United Airlines Premium Plus Review: Worth It to Europe?

Premium economy has become our Goldilocks option between cramped economy and expensive business class on long-haul international flights. We’ve flown United Airlines Premium Plus to Europe multiple times, mostly on the 777-200. We’ve also flown every United cabin to Europe, so we have a good sense of how it compares. Here’s our honest review of United Airlines Premium Plus, including what we paid and whether it’s worth booking.

💺 The Seat (4.5 Stars)

This was surprisingly good. United Airlines Premium Plus has a 38″ pitch, 18.7″ width, and 6″ recline. The recline is generous enough that we slept about as well as we have in business class. Even if we’d always prefer a lie-flat seat, there’s more than enough space and recline here for an overnight flight from the US to Europe. We’ve flown from Washington Dulles to London, Paris, and Amsterdam in this cabin.

The seat itself is wide, the adjustable headrest eliminates the need for a neck pillow, and there’s a footrest that folds out from under the seat in front of you. One thing worth knowing: to adjust the footrest, you may need to clear everything out of the seat pocket first, then push it up to reset. A flight attendant tipped us off on that. Once it’s in position, it works great. At barely 5’2”, the footrest made a real difference on the overnight flight. Taller travelers will appreciate the legroom in the bulkhead most.

The configuration is mostly 2-4-2 on the 777s and similar on the Dreamliner. For couples, the window pairs on the side are ideal. You get your own little zone without a seatmate to step over. If you’re traveling solo, the middle aisle seats are worth considering. You lose window access, but you’re also way less likely to have other passengers climbing over you to get up.

Amenities: We had a nice blanket, pillow, headphones, and amenity kit waiting for us on our seat, which was an added benefit. Impressively, the amenity kits had almost all the same Therabody products as we got in Polaris business class on a separate flight. The case was just different and there were a few less lotions and potions.

Overall, this is one of our favorite premium economy seats after testing eight airlines.

🚾 The Bathroom Situation (2.5 Stars)

This is probably United Premium Plus’s biggest weak spot, but it varies by aircraft. On most configurations, the lavatory is shared with economy – which means walking to the back and waiting in line to use small (usually dirty) bathrooms.

On the 777-200ER, however, there are a few lavatories just about 8 rows behind Premium Plus in the middle of economy, which keeps the premium economy cabin quieter and the walk shorter than on the 767, where the lavatories are all the way in the back of the aircraft.

The 777 is by far the better option, even if it’s not the same as having a dedicated, larger premium economy bathroom.

But even on the models that do have dedicated bathrooms in the front of the premium economy cabin, it may actually be worse. On one American Airlines flight – on a 14-hour route – the crew didn’t close the curtain and economy passengers used the premium cabin bathrooms the whole long flight. The traffic through the three-row cabin was constant and people grabbed seat backs along the way. So, at least United’s 777 setup avoids that without forcing you to travel all the way to the back. This may sound really picky, but you’re paying substantially more for a premium experience, and lavatories are a big part of that.

Some United planes do have premium bathrooms right in front or behind the cabin. Just take a look at Sea t Maps or AeroLOPA to check your specific flight.

Beautiful AeroLOPA map. We love seats 21 A and B and the bathrooms are close without being disruptive, even if they are shared with economy

🍽️ The Food (2.5 Stars)

United, we love you, but the food is generally not good, even in business class. On our IAD to Amsterdam flights, the Premium Plus meal service appeared to come off the same cart as economy with a chicken, beef, or pasta option. I will say the chicken curry was better than I expected on that flight (3 stars for that one only), and we also appreciated the wine options. But there was no menu, tablecloth, or anything else to make it more elevated than economy (other than getting served first, which is a plus on its own). On some longer-haul routes, United does offer printed menus and upgraded meal service in Premium Plus, so your experience may vary by route. But on our flights, we didn’t experience this.

You might get a pre-departure glass of water if time allows before the door closes, which is a nice touch if it happens.

🛫 You’re better off dining at one of Dulles airport’s fantastic lounges before your flight or in a Priority Pass option if you’re elsewhere. Check out our full breakdown here: Best Lounges at Washington Dulles Airport and How to Get In

We bring our own hot sauce to help the United breakfast

✅ The Service (5 Stars)

The crew on our IAD to Amsterdam 777 flight was excellent. They were relaxed, funny, and attentive throughout the long flight. That kind of crew makes a noticeable difference on a 7-plus hour flight, and we lucked out. Service consistency varies, as it does on any airline, but we’ve had no complaints across our United flights in any cabin.

📈 How It Stacks Up: Economy Plus vs. Premium Plus vs. Polaris

We’ve flown all United options to Europe from basic economy to Polaris business class, which gives us a useful baseline for comparison.

Economy Plus, which is usually the first few rows of the regular economy cabin behind Premium Plus, gets you a few extra inches of legroom over standard economy and that’s about it. On a 7-to-8-hour overnight, it’s a meaningful comfort bump but you’re still in a standard seat in economy. And it’s pretty darn expensive these days, too, unless you get it free with status. That’s when it’s worth it.

