the seats in an airplane
Which Airlines Offer the Best Premium Economy Seats?

Which Airlines Offer the Best Premium Economy Seats?

As travelers increasingly seek enhanced comfort and space during their flights, Premium Economy Class has become a popular choice. Offering more legroom and wider seats than standard Economy, the PEY class provides passengers with an upgraded flying experience.

In this article, we have listed airlines offering some of the best Premium Economy seats, with a focus on their legroom and seat width.

Japan Airlines and Norse Atlantic Airways, with impressive legroom, take the lead in providing a spacious and comfortable experience. Air New Zealand and Emirates also stand out, offering ample legroom and wider seats, making them excellent choices for passengers seeking an elevated flying experience.

Japan Airlines

  • Legroom: 42 inches
  • Seat Width: 19.3 inches (B787), 18.9 inches (B777-300/ER)

Japan Airlines is a standout, providing a generous 42 inches of legroom in Premium Economy on its Boeing 787s. Even on their B777-300/ERs, JAL maintains 42 inches of legroom, however, the seat width shrinks to 18.9 inches.

Note that Japan Airlines’ Premium Economy seats are in hard shells, so they cannot be reclined. Instead, the seat simply slides forward.

the seats in an airplane
Japan Airlines Premium Economy

Norse Atlantic Airways

  • Legroom: 43-46 inches
  • Seat Width: 19 inches

Norse Atlantic offers an impressive legroom of 43 to 46 inches and 19 inches of seat width on their Boeing 787 with 56 Premium Economy Seats.

Air New Zealand

  • Legroom: 41 inches
  • Seat Width: 19.3 inches

Air New Zealand offers 41 inches of legroom and 19.3-inch seat width, which is one of the most sought-after Premium Economy experiences.

a row of seats in an airplane
Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Premium Economy

Emirates

  • Legroom: 40 inches
  • Seat Width: 19.5 inches

In December 2020, Emirates unveiled its full Premium Economy offering becoming the only airline in the Middle East region to offer a Premium Economy cabin. On a four-class Emirates A380, the Premium Economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck with 56 seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Emirates, which has recently embarked on billions of dollars worth of reconfiguration, provides one of the most popular Premium Economy Class. Once onboard, the cream-colored leather seats offer a seat pitch of up to 40 inches, they are 19.5 inches wide, and recline 8 inches into a cradle position with room to stretch out.

a row of seats in an airplane
Emirates A380 Premium Economy

Cathay Pacific

  • Legroom: 40 inches (A350), 36-38 on other aircraft type
  • Seat Width: 19 inches (A350), 19.5 on other aircraft type

Cathay Pacific impresses with 40 inches of legroom and 19-inch seat width on its A350 aircraft. In other aircraft types, passengers can still enjoy between 36-38 inches of legroom and a comfortable 19.5-inch seat width in the PE cabin.

Premium Economy Class Deal
Cathay Pacific Premium Economy

Air France

  • Legroom: 40 inches (A330/B787), 38 inches on other aircraft type
  • Seat Width: 19 inches

Air France offers 40 inches of legroom on its A330 and B787 aircraft. However, the French carrier offers 38 inches of legroom and 19-inch seat width in the majority of its other aircraft.

Most PEY seats on Air France are in a fixed hard shell that only slides forward. Please note only PEY seats on refurbished B777-300/ER offer back recline.

a man sitting in an airplane seat

Vietnam Airlines

  • Legroom: 42 inches
  • Seat Width: 19 inches

Vietnam Airlines also offers a great choice for travelers looking for extra space. Their Premium Economy Class on eight of the newer B787-9 aircraft offers an impressive 42 inches of legroom and 19-inch seat width.

a row of seats in an airplane
Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787 Premium Economy

China Airlines

  • Legroom: 39 inches
  • Seat Width: 20 inches (A350), 19 inches (B777)

China Airlines’ A350 offers an enticing 39 inches of legroom and a spacious 20-inch seat width. They also provide a comfortable 39/19 seat configuration on selective B777 aircraft. Moreover, it offers a 2-3-2 configuration on board its A350 aircraft (instead of the usual 2-4-2 in PEY), thus offering wider seats.

Lufthansa

  • Legroom: 39 inches (Allegris PEY), 38 inches on other aircraft type
  • Seat Width: 19.5 inches (Allegris PEY), 18/18.5 inches on other aircraft type

Lufthansa offers Premium Economy passengers 39 inches of legroom and 19.5-inch seat width on those aircraft equipped with the Allegeris seat. Additionally, they also provide a 2-3-2 configuration in selective A350 aircraft, becoming the only second airline after China Airlines to do so. However, please note that these seats are in a fixed hard shell that only slides forward.

a row of seats in a room
Lufthansa Allegris Premium Economy

Virgin Atlantic

  • Legroom: 38 inches
  • Seat Width: 21 inches (A330ceo/B787), 18.5 inches (A330neo/A350)

Virgin Atlantic’s A330ceo and B787 aircraft offer 38 inches of legroom and an impressive 21-inch seat width. For their A330neo and A350 aircraft, passengers can still enjoy a comfortable 38/18.5 configuration.

Qantas

  • Legroom: 38-39 inches (39 on A380, 38 on B787)
  • Seat Width: 19-20 inches (19 on A380, 20 on B787)

Qantas offers a range of legroom and seat width options in their Premium Economy Class, including 39 inches of legroom and 19-inch seat width on the A380 superjumbos and 38 inches of legroom and 20-inch seat width on their B787s.

Qantas to place Boeing 787 on Sydney - San Francisco route
Qantas Boeing 787 Premium Economy

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines offers a special edition of its Premium Economy seats on its Airbus A350-900ULR with a legroom of over 38 inches. There are a total of 94 Premium Economy Class seats, with no standard economy seats on the A350-900ULR. The seating is in a 2-4-2 configuration.

What’s interesting are the solo seats in a 1-3-1 configuration towards the back of the aircraft. Due to the plane’s curvature, there are additional storage bins next to the seat. These seats are 40/41/42 C and H.

Premium Economy Class Deal
Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR Premium Economy

Summary

Premium Economy Class
AirlinesLegroom (inches)Width (inches)
Japan Airlines4219.3 (B787)
18.9 (B777-300/ER)
Norse Atlantic Airways43-4619
Air New Zealand4119
Emirates4019.5
LOT Polish Airlines41 (B787-9)18
Cathay Pacific40 (A350)
36-38 on other aircraft type
19 (A350)
19.5 on other aircraft type
Air France40 (A330/B787)
38 on other aircraft type
19
Vietnam Airlines42 (Eight B787-9 Only)19 (Eight B787-9 Only)
China Airlines3920
19 (B777)
Lufthansa39 (Allegris PE)
38 on other aircraft type
19.5 (Allegris PE)
18/18.5 on other aircraft type
Virgin Atlantic3821 (A330ceo/B787)
18.5 (A330neo/A350)
Qantas39 (A380)
38 (B787)
19 (A380)
20 (B787)
ANA3819
19.5 (B777)
Singapore Airlines3819
British Airways3818/18.5
EVA Air3819.5
KLM38 (select B777/B787)18/18.5 (select B777/B787)
Air Canada38 (A330/B787)
38 on Seven B777-300/ER
37 on the rest of B777
19 (A330/B787)
20 (B777)
Finnair38 (A350 and Select A330)18.7 (A350 and Select A330)
Delta3818.5
United3819 (B767/787)
18.5 (B777)
American Airlines3819 (B787-9/B777-300/ER)
18.5 on other aircraft type
China Southern3818.8 (A350)
19 (B787)
19.2 (B777-300/ER)