Seat Pitch Is Not Everything: 6 Premium Economy Perks Airlines Hide

Published Aug 19, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT Daniel comes to Simple Flying with a business focused approach to the aviation world. Daniel enjoys analyzing strategy and how companies move against each other to gain a step ahead in the skies. Besides strategy, Daniel also has a passion for aircraft design and the history of aviation. Based in New York Premium economy is the newest travel class, having only emerged in hte 1990s, and it's in high demand worldwide due to what it offers for the price point, while airlines are finding that the cabin is just as or even more lucrative than business class. It's only become mainstream over the past decade and a half, and there are still some differences between different airlines in what these tickets actually give you. The unifying aspect across nearly every airline is that premium economy includes more legroom, but while there are other common traits (including a larger seat), some airlines offer more benefits than others, and these perks can look different as well. Some of these benefits might not even be related to the flight itself, although they are still important even if they're less obvious. Higher Mileage Earning Rates Particularly useful when seeking status Credit: Shutterstock If you can afford to fly in premium economy regularly, the chances are that you have a preference for one airline, and carriers reward loyalty with points. Premium economy tickets can be pricey, but airlines also award more miles with these tickets, improving the value proposition of buying up. Naturally, any revenue-based program will earn more miles since those are directly correlated with the ticket price, but there's more to it than that. Not all airlines operate revenue-based loyalty programs, with many carriers outside of the US running distance-based programs. However, booking premium economy on these airlines still earns more miles than economy. The same is true for carriers operating segment-based programs. In addition, airlines will often offer more bonus miles to qualify for elite status, making it a better choice for moving up the status ladder than economy. Loyalty programs are crucial to airline performance, in part because of the economics of points/miles, but this also keeps customers tied to the brand. Airlines ultimately all sell the same product (flights), and the passenger experience doesn't differ that much among most of the world's full-service carriers. However, by offering various perks through the loyalty program, customers are incentivized to stay with one specific airline instead of just booking based on price, and boosting mileage earnings for premium economy tickets makes it more appealing. More Attentive Service A function of the small cabin size Credit: Shutterstock Unlike business class, airlines don't usually staff dedicated flight attendants for premium economy. Instead, cabin crew work both premium economy and economy. However, the flight attendants will serve premium economy first, which means your meals are served and cleared away before everyone else. What's more, the service itself is usually done quickly, which means that even those at the back of the cabin won't have to wait for very long during service. This is mainly a function of the small cabin sizes that you see on most airlines. Because premium economy is a relatively new offering, airlines have less data on passenger demand. As such, many carriers have installed small premium economy cabins, and those that have been more liberal with cabin sizes generally installed premium economy at the expense of business class. Delta Air Lines with its former 777s and original A350 layouts is a classic example of this. Delta Air Lines Aircraft DeltaOne Premium Select Economy Total Seats Airbus A350-900 (359) 32 suites 48 seats 226 seats 306 seats Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777-200LR 28 suites 48 seats 220 seats 296 seats Because of the increase in demand for the cabin, airlines have been increasing the sizes of premium economy cabins. Indeed, American Airlines and Air France's latest 777-300ER layouts feature 44 premium economy seats, up from 28 seats in the past (Air France operates multiple 777-300ER layouts, and this applies only to its four-class configuration). As such, service may end up taking more time in the future, although it'll still be swifter and more attentive than in economy, as well as arguably in business class. Dedicated Lavatories Dependent on the airline and the aircraft Credit: Shutterstock You've had your dinner and the cabin lights have dimmed, indicating that it's time to sleep. After a can of Coke with your meal and another can at the airport, you desperately need to use the restroom, but most of the other passengers are on the same schedule as you, and the closest lavatories already have lines, while the rear-most lavatories may be far away. In premium economy, however, this is less of a problem because some airlines offer dedicated lavatories for premium economy passengers. This is mainly a function of how specific