Well of course I survived, but the concept of Premium Economy is so overrated if you are looking for a good rest on your longhaul flight.
True, not all Premium Economy seats are created equal, so we’ll stick to Lufthansa today.
Its new Premium Economy product is wider than an economy class seat, offers more legroom and more recline. Even so, it is still far closer to an economy class seat than business class seat. I appreciated being able to recline further and stretch out my legs an extra 8 inches, but I could not find a comfortable position for sleeping. An annoying foot rest is attached to the seat in front of you that constricts legroom.
I traveled on a very expensive ticket paid by someone else–so expensive I could have purchased miles and redeemed for Lufthansa First Class for the same price. I simply would not pay the premium for Premium Economy over regular economy class if it were me paying. Not every seat was occupied and onboard upgrades were hawked for 325EUR each.
The Premium Economy cabin on Lufthansa’s A380 is downstairs just behind Door 1 (toward the front of the aircraft). The aircraft has 52 Premium Economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout. That’s actually an optimal layout because it gives couples traveling together some privacy and half of the middle seats remained empty, including the two next to me. Having extra room to spread out and a second tray table makes a big difference.
Lufthansa offers amenity kits in Premium Economy. The contests are blasé and I left it behind because the bag no longer has an Lufthansa branding.
Meals are identical to economy class, though they are served on ceramic dishes with glass cups. Food was fine — I actually enjoyed the Beef Burgundy dinner and omelet for breakfast.
IFE screens are on the seatback and include three different camera angles:
CONCLUSION
Clearly, Lufthansa Premium Economy is a step up from economy class. Nevertheless, it aids (me at least) very little in the pursuit of sleep. Therefore, I’ll skip it next time.
Reminds me of Air France’s PE product. It’s nice to have extra leg room and space but sleep is only marginally better than economy.
Looks like Qatar Economy
You obviously have not flown Qatar Economy recently. Some of the seats are the smallest I have encountered on my many hundreds of flights. No leg room at all due to a box underneath the seat in front of you taking up half the leg room! Qatar business class is great but I avoid economy like a plague.
I feel like that is by design… for all PE products out there…. they want to force people who really need to sleep (i.e. Business travelers who must arrive rested) to buy up to Business.
I disagree – I like the PE concept in general. Not everyone has top tier status and hundreds of thousands of FF miles/CC points to upgrade to J or F, after all. I’ll gladly pay a few hundred bucks to upgrade, especially with the unwanted proliferation of “enhancements” like 10-abreast configurations in Y. A couple of extra inches of room really does make a meaning difference for me at least.
We’ve been disagreeing a lot this week! 😉
All in good fun. 🙂
I wonder what Emirates will present as their idea of PE.
Premium if priced right is better than economy. I flew Lufthansa PE and although agree with the annoying foot rest it was much better than economy and cheaper than the price mentioned as I bought it beforehand so I probably got a better price.
To whom it concerns,loving the leg room as I’m 6’4 and do not mind paying the extra.
Well done
Dwayne Knickle
I m 6.6 ft ( 1.99m), so indeed im also looking forward to the extra legroom. I ll fly in November to Mexico, 11+ hours
How tall are you?
6’1″
I prefer to fly business as well to sleep, but I’m glad they are offering PE as economy is getting more crowded and offers ever less pitch and width.
I wouldn’t mind on a day-time flight, say transatlantic or in Asia. But it depends on the price: often business on a second-tier carrier is cheaper than PE and as much as I like SQ, I’d rather fly Oman Air in business than PE on SQ from Asia to Europe…
I flew last year to FRA from DFW in PE with LH on their A333. On the flight out my teenage son and I were upgraded to business class. Unlike other airliners I didn’t like that fact the LH offer no priority check in. Boarding could of been better…PE was last to board…some other airliners board PE before economy. Meals were on the poor side. In all I think where LH has it so right with their business class product they have it totally wrong with their PE product. Would I fly PE again with LH? In short…no. It actually felt like I was only purchasing extra letroom only.
PE and regular economy in Lufthansa long haul flights do not compare. Regular economy’s recline angle is more than normal, but pitch feels 30″ or less, so as a result you have thr seat in front of you by your nose if the person if front of you fully reclines (awful Frankfurt-Panama experience). Forget to see your meal. 🙂
In adition, i dont get used to the thin seat cushion which makes any vibration behind (e.g. your fellow passenger pressing the touch-screen) a constant bug.
But its true the food tends to be decent.