We honestly didn’t even mind basic economy back when they had a 2-4-2 configuration. But most airlines have moved to a 3-3-3 – and now 3-4-3 is even more common. That’s just madness to us.

Note: You may be able to get a 2-seat row in the back of some aircraft, but the last time we did this, they changed the plan at the last minute, and we were stuck in the 3-4-3 economy sea. It can also be cold and crowded back there with galley and bathroom traffic.

Premium Plus is a substantial step up with a wider seat, nice recline, a comfortable footrest and headrest, as well as amenities. It also tends to be a noticeably quieter cabin experience. For overnight transatlantic flights, that difference matters.

Portable travel wellness kit with Therabody massage tools and accessories for relaxation. — Really nice United Premium Plus Amenity Kit

Polaris Business Class is a different product entirely and we’d take it any day it’s available for a reasonable upgrade price. With lie-flat seats, expedited airport service, elevated lounges, and dedicated service, it’s one of our favorite flying experiences. But the price gap between Polaris and Premium Plus is substantial, and on most routes where we’ve looked, it’s impossible to justify Polaris at full fare, especially when Premium Plus is available. We’ll take the happy medium!

🥂 What Do You Get in Business Class? 10 Perks First-Timers Miss

A full comparison of all four United cabins is worth its own post – so stay tuned!

We’ll always prefer this United Polaris business class product. But Premium Plus is much more realistic for our budget

💰 Premium Plus Price

When we’ve booked Premium Plus to Europe, we’ve paid in the $1,200 to $1,500 range round-trip per person. That felt like fair value for what we got – a comfortable overnight sleep, a noticeably upgraded seat, and a quiet cabin. The most we’ve paid for premium economy on any airline is $1,800.

But the math is getting harder. We’re now seeing direct Premium Plus fares to Europe in the $2,500 to over $4,000 range, which changes the value entirely. At those prices, you’re close enough to discounted business-class fares on a host of airlines, so the comparison becomes much more nuanced. You’re also at a price point where it’s worth considering whether a different departure airport offers better value.

We’ve written about our strategy for flying to Europe in premium economy for less – including how we think about airport options, departure timing, and alternatives when fares climb from legacy airlines. We recommend reading that one before you lock in a flight to Europe.

We usually go with this French Bee Premium Economy product to save big

🤔 Is United Premium Plus Worth It?

Yes, but at the right price point. The seat is comfortable enough to sleep on a transatlantic overnight, the cabin is noticeably quieter than economy, and for a couple traveling together, the window pairs of seats are hard to beat. If you’re booking in that $1,200 to $1,800 round-trip range, we’d do it again.

At $2,500 or above, we start comparing. Check what Polaris business class is going for on the same route, look at other carriers’ premium economy and business class products, and factor in whether a different departure airport or route changes the math. United Premium Plus is a good product. The food is generally the exception, and the bathroom situation is imperfect. But the seat earns the upgrade value when the price is right.

United Premium Plus doesn’t come with lounge access but you can get in with Star Alliance status on international flights or a day pass (if space allows)

👉 Best Lounges at Washington Dulles Airport and How to Get In

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (TL;DR)

Is United Premium Plus worth it for transatlantic flights?

Yes, if the fare is reasonable. The seat recline and width are significant upgrades over Economy Plus, and the cabin is quieter. The decision is really very individual and depends on your budget and what you value most in a flight experience. At fares to Europe above $1,500, we’re looking at other options. And unfortunately, fares just keep going up.

What is the best seat in United Premium Plus?

For couples, the window pairs on the side of the 2-4-2 configuration give you the most privacy and avoid seatmate disruption. Solo travelers should consider the middle aisle seats to minimize disruptions from row-mates getting up. Taller passengers should consider the bulkhead with extra legroom and no footrest getting in the way.

Does United Premium Plus have a dedicated bathroom?

On most configurations, no – the lavatory is shared with economy. On the 777-200ER, mid-economy lavatories keep things more manageable. A small number of routes have lavatories positioned in front of the Premium Plus cabin, but even then, foot traffic might diminish the premium value. Check the seat map before booking.

How does United Premium Plus compare to Polaris business class?

Polaris business class is a meaningfully better product with lie-flat seats, better food, dedicated service, and lounge access. Premium Plus is comfortable and significantly cheaper. On most routes at full fare, Premium Plus gives you an excellent alternative to economy at a fraction of the cost of business class.

What is the food like in United Premium Plus?

On most of our United flights to Europe, regardless of cabin, the meal service is lacking. In Premium Plus, the meals appeared identical to economy. Some ultra-long-haul routes may offer an elevated meal service with menus, but we didn’t experience that. Don’t fly this cabin for the food. Fly it for the seat.

Have you flown United Premium Plus to Europe? Let us know in the comments.