More airlines are now offering premium economy seats—there are already British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air and Air France, just to name a few. The latest to jump on the bandwagon is Singapore Airlines, which will launch this new class from the second half of 2015.
Fares are obviously higher across the board—generally about 85%-100% more expensive than your standard economy tickets (subject to promotions and time of booking, of course). Below, we compare some premium economy packages (based on round-trip tickets from Singapore to London from June 10 to 20) and see how they stack up against each other:
British Airways
Plane: Boeing 747-400
Seat plan: 2-4-2
Features: A 7″ increase in seat pitch and 1″ increase in seat width definitely makes for a comfier flight. You’ll also get 2x23kg checked baggage allowance (compared to 1x23kg in economy), noise reducing earphones and priority disembarkation.
Price of a round-trip ticket: $3,073
What’s special: BA was the first airline to introduce Premium Economy in 2000. Its new revamped World Traveller Plus Class looks even classier.
Air France
Plane: Boeing 777-200, Airbus A321-100/200 and Airbus A320-100/200
Seat plan: 2-4-2 and 3-3
Features: Like with BA, you’ll get to enjoy 2x23kg checked baggage allowance, along with 18kg carry-on baggage. Other perks include noise-cancelling headphones, priority disembarkation, a personal reading lamp and a power outlet. Best of all, you’ll get to enjoy 20% more leg room with the 6″ increase in seat pitch and 2″ increase in seat width.
Price of a round-trip ticket: $3,415
What’s special: We love the French design: there’s a separate shell for each seat, so nobody is tilting their seat onto you.
Cathay Pacific
Plane: Boeing 777-300 ER and Airbus A330-300
Seat plan: 2-4-2 and 2-3-2
Features: With CX, you get 25kg checked baggage allowance (a tad stingy compared to the other airlines), extra storage space for personal belongings and an environmentally-friendly amenity kit. You can also expect a 6″ increase in seat pitch, a 1-2″ increase in seat width and 2″ more recline.
Price of a round-trip ticket: $3,626
What’s special: There’s a three-position footrest to suit just about everyone, and the larger meal table makes inflight dining a lot more comfortable.
China Southern
Plane: Airbus A319, Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-200
Seat plan: 2-4-2
Features: You’ll be grateful for a 5-8″ increase in seat pitch. And again, you’ll get 2x23kg checked baggage allowance, extra snacks (yay for hungry people), priority disembarkation and a private entertainment system with LCD.
Price of a round-trip ticket: $3,474
What’s special: You can enjoy up to 40% more leg space compared to Economy class, and that’s a considerable improvement, if you ask us.
Our verdict? The premium economy offerings from these airlines are rather competitive, so we would say opt for British Airways by virtue of price—it’s $400 to $600 cheaper than the rest of the field. Plus, if the price difference between standard and premium are just a couple of hundreds for a long-haul flight, we’d say yes to more legroom (up to seven inches extra!), less crappy in-flight food, bigger screens and all the extra amenities. Otherwise, we’ll suck it up for more money to spend during the trip (and not before).
