A Cut Above

The number of carriers offering premium economy keeps on growing – but their products can vary considerably

- Alex McWhirter

In recent months, two major US airlines have announced they will finally join the premium economy bandwagon. Some 25 years after the class first saw the light of day, American Airlines and Delta are both launching a standalone product. Meanwhile, two newcomers to the premium economy market – Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines – are continuing to fine tune the product across their fleets.

As more carriers get involved, aboard more aircraft types, subtle differences emerge – not just in regard to the seats themselves but things like the size of the in-flight entertainment screen, in-seat power, seat configuration and washroom access. For example, do premium economy passengers have a dedicated toilet or must they traipse into economy? Airlines also vary in what other benefits they offer to premium economy passengers, such as extra baggage allowance, fast-track security access and upgraded food and drink.

There can be a significant price difference between economy and premium economy, which suggests to some readers that the latter is closer to business than economy class. Alas, that’s not the case. The word “economy” in premium economy must not be overlooked.

It had been thought that Air New Zealand (ANZ) had bucked the trend when it introduced the Space seat configured six-across (2-2-2) on its long-range 777-300ER fleet. The aircraft handles the carrier’s most important routes, including its daily flight between Auckland and London Heathrow via Los Angeles.