I flew on pe air canada from vancouber to seoul on a 787 .it has 21pe seats.and it was a pleasant experience.lot of legroom.it seems that lb has a different configuration. just hope that not all the airlines do the same
I wouldn’t pay more for PE. Business or First maybe, but not PE.
I always tend to choose a window seat in the last row of premium economy (57A and 57K in this case). This way you can recline without disturbing anyone behind you, but you can also prop your head against the wall with a pillow. In the middle seat that you picked you weren’t able to do that, which may have contributed to the lack of sleeping positions you found on your flight.
I’m also not a frequent premium economy flyer, but that’s what I’ve come to learn. Looking forward to the review!
Years ago I flew AF PE, believe when first introduced, it really was a mini-business seat, very comfortable. Sounds, like everything else, it’s changed
Norwegian transcon premium is the standard all airlines should look to emulate.
I flew Lufthansa Premium Economy from FRA to BLR last week of June 2017, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I fly international long haul flights about 2X a year, and cannot afford Business class.
Context: I had just come off a 7 hour long haul United flight from the US East Coast to FRA in regular economy. United PE cost “from $89 more” – who knows how high that cost can go so I did not get it. In United, PE only gets you a few inches more legroom and nothing else, so not worth it. I asked at the boarding desk in FRA and was offered the opportunity to upgrade to Lufthansa PE, and it was a very pleasant contrast
More context: I am a medium sized woman, so fit differently in seats vs tall men.
I liked in Lufthansa PE: very generous legroom. The footrest under the seat in front could be pushed up, and both my legs fitted underneath. Excellent seat recline, given that I am used to regular economy. Also, when the seat in front of you reclines, you don’t get hit by the tray table. Fewer seats: 2-3-2 configuration. I was able to get a good rest in the 8 hour haul from FRA to BLR. The meal was same as economy but it was pretty good in quality with real silverware, and I don’t like overeating on flights anyway.
I didn’t like: the amenity kit was pretty pointless, I was carrying my own stuff, so I didn’t even take it. No priority boarding, but even at the end of a long boarding line I had enough room overhead for my carry on bag, and the PE seat was toward the front of the plane, so I could get off earlier. So, these are not major negatives. IDK about whether you get more baggage allowance in PE, but I had already checked in my bags and was not affected.
Bottom line: Yes, it’s not business class luxury, but Lufthansa PE is really effective in taking the miserable edge off intercontinental long haul flights. Well worth it.
I am seriously looking into upgrading to PE for the journey back too. I would recommend Lufthansa PE to others.
Thanks for your input . Traveling next April , first with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong then on with Lufthansa to Munich . All in PE . Was a bit worried about Lufthansa . You make me feel more at ease . Could not afford BC this time around . And with back surgery in May , i needed to be more comfy then in EC .
For the right price, PE is an excellent product in contrast to economy. Since I am working more than 180 days abroad in my job as a service engineer and my company does not allow business I have found PE quite acceptable for long haul. For a 10hr+ flight the difference between economy and PE for me is no sleep vs few hours sleep.
Personally I like the option of PE. When my employer is feeling too skint for business and can only fund economy I can use a bit of personal cash to make the flight”acceptable, because long haul in std economy is just terrible”. The Lufthansa product is a bit pricey for a bit of leg room , but I’d rather it be an option bs a very expensive business class upgrade! Personally I think United have the sweet spot ($160 to upgrade to economy plus for transatlantic is decent compared to $1.5k for a business upgrade). It all depends on if you can cope in economy, if you can then PE makes no sense, but for the taller gents amongst us just a little extra leg room is worth $15-30 an hour.
Thanks for the comments, really helpful to calibrate expectations. I just booked my first ever PE flight. I’m redeeming LH miles, and it felt reasonable to give 80k miles instead of 60k per person. We are a family of 4, so I didn’t have enough miles for Business. Looking forward to PE, especially since I’m 6’4”.
I think you’ll enjoy it!
A perfect review. I tried Cathay PE last year and found it very disappointing . Frankly I have done better paying a little extra for an emergency exit seat on airlines that sell them. The food was the same but there was more of it. My surveys suggest that PE is often close to double the price of economy. Not worth it in my books.
What about Air France PE? How does it compare to Lufthansa?
Have not flown it yet…Air France is one of the few carriers I have never flown in ANY cabin! Hope to fly it in first, business, and perhaps even PE this year.
