Premium economy


Premium economy class, also known as elite economy class or economy plus class, is a travel class offered on some airlines. This travel class is positioned as a middleground between standard economy class and business class in terms of price, comfort, and amenities. In 1991, EVA Air was the first to introduce Evergreen Class and had since become the first airline to offer this class of service in the world. In some ways, Premium Economy class has become a standard reflecting what Economy class was like 40 years ago ; as an example the seat pitch of United Airlines' Economy Class was 36 inches back in the 1970s, the same seat pitch as most airlines' Premium Economy these days.

Characteristics

As of 2018, the term is not standardized among airlines, and varies significantly between domestic and international flights and between low-cost or regional airlines and other airliners. Premium economy is sometimes limited to just a bit more leg room, but at its most comprehensive can feature services associated with business class travel.
|alt=Airline premium economy cabin. Rows of seats arranged between aisles.
Air New Zealand's and Qantas' Premium Economy include amenities such as prioritized check-in, large customized seats, seat pitch up to with 50% more recline, premium meals, a self-service bar for drinks and snacks, a personal in-flight entertainment center with remote control, noise-cancelling headphones and choices in games and movies for children and adults, skin care products in the lavatory, and an amenities pouch containing items such as socks, sleep masks, earplugs, and toothbrushes.
At the other extreme, some extra legroom seats in Economy Class, with the same service and seat model, are also marketed as an enhanced Economy class in some airlines. For example, in the United States domestic market, airlines such as American, United, Delta, and JetBlue have an upgraded Economy class with more leg room as the only difference; they market the class as Main Cabin Extra, Economy Plus, Comfort+, and Even More Legroom respectively, while other services such as ground services and food and beverage services are on par with their normal Economy Class.
Service codes used by airlines vary, but W is the most common code—for example, Virgin Atlantic uses W as a subclass code for its Premium Economy product.

Examples of differences

Differences between Premium Economy class and Standard Economy class may include:
Some airlines may designate an entire economy class as premium, such as United p.s. on its transcontinental Boeing 757-200 premium service aircraft. In other airlines premium economy may be what used to be regular economy before more seats were added, or just the most attractive rows in the economy section. Premium Economy tickets also normally earn more mileage in an airline's frequent flyer program, attracting a bonus between Economy and Business. These upgrades tend to be more common on wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 and 777, and less common on narrow-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 737.

Airlines

Airlines offering this service include:
Some airlines no longer offer Premium economy: