Weston: Is premium economy airfare worth it?

WHAT ABOUT THE EXTRAS?

The amenities and customer service you get in premium economy vary. Some, including premium economy pioneer Virgin Atlantic, offer priority check-in counters, cushy seats, amenity kits, plenty of good-quality food and expedited baggage handling. Others, such as discount carrier Norwegian Air, skimp on the extras, offering less to its premium economy customers than other airlines provide in coach.

For example: Free snacks and meals are pretty standard on international flights, even in economy. Norwegian, however, offers no free food other than small meals served in boxes to premium economy passengers. The carrier also reduced the weight limit for free checked bags from the industry standard of 50 pounds to just 44 pounds, and puts a weight limit on carry-ons (22 pounds).

SeatGuru can give you some idea of the space you can expect, and the airline’s site usually details what’s included with your fare.

ARE YOU PAYING MORE FOR LESS?

The airfare you pay doesn’t necessarily reflect what you get. For an April trip from Los Angeles to London, for example, Kayak shows a $1,698 premium economy fare for Virgin Atlantic versus $1,747 charged by Norwegian. (Air New Zealand, winner of TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travelers’ Choice Awards for best premium economy, charges $1,612.)

The lowest economy fares for the same route: $638 for Virgin Atlantic, $556 for Norwegian and $576 for Air New Zealand. Which means that the premium you would pay for premium economy — the amount above the airline’s economy fare — is substantially more for Norwegian than the other two carriers. Business class fares on the same route start at $3,033 for Virgin Atlantic and $2,842 for Air New Zealand. Norwegian doesn’t have business class.

WHEN TO SPRING FOR PREMIUM ECONOMY

The gap between economy and premium economy fares tends to narrow as the date of travel nears, airline experts say. If you book a ticket within three months of departure, for example, you may pay only a few hundred dollars more to get premium economy, which could be a good deal.

Airlines may also give you the opportunity to upgrade — again, for a few hundred bucks, and sometimes less — when you check in, if all the premium economy seats haven’t been sold.

Paying the full price for premium economy can make sense in some circumstances. Enduring five or more hours in a cramped coach seat may be hard for older or taller travelers.

A good premium economy cabin also can enhance special occasions, such as a honeymoon, or a business trip where you need to arrive in fairly good shape. You just need to do some research to make sure that what you get will be worth the additional money.