I have flown AF PE from JFK to CDG on an A380 and it was one of the most miserable flights I have ever had. I was more comfortable in the puddle jumper from CDG to MAN. There were no seats to upgrade to Business on the way back to JFK, so I had to endure the PE seat on the way back. I had to see a chiropractor when I landed. It is the worst seat ever. It doesn’t recline, put rather the whole seat slides forward into a slouch position. The legrest is only half a legrest so it cuts off the circulation in your legs. The seat cushion, without exaggeration, is a half inch of foam on a metal base. My rear end was number before we took off. I asked for three extra pillows and put under my bottom, one under my legs, and one in my lumbar area to relieve the pain.
FYI – I am 6’0 and average weight, so it wasn’t me. Read other reviews and you will find similar comments. Avoid it at all costs.
I have been flying to Europe since I was a child because I have European cousins. Frankly, I prefer AF because they offer premium boarding and check-in for PE flyers. The food is good and wine, champagne, and beer come with the ticket. The crew have always been friendly and helpful. I will travel to Frankfurt in August so, I am flying LH because I want a non-stop between IAH and FRA. I refuse to fly American carriers do to lousy service, food and transfers. I will report back on how their PE class is.
Have flown LH PE a couple times and thoroughly enjoyed the flight. But a big part of that was the service. I am 6-2 so the leg room and elbow space makes a big difference. Also, the price difference was only a couple hundred dollars from regular economy. Upgrading to business would have been at least 3500 more flying LAX to FRA.
I would like to know what airline you could fly business class for the same price as premium economy on another airline as someone else mentioned?
The flight, if I remember correctly, was about 15 or 1600, PE.
Thanks!
I recently flew Premium Economy from Singapore to Venice and Rome to Singapore. The leg room is much better than economy but as far as I am concerned that was the only advantage, No preferential boarding, my seat would not recline and I could not find any up-to-date movies to watch. Was not impressed with the meals, the omalette was so dried up I could not eat it. All in all one appears to be paying for only extra leg room.
Good review. And since my husband and I are smaller in size and need sleep for our PHL-FRA flight, I guess we’ll stay in the “wide open” economy, instead of paying $420 US per person for premium economy. I’m afraid I won’t be able to lift my row five, middle seat armrest up in PE… And more confident I can move to an economy grow and stretch out overnight easily. What do you think?
Hey Matthew, FYI the amenity kit has a – Lufthansa Premium Economy – label sewn inside the zipper 🙂
The local inter city buses in India have great seat recline and better space. Airliners should have the sense to extend a human outlook for economy travelers. The economy restrictions are sheer idiocy. When bus transports in India are providing better seats for 10 hours travelling, international airlines with so much of income should provide more.
This review fails to highlight the obvious.
It is not Business Minus.
It is called premium ECONOMY. So it is an enhanced premium economy and has to be viewed as that.
Compared to a lie-flat bad, anything sucks.
When I am in Premium Economy I don’t think of how I miss the lie-flat but how much I am NOT missing the inhumane regular economy class.
When looking at longhaul business travel miles or points don’t care. So you are looking at $1100 economy, $2800 premium economy and $7,000 business. Of course there are super deals out there, but those are not uncommon prices.
While more than double than economy, PE is 1/3 of business and that’s how I look at it.
IMO, totally worth it not be in Economy like cattle.
Finally, somebody who gets it. I never understood why people compare PE to BC? PE is a step up from economy with nothing to do with BC. If you want to compare BC to anything than compare it to your bed at home whether the flat bed meets the comfort of your bed. I fly to India from Canada. I have realized in all my years travelling back and forth economy has gotten worse and people bigger. Sorry, it’s true. Not me though. (5’9″ at 175lbs). Years ago returning from India could not get a reserved seat so ended up in the middle literally getting squished the whole way. I promised never again. I happily pay the PE difference for extra leg room, recline and ARM REST! Yes, that piece of real estate on flights that can make or break your comfort. :o) Happy flying!
PUT THE PREMIUM IN “PREMIUM ECONOMY”
I paid extra ($200) for premium economy class on a flight from Newark NJ to Frankfurt Germany and it was the worst flight if my life.
I wasn’t assigned a seat until I checked in. It ended up being in the exit row. When I got to my seat, there was a blanket, a pillow and headphones on the seat. As I settled in for the 7 hour flight I realized that because there was no seat in front of me, just open space, there was no place to store all the stuff already on the seat, not to mention my book, my reading glasses, and my own headphones which btw I didn’t need anyway because I did not see anyway to watch a movie or listen to music and no one helped me to figure that out. I also had to store my purse and shoes in the overhead compartment. Very inconvenient!!
