Economy vs. Premium Economy: Is the upgrade worth it on AA, BA, and Qantas?

Quick summary (TL;DR)

• Premium Economy is almost always worth booking when the fare difference over standard Economy is small.
• More legroom and a deeper recline are the main reasons to pay more, though Premium Economy tickets also come with other goodies you won't find in coach.
• Premium Economy seats aboard AA, BA, and QF often come with at least 6 additional inches of pitch and a noticeably wider cushion, as well as a footrest.
• You can track Premium Economy fare buckets with ExpertFlyer to be the first to know when fares become available.

Overview

If you're anything like the typical traveler, your primary concern is likely booking airfare as inexpensively as possible. That means focusing on economy seats with the deepest discounts. The thought of paying for a better seat, like Premium Economy, may not enter your mind.

But in some cases, it's absolutely worth the splurge.

Premium Economy generally appears only on long-haul flights. It's the middle ground between standard coach and fancy business class. You'll often get a larger seat, more legroom, even a deeper recline, and a footrest in some cases. This ticket class also tends to come with additional helpful perks beyond just a better seat, from priority boarding to extra checked baggage allowances to free alcohol. The exact suite of benefits depends on the specific airline, but make no mistake, the reason to shell out the extra money is primarily for the seat itself.

Three airlines with popular Premium Economy products are American Airlines, British Airways, and Qantas. Let's take a look at each to help you better understand if it's worth upgrading your economy seat.

American Airlines: Main Cabin vs Premium Economy

American Airlines operates its Premium Economy seat aboard long-haul international and transcontinental routes from its hubs to locations around Asia, South America, Europe, and Oceania.

You can expect a seat with up to 3.3 inches of extra width and about 7 inches of additional legroom compared to a Main Cabin seat, depending on the specific aircraft. That's considerably more comfortable conditions over Main Cabin, or even Main Cabin Extra.

Below are the material differences between American Airlines Main Cabin and Premium Economy.

The price difference between Main Cabin and Premium Economy can sometimes be reasonable, but in general, expect to be paying several hundred dollars above Main Cabin. You can also use the "Instant Upgrade" option to use your miles for an upgrade to Premium Economy. But we find that miles used this way are typically worth around 1 cent each, which isn't a great deal.

British Airways: World Traveller vs World Traveller Plus

British Airways' version of Economy, called "World Traveller," flies on long-haul between London (LHR) and non-European destinations.

British Airways Economy has famously narrow seats at between 16 and 17 inches. Its Premium Economy offers up to 19 inches of space, which makes a big difference when the fuselage is that cramped.

Below are the differences to look for.

British Airways also allows you to upgrade your current flight with Avios points by simply charging the difference between the two fares.

Qantas: Economy vs Premium Economy

Qantas flies its Premium Economy on select routes within Australia and to the vast majority of international destinations it serves.

Aboard its larger aircraft, Qantas Premium Economy delivers an above-average difference in terms of space. Economy gets a pretty mediocre 17.2 inches in width, while Premium Economy gets a whopping 22.8 inches. That's over 30% larger.

You can also look forward to the following upgrades to the experience.

Qantas allows you to place a bid for an upgrade. You can use either cash or a mix of both cash and Qantas points. You can also try for last-minute upgrades at the airport. Or, you can opt for an Upgrade Reward using Qantas points exclusively. Qantas publishes an award chart for upgrades, so it's easier to anticipate the upgrade price than with many other carriers.

Should you upgrade?

The biggest deciding factor when considering an upgrade is (of course) the price. Premium Economy is superior to Economy, so you're trying to decide if the upcharge is worth all the goodies and extra comforts you'll get.

Here are a few things to consider:

• What time is your flight? If your flight is at night, you may value the ability to get a relatively comfortable sleep more highly than if you're leaving in the morning.
• Do you value the ability to lay across multiple seats? Premium Economy seats are often separated by an immovable barrier. You can't lift up the armrests like you can with an Economy seat. If you've got kids that sleep on your lap across the row, that's out of the question.
• Is it just legroom you need? If your main concern is getting a few more inches to stretch your legs, booking a Main Cabin Extra or equivalent seat can deliver that without the other frills that come with Premium Economy.
• Will you pay for extras that are otherwise free with Premium Economy? If you're going to check multiple bags anyway, or if you want the freedom to make same-day flight changes, factor that into the final price when calculating the discrepancy between the Premium Economy price and the Economy price. The prices may be closer than they appear.

Also, keep in mind that if you have airline elite status, you may get some Premium Economy-esque perks, anyway, including the potential to be upgraded to a Premium Economy seat for free (though if you're not willing to risk it, you're better off just paying for it).

Monitor Premium Economy seats with ExpertFlyer

Whether you'd like to book a Premium Economy seat with cash or points, ExpertFlyer is the best way to keep an eye on the specific flight, route, and date you need. Here's a general cheat sheet for which fare classes to track:

• American Airlines:
  • W, X — Premium Economy award
  • P — Premium Economy revenue
• British Airways:
  • T — Premium Economy award
  • W, E — Premium Economy revenue
• Qantas:
  • Z — Premium Economy award
  • T, R, W — Premium Economy revenue

Once you've identified the type of fare you want, enter it into either ExpertFlyer's Awards & Upgrades tool or its Flight Availability tool.

For example: When searching for a British Airways Premium Economy award between New York (JFK) and London (LHR), enter "T" as your fare class and "BA" as the operating carrier.

You can then see which days offer award seats and how many seats are available for each specific flight. If no seats are available, click the bell icon to the right and create an alert. When more seats are released, you'll be the first to know.

Bottom line

To decide whether Premium Economy aboard American Airlines, British Airways, or Qantas is worth paying for depends on your budget and how you value the perks that come with Premium Economy. For example, are you willing to pay hundreds (or thousands) more for more space and a deeper recline? It could mean a truly decent night's sleep aboard a long-haul night flight.

Assess the total cost of a standard Economy flight (after paying for things like checked bags and seat selection, onboard drinks, etc.), and hold that up to a Premium Economy fare. If the price is negligible, it's a no-brainer to upgrade.