Premium economy is a travel class offered on some airlines. This travel class is positioned between 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 has become a standard reflecting what Economy was like 40 years ago (or more); 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.
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Characteristics
As of 2011, 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.
Air New Zealand's and Qantas' Premium Economy and Virgin America's First include amenities such as prioritized check-in, large customized seats (some for couples, others targeting solo travelers), seat pitch up to 41 inches (104 cm) 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 2-5 inches (5-13 cm) 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. These more limited travel class versions are more similar to traditional Economy class before airlines started reducing the quality and amenities of Economy Class over the past few decades, and arguably are not a true Premium Economy class.
Service codes used by airlines vary, but are usually in W, R or T - for example, Virgin Atlantic uses W as a subclass code for its Premium Economy product.
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Examples of differences
Differences between Premium Economy and 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.
Airlines
Airlines offering this service include:
Some airlines no longer offer Premium economy:
- Olympic Air: If passengers were travelling aboard a Bombardier Dash 8, the seat next to them could remain empty upon their request. This service was branded as "Premium Economy Class" and cost more than normal Economy Class. Moreover, they could use premium check-in facilities, if available, and were offered a welcome drink on board. Aircraft other than the Dash 8 didn't offer Premium Economy, but Business Class, which was discontinued immediately after the airline's buyout. Premium Economy was discontinued after the airline buyout too, because of its similarities to the business class of the company who bought Olympic Air, Aegean Airlines.
- South African Airways: SAA never had a designated Premium Economy cabin, but the upper decks of their 747-400 aircraft featured Economy Class seats with 35 inches of legroom, compared to 31 inches in the main cabin. However, these seats were very exclusive, because they were mainly reserved for Voyager Platinum and Star Alliance Gold passengers. The 747-400 was retired from SAA's fleet in 2007, and thus the Premium Economy product was retired as well.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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