Premium economy has grown steadily in popularity in recent years as more airlines introduce the cabin or enhance existing products. Travelers are attracted to the mix of extra legroom and recline, upgraded amenities and improved service at a price point that sits between economy and business or first class.
As airlines refine their premium-economy offerings, passengers are finding features once reserved for premium cabins becoming more common in this segment. Below are recent updates from several carriers that have enhanced their premium-economy products.
© DELTA AIR LINES
Delta Air Lines has expanded its Premium Selection cabin to U.S. routes this winter, beginning with service to Hawai’i. Previously available only on trans‑Atlantic and trans‑Pacific flights, Delta Premium Select will appear on three daily non‑stop routes to Hawai’i by the end of the year: Atlanta (ATL) to Maui (OGG), New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL), and Salt Lake City (SLC) to Maui. Delta also plans additional enhancements to the Premium Select experience, including an elevated dining service and refreshed amenity kits with travel essentials.
Air France recently rolled out a new recliner-type seat for its premium economy cabin. The model offers 38 inches of legroom, redesigned cushions in a soft navy-blue herringbone fabric and a wider seat back that reclines to 124 degrees. The cabin also features integrated noise-reducing audio headsets to improve the in-flight experience.
© EMIRATES
Emirates officially launched its new premium economy cabin this year as part of a multibillion-dollar investment across 120 aircraft. The cabin features leather seats with wood accents, a welcome drink and hot towel on boarding, and a dedicated menu served on chinaware with stainless-steel cutlery. Seats are wider with increased legroom, include calf and foot rests, and offer a six-way adjustable headrest plus a separate cocktail table for drinks. Enhanced in-flight entertainment includes a larger HD screen, Bluetooth earbud pairing and faster Wi‑Fi. Initially, Emirates is offering premium economy on routes linking Dubai with Paris, London Heathrow and Sydney.
Lufthansa, after finding premium economy to be a strong revenue generator, selected ZIM Aircraft Seating’s ZIMprivacy PC-02 recliner to upgrade its premium-economy product. Air New Zealand has also announced plans to adopt ZIM seating in its premium-economy cabins.
The new premium-economy seats emphasize privacy and comfort, with hard-shell shells and partitions that provide a sense of separation from neighboring seats and reduce intrusion when reclining. These seats are designed so passengers can recline without encroaching on the person behind and typically include larger personal screens, dedicated reading lights and leg rests.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines introduced a Premium Comfort Class positioned between economy and World Business Class. Debuting on select Amsterdam–South Africa routes, the seats—designed with Collins Aerospace and KLM specialists—offer increased recline, extra legroom, a footrest and a larger personal screen.
All Nippon Airways recently upgraded the premium-economy cabin on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with new Safran seats. The cabin grew to 28 premium-economy seats—ten more than before—and the refreshed layout adds privacy with a vertical separator, a swivel tray table and a small cocktail table at the front of the center divider. Passengers also benefit from larger 15.6-inch monitors for entertainment.
Swiss International Air Lines has outfitted its premium-economy cabin with ZIMprivacy seating on all Boeing 777-300ERs and plans to extend the cabin to its Airbus A340 fleet. The service includes meals on chinaware with metal cutlery and amenity items such as an eye mask, earplugs and basic dental kit.
Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A330-900neo features redesigned cabins, including an updated premium-economy product known simply as Premium. Located directly behind Upper Class, Premium offers a leg rest, extra legroom, deep recline, in-seat wireless charging and a touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity.
PHOTO: © FINNAIR
Finnair is introducing a new premium-economy cabin on long-haul services to and from Asia and North America across its A350 and A330 fleets. The new cabins add seven inches of seat pitch over economy, memory-foam cushions, leg rests and generous storage. Dining includes a high-quality three-course meal, a lighter pre-landing option and complimentary beverages.