The footrest was a joke. It took 2 of us..myself and the flight attendant..to open it so I could put my feet on it and when I did my feet were touching the floor. This was mainly because the seat itself was so short from front to back it caused me to slide forward when I used the footrest.
After a struggle and assistance from the flight attendant I was able to recline the seatback SLIGHTLY mainly to stop me from sliding forward, the passenger behind politely asked me to put it back to the upright position to give her room.
When dinner was served I had to move all the above mentioned items from my lap to the overhead compartment to make room for the tray. I sat with the dinner tray on my lap for 45 minutes after I was done eating. Then, after dinner I had to get up and retrieve my things from the overhead.
I couldn’t sleep or even relax because I was so uncomfortable.
Lufthansa..you need to rethink your so called “Premium Economy” class.
I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN OF AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT. I WANT TO TRAVEL FROM MUMBAI TO
ORLANDO . IN ECONOMY CLASS I CAN’T SLEEP A WINK. AIR FARE ON PREMIUM ECONOMY IS 50% MORE.
WHICH AIRLINE OFFERS THE MOST COMFORT ON PE ? I WILL APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN GUIDE OR ADVISE
ME.
I recommend Virgin Atlantic as the best followed by Air France and British Airways.
I don’t fly much ( I think until last year I had jumped out of more planes than I had actually taken off and landed in) but, I think, after a flight from JFK to LHR last year, There might be an additional aspect to consider that I haven’t seen mentioned very often…The plane. My wife and I flew out on a Boeing 787-9 on Premium Economy., I was just as comfortable as I would have been in my own living room. The flight back was on an Airbus A330, not terribly uncomfortable, for a flight, but was not as nice as the 787-9. Many things to consider though, the Boeing plane was much more new, so less wear, more accoutrements, brighter feel, and the obvious build difference in the planes (flying at comparably lower atmospheres in the 787-9), 787-9 flight was an overnight flight and the Airbus flight was a daytime flight. So as a novice this may not be helpful but it seemed like an issue to me and may add to equaling the comparison field. I am searching for my next flight to London in April and have been looking for 6 months now. Premium economy seems to offer wildly different assumptions across airlines. Again, as a novice I must defer to flyers like yourself, and I would suggest others do the same, but the aircraft may sometimes make the difference. One more thing, Airlines add another whole element. Norwegian for instance seems to offer a 3-4-3 seating set. I fly with my wife so a 2-4-2 is a much better option, a comfort addition worth the cash to us. I could go on, but I need to stop. My main point was, the plane makes a huge difference, he airline makes a difference, And the age of the plane makes a difference. Sorry for the long winded post. )
Any comments on Austrian Airlines (United) PE seating? We are flying from US to Vienna, and Frankfurt back to US. I’m 6’7”, trying not to pay for business class. My wife is normal height, 5’7”.
Hi Matthew, thank you for this article, am an inexperienced traveler, though traveled international several times. And, worked for an airline (in IT…so its no use of that when it comes to booking a ticket 🙂 ). How do you buy miles directly so you can upgrade the class of service?
wow…qatar too? thx for the heads up. recently flew swiss economy (cologne, zürich, joburg) what a nightmare. had that box thing. we´d paid extra for prefered area seats too. absolutely dreadful (took 3 days to recover) and never ever again!
I just bid $505.00 US dollars per seat, to upgrade to premium economy on the flight from Vancouver to Munich.
From the reviews above I think I have just wasted my money!
I hate the bidding system.
Passengers with inside knowledge would be able to know how packed the flights are and bid accordingly.
The average passenger would have no idea where to place their bid.
We made the mistake of having a biking company handle the air transportation.
They messed up and failed to book us in business class for the long haul flights.
I just want to stay home now…..:(
Typically I’ll reserve an exit row seat for the extra room to stretch my legs ($100 extra) but there were all taken. I then placed a bid to premium economy for only $15 more than the minimum (start bid was $200) and my offer was accepted! In my mind, I was only really paying $115 more. I have flown premium economy before and although it made a more comfortable journey than economy, I was not blown away. However, if you can get it for a low price, it’s fabulous!
Could you please tell me if the armrests between the two middle seats in can be lifted up in the Lufthansa’s 747-800 PE? Thanks!
Yes, they can.