aircraft are configured. Airlines usually install lavatories near exits, which means that premium economy may get a dedicated set of restrooms if the cabin is located directly behind a set of exits. Airbus A380 Operator Premium Economy Cabin Location Airbus A380 Operator Premium Economy Cabin Location All Nippon Airways Rear of upper deck Lufthansa Front of main deck British Airways Upper deck ahead of third set of exits Qantas Rear of upper deck Emirates Front of main deck or front of upper deck Singapore Airlines Front of main deck American Airlines' Boeing 777-300ERs (the older layout with 28 premium economy seats specifically) feature two sets of lavatories by the third set of exits for premium economy, and the entire cabin is located behind these exits. However, the aircraft type where this is most common is the Airbus A380. Some A380 operators with premium economy install the cabin on the main deck between the first and second set of exits, and they also usually install two lavatories within this space. Economy passengers are generally not permitted to use them, while premium passengers on the upper deck are directed to the lavatories upstairs. Meanwhile, it's more common on single-deck airliners for premium economy passengers to share lavatories with business class or to not have dedicated lavatories. An Improved Soft Product Subtle touches to upgrade the flight Credit: Shutterstock In the airline industry, the term 'hard product' refers to fixed components of the cabin, primarily the seats, whereas 'soft product' denotes the more variable parts of the onboard experience. This includes service and catering, as well as other, more subtle touches. The soft product often has a greater impact on the inflight experience than just the seats and screens, and many airlines offer an upgraded soft product compared to economy. Airlines often provide premium economy passengers with amenity kits, which may include items like sleeping masks and socks. You also sometimes see this in economy, but less often. The blanket and pillow are usually upgraded compared to economy. As previously mentioned, the service is usually more attentive since there are far fewer passengers, while you may also see upgraded catering, hot towels, and menu cards. The soft product is arguably even more important than hard product for premium economy. While the seat itself is a major upgrade, soft product upgrades are what make the difference between a larger economy seat and a truly elevated product. Without elevating the soft product, premium economy is essentially equivalent to an extra-legroom economy seat like those sold by US airlines. Upgraded Catering Not the case on all airlines Credit: Shutterstock We previously discussed the soft product as being crucial to creating the premium economy experience, since the seat itself is mainly just a larger economy seat with more legroom. For the most part, airlines do invest in elevating the soft product in their premium economy cabins, and this is also true of the catering, where carriers provide better meals on nicer plates. Emirates is arguably the airline that is the most extravagant with its premium economy catering. It offers a rotating seasonal menu with regional themes, serving generous portions that are plated on fine china with pretty metal cutlery and placed on a white tablecloth. Emirates' service is also known to be excellent, and the carrier provides an extensive beverage menu, which includes select wines from the business class menu. However, not all airlines invest in upgraded catering for premium economy. In most cases, the meals are still presented differently to distinguish themselves from economy, and you'll also often have more choices than in economy. As premium economy becomes more mainstream, however, airlines are investing more in premium economy catering to remain competitive. Lounge Access Offered by very few airlines. Credit: Shutterstock Lounge access has traditionally only been reserved for business/first class passengers and elite frequent flyers. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, however, also permit premium economy passengers to visit lounges at select airports. Both airlines grant premium economy customers access to their lounges at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT), and Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). Meanwhile, JAL also grants access to its 'Sakura' lounges in Osaka, Nagoya, Manila, Bangkok, and Frankfurt. In addition to their own lounges, these two airlines also send passengers to lounges operated by partner airlines, and some of these admit premium economy passengers. Meanwhile, most airlines do sell lounge access to all passengers, and Air Canada, Lufthansa, SWISS, as well as Austrian Airlines offer discounts for premium economy passengers. While lounge access is not usually included, premium economy does usually include other perks on the ground. This includes dedicated check-in desks and priority boarding. Although this isn't an extensive list of benefits, it does make the ground experience more streamlined and less chaotic compared to flying economy.