of sparkling wine after take-off, a full meal service and a variety of drinks and snacks. Sustainable amenities include a cushion, quilt and a recycled-plastic amenity kit with travel essentials. 

The generous baggage allowance covers both carry-on and checked bags and select routes offer the AirPortr service to collect and check in luggage from your doorstep.

United

United’s Premium Plus offers an upgraded experience with bigger and wider seats, extra legroom, generous recline and a semi-private cabin. Each seat includes a power outlet and USB port, while the TheraBody-designed amenity kit features eye serum, facial spray, lip balm, hand cream and a facial wipe to help you arrive refreshed. 

Travelers also benefit from priority check-in, boarding, exclusive security lanes, priority baggage handling and 2 complimentary checked bags.

American Airlines

American Airlines’ premium economy includes priority check-in, security and boarding, along with wider leather seats, extra legroom and adjustable foot and headrests. 

Enjoy chef-inspired dining, full drink service, large entertainment monitors with noise-reducing headphones and access to Wi-Fi, power outlets and USB ports. 

A rotating amenity kit includes travel essentials and skincare products, while premium bedding, with a lumbar pillow and crepe weave blanket, helps you relax comfortably.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa’s Allegris premium economy offers up to 50% more personal space, a practical travel kit for arrival refreshment and an extensive in-flight entertainment program. Passengers are welcomed with a non-alcoholic drink and enjoy meals served on fine china. 

The fare also includes 2 complimentary checked bags, each weighing up to 23kg, which is double the economy allowance.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy delivers a truly luxurious experience, taking out the top spot of World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airlines in the 2025 World Airline Awards.

The Virgin Atlantic experience features premium check-in and priority boarding, plus the option to bring 2 checked bags at 23kg each and 10kg of hand luggage. 

On board, enjoy a welcome glass of bubbly, pre-order options from a delicious restaurant-inspired menu and meals served on china crockery with proper cutlery. Settle into the extra-large leather seats with up to 38 inches of seat pitch for added legroom for an incredibly restful flight.

Best premium economy to Europe

Planning your next European trip and want to travel in style? The premium economy offerings on Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Singapore Airlines are award-winning and fly regularly from the US to the European continent. 

The onboard comfort, amenities and dining experiences of all of these premium economy offers are highly rated and worth checking out. 

Best premium economy to Asia

This can vary depending on where in Asia you’re headed, but Japan Airlines and Emirates both deserve a mention in this category. Cathay Pacific also scores highly for its dining experience. 

Best premium economy: How do they stack up?

Booking a premium economy ticket

Due to limited cabin space and the different layouts in planes, there are fewer premium economy tickets available than regular economy. As such, we recommend you book as soon as possible to secure your seat. 

If the cost is causing you to pause on purchasing a premium economy ticket, you might like to consider Paylater Travel. Our innovative layaway model allows you to lock in great travel deals today, with a small deposit, and pay the remainder off in weekly or bi-weekly installments. 

Shrink your upfront costs by splitting your ticket price into small slices with payment plans that fit with your pay cycle. And, by the time you take off, you’ll own your flights outright.

With that good news, here’s how to land a premium economy ticket for your next flight. ‍

Book it outright

As with any other flight class, you can book your premium economy seat through the website of your preferred airline or travel agency. Search your destination with your preferred dates and you’ll be able to select your cabin class from here. 

Follow the prompts and secure your ticket (or use Paylater Travel!). 

Upgrade an existing ticket

Another common way of securing a premium economy seat is to book an economy seat and upgrade to premium economy from there. You can upgrade at a cost or use points, and this can be done in advance or in person at the counter.

Airlines tend to sell premium economy tickets at a discount up until the departure time of the plane, so you may get lucky upon arrival. The obvious downside with this method is not knowing if you’ll be flying premium economy until the day of your flight. 

Many airlines also allow travelers to bid on premium economy, or even business class tickets, to secure any unused seats. This usually starts a few weeks before the flight, allowing you to bid up until a week before takeoff. This method tends to be cheaper than booking the seat outright, especially if you’re bidding on a business class flight.