Is QANTAS Premium Economy Worth the Extra Cost?

During the many, many years David and I wandered the globe with our two sons, we would sit in the back of aeroplanes fantasising about the years ahead when, no longer needing to buy four airline tickets for every trip, we might be able to afford to travel in comfort in the pointy end of the aeroplane. Naively, we imagined the cost of four tickets in economy class would be about equal to two in business class - premium economy had not yet been invented.


We were wrong! Either that, or somebody changed the rules. Today business class on a long haul flight can be anything up to 8 times the cost of an economy ticket.  Although we have on the odd occasion tasted the intoxicating elixir of business class travel, the many thousands of dollars we save by resisting this temptation allows us to stay in some very nice hotel rooms instead. Given the choice, we would rather sleep in luxury at our destination than have a lay flat bed on the journey over. Whilst economy class has improved over the years, particularly with the introduction of the A380, it is still a long way from being a pleasant experience. This is where premium economy comes in. We fit the target profile: economy class passengers who are happy to pay a little bit more for the privilege of not feeling like livestock on their way to market.

What you get with premium economy.

More seat room 

The big drawcard of premium economy is having more space to stretch out. I could give you statistics on exactly how much extra width and leg room you get (about 15 cms) but frankly if you are anything like me it will mean very little. Suffice it to say that the seat goes back further, there is more legroom and there are a lot more centimetres from one arm rest to the other than there are in the seats at the back of the bus. You might wish you had a lie flat bed on night flights, but during the day you have more than enough room to be comfortable. 

The only real drawback is when the seat in front of you is fully reclined. For some reason it feels worse in premium economy to have your little patch of the sky trespassed on by the guy in front. The only solution to this, apart from luck, is to pre-book your seats early enough to select the front row behind the bulkhead.

There is more leg room but it can still feel squashy if the guy in front reclines his seat.

Your own cabin

The separate cabin, partitioned off by curtains, allows the stewards to lay on the personal service and make you feel less like one of the herd.  Expect to be greeted by name and given a pre-flight orange juice or champagne. Neither of these adds much to the experience for me but for some bizarre reason David is a great fan of the OJ. He feels very left out if he doesn't get it.

Orange juice anyone?

Separate check-in and priority boarding

This seems to vary according to the airport you depart from. It isn't always available at airports outside Australia. 

Better meal service

The meal service is generally more pleasant than in economy. The smaller cabin size means those in the last row don't have to wait too long for their turn. The white tablecloths, china plates and real cutlery make quite a difference but I honestly don't think the food is that much better. When we first flew premium economy in 2010 business class food was served, but that changed a few years ago. If good food is what you are after, I would go to a restaurant instead, because you are never going to get a gourmet experience 40,000 or so feet in the air.

David assures me the wines are superb - definitely his area of expertise rather than mine.

Premium Economy food: The china plates and real cutlery are a nice touch..

Entertainment 

The screens are larger and the noise cancelling headphones are a big plus - you can actually hear the movie soundtracks. The power points and USB ports on some of the newer aircraft are also a bonus.

What you don't get with premium economy.

A lie flat bed

By far the biggest difference between premium economy and business class is the ability to recline the seat into a flat bed.  If, like David and I, you fly as a couple you might prefer the premium economy seats during the day. They haven't followed the business class trend of creating isolated cocoons for each passenger. This means you can talk to your travelling partner without having to crane your head around a separating screen. On long night flights however nothing compares with being able to lay back in a flat bed.

An A330 business class seat. It converts into a reasonably comfortable bed at night.

Access to the lounge

If you want access to the lounge you will have to join the QANTAS club because this is something you won't get with your premium economy seat. Instead you get to wait at the gate, where there are never enough seats, with everyone else.

Express passes for a quicker trip though customs and immigration

Don't expect an express pass with your premium economy ticket. For that privilege you are going to have to fly business.

Is QANTAS premium economy worth the extra cost?

If you have enough frequent flyer points to splash out on an upgrade then go for it, otherwise it depends on your destination. On some routes the extra cost is so much greater than an economy ticket I would advise sticking to the back of the bus. On other routes the extra cost isn't too bad. For example, you can buy an economy ticket from Sydney to Los Angeles for about $1200, while a premium economy ticket will set you back a whopping $4400. However on the Sydney to Santiago route premium economy only costs an additional $950. Sydney to Johannesburg is equally competitive. Sydney to London is not.


Note: I have focused in this post on QANTAS premium economy because I have first hand experience of it.  I understand that Air New Zealand and Lufthansa are also quite good. Don't assume other airlines' premium economy classes will be the same high standard.

Tell me what you think. Is premium economy worth the extra cost? Have you flown premium economy on QANTAS or another airline?

Note: This is not a sponsored post. David and I have always paid our own way when flying.

Related blog posts - 

• 35J and 35K on a Qantas A380: The Best Economy Seats in the Sky!

• The 7 most annoying things in hotel rooms and how to fix them!

• 13 tips to make flying easier - or how not to go nuts on a long haul flight

• Booking an airline ticket yourself: How to avoid some common mistakes

• Tips and tricks to get the best hotel room at the best rate

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