Many airlines have begun to introduce a new level of service, positioned between Coach Class and Business Class. Cathay Pacific now offers a Premium Economy service on their international flights. I had the opportunity to fly Premium Economy on a recent 13 hour flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and here’s what I thought about it:
Seats
Premium Economy offers a larger, wider seat with more legroom and more space between seats. To me, this is where a lot of the value is in upgrading from Coach. The seats are in a 2-4-2 configuration and I felt the additional space immediately. The seats do not fully recline, but they do go very far back and I was able to sleep comfortably. A feature I really liked was that each seat has a power outlet for charging devices during the flight. The seats are in groups of two with small flat tables between them, creating more space. The seats also feature a footrest that extends out, it’s very comfortable while sitting and adds to the space when fully reclined and trying to sleep. The headrest is also adjustable.
Price
The Cathay Pacific Premium Economy seats cost about 60% more than a coach ticket. For example, to travel the first week of March 2013, from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, a coach ticket is available for $1127.38. A seat in Premium Economy is $1827.38, still a long way away from the Business Class fare of $6,267.38. Those prices are for round-trip tickets, including all taxes and charges, and are from Cathay Pacific’s website.
Convenience
This aspect of the service also impressed me. In Hong Kong, there was a separate boarding line for Premium Economy and we boarded the plane after First Class and Business Class passengers, but before the Economy Class group. The Premium Economy section, with just under 40 seats, is separated by curtains, creating a nice little private zone. The area features two restrooms, which was also convenient. When the plane landed, we were able to get off after the First and Business Class passengers, before the rush of the Coach group. The Premium Economy area also seemed to have several dedicated flight attendants, which also made food and drink service very quick and the overall service level was very attentive. Premium Economy passengers also get a larger baggage allowance , up to two bags weighing 55 pounds.
Amenities
As happens in First or Business Class, as soon as I sat down, a flight attendant appeared with a tray of glasses of water, champagne and orange juice, which always makes for a pleasant start of a flight. We were given little amenity kits (from Hong Kong designer Goods of Desire) with a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye shades, moisturizer, socks and earplugs.
Each seat features a nice-sized 10.6″ video screen with a staggering array of movies, TV shows and other entertainment. I enjoyed playing “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” (over and over again without winning) and watched several movies. The system has inputs to connect a personal device to play your own content. Premium Economy passengers are also given noise-cancelling headphones, which also made the flight quiet and enjoyable.
Meals
The meals are very good and seem to be very similar to the meals I saw served in Business Class. Passenger meals are served on real china, and you get real silverware and glasses. A nice menu is presented to each passenger offering several selections, a Western or an Asian entree. The menu also included a breakfast section, as we were served dinner after take-off and breakfast about ten hours later. I had a grilled Australian beef tenderloin with mushroom cream sauce, roasted potatoes, carrots and zucchini. The steak was great and the salad, a mesclun salad with Parma ham and balsamic dressing was amazing, and I asked for (and got) a second one.
Is it worth it?
I think the Premium Economy service does provide a good value and offers convenience and comfort worth the additional cost. On flights to Asia that can be 14 or 15 hours, being cramped in a small seat, tightly surrounded by other travelers can be unbearable. The Premium Economy service offers a higher level of service without having to pay five times the price of a Coach ticket for a Business Class ticket to get it. I think with an airline like Cathay Pacific, that caters to and understands how to serve First and Business Class passengers, you get that same high level of personalized service in Premium Economy, adding to the value received for that higher ticket price.
