Like most travelers, I prefer to fly business class or premium economy over regular economy on long-haul flights. While premium economy is often expensive to purchase, whether with cash or redeeming miles, I’ve recently found a few cases where the prices are surprisingly affordable and well worth the extra money, points, or miles.
For example, I recently took a direct flight from Brussels to Toronto on Air Canada. Booking through Air Canada Aeroplan, I could redeem 30,700 economy points or 47,500 premium economy points (plus a $47 tax in either class).
For this daytime flight, purchasing just 16,800 Aeroplan points was well worth it as it gave me enough space to work effectively on my laptop during the eight-hour flight.
After booking, I had access to additional amenities that made the redemption even more worthwhile. Premium Economy passengers can order meals online before their flight. The meals, served on ceramic dishes shortly after departure, were completely different from those served in economy class.
As I walked through the economy section during my meal, I noticed that economy passengers received smaller trays in plastic containers, chocolate pudding desserts instead of apple pie, pasta or chicken dishes, which didn’t look very appealing.
Additionally, before and during departure meal service, flight attendants will serve drinks in glass cups instead of paper or plastic cups.
When I boarded the plane, a basic set of supplies greeted me at my seat, including socks, eye mask, earplugs, dental kit, and a reusable shopping bag. These amenity kits are only available for Premium Economy passengers; Economy passengers did not receive any amenity kits.
But most of all, I appreciated the extra space, especially after seeing how packed economy class was on this flight. Economy class on Air Canada’s 787-9 has a 3-3-3 layout with 17.1-inch wide seats, while premium economy class has a 2-3-2 layout with 19.5-inch wide seats.
This extra width is noticeable, as are the 38 inches of pitch (compared to just 31 inches in economy) and the larger seatback screens (11 inches in premium economy and 9 inches in economy). Even with the passenger in front of me fully reclined, I still had plenty of room to work.
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This Air Canada flight is just one example I recently discovered where premium economy is not that much more expensive than economy. For example, when booking an American Airlines AAdvantage award for a December flight from Montevideo, Uruguay to Toronto, I could redeem a 25,000 mile economy award, or a 35,000 mile premium economy award (both subject to an additional $91 tax).
Granted, the Premium Economy award only got me a Premium Economy seat on the 9-hour overnight flight from Montevideo to Miami. But in this case, getting better sleeping space on a long overnight flight seems worth the extra 10,000 miles.
The Main Cabin Plus (which I had the option to be a Platinum Pro elite member) will offer 17.1-inch-wide seats, 34 inches of pitch, and 4 inches of recline in a 3-3-3 configuration, while Premium Economy will offer 18.5-inch-wide seats, 38 inches of pitch, and 8 inches of recline in a 2-3-2 configuration. Seat-back screens are 2.5 inches larger in premium economy, but in-flight meals and service are generally close to, if not identical to, economy class on American Airlines flights.
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And if you have travel flexibility when award prices are lower, keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club sometimes offers premium economy on transatlantic flights for just 4,500 points more than economy (and $127 more in taxes and fees). Premium Economy seats offer extra legroom, a more comfortable seat, greater recline and greater seat width than Economy Class seats.
The takeaway is, the next time you book travel, consider the slightly higher fare class. If you have flexibility in your choice of travel dates or destinations, check all your options. For example, you can only find Premium Economy from Montevideo to Toronto for 35,000 miles one-way on certain dates. But if you also consider other South American cities served by American Airlines, such as Santiago, Chile or Buenos Aires, you may unlock more potential travel dates at lower award rates. Of course, if you have other types of points and miles to redeem, you may find more options.
Before booking a premium fare, though, know what you’re paying for. Specifically, check to see if you’ll get a Premium Economy seat on each leg of your trip, and research what Premium Economy seating is like on the planes scheduled to operate your flights. Also check to see if you get additional benefits as a Premium Economy passenger, such as a checked bag, lounge access or better in-flight meals. The more benefits you get that provide value, the more you may be willing to pay to upgrade.
In short: Don’t assume premium economy will be too expensive without checking the cost. On certain dates and routes, you may be able to get more space and upgraded amenities or services for a minimal purchase.
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