Best Premium Economy to Europe: 9 Airlines Ranked Worst to Best

We’ve flown premium economy to Europe on nine airlines, and while the seats are similar, the offerings vary significantly. Some give you champagne, lounge access, and an elevated meal on real dishware. Others block a middle seat in economy and call it premium. This is our honest ranking, worst to best, based on how “premium” each experience actually felt. Our top pick costs less than most of the airlines on this list but there’s a catch: it calls itself business class and you have to wait for a sale to get the great price.

What Is Premium Economy, Really?

Premium economy gets confused with two things it isn’t, so we wanted to clear these things up first:

It’s Not Simply Extra Legroom in Economy

The economy and premium economy difference is bigger than a few inches of legroom. Airlines may call it Economy Plus, Comfort+, Main Cabin Extra, or something else. These are still economy seats with more room to stretch and sometimes free alcohol. A real premium economy cabin gives you a wider seat that reclines more, and is closer to domestic first class. You’ll also typically get priority boarding, an amenity kit, and sometimes a better meal. It’s generally in a different cabin, not just a better row in the main economy cabin.

Premium Economy Is Not Business Class, Even If They Call It That

Some airlines market their long-haul premium economy as business class because it’s the most premium cabin they sell. Icelandair does it with Saga Premium. Azores Airlines does it with Comfort Class. But our rule, regardless of whether it’s the airlines best cabin is this: if the seat doesn’t lie flat on a long-haul international flight, it’s premium economy, not business class. SO that’s why Icelandair and Azores are on this list. French Bee’s premium economy is also it’s best cabin. So that’s a pro tip, if you’re searching business class and a price seems too good to be true, make sure you confirm whether it’s a lie-flat seat before you book.

The Top Reasons We Book Premium Economy

• The window-aisle seat pairs. Most premium economy cabins run 2-2, 2-3-2, or 2-4-2, which means a couple can take the two seats on the side and never share a row with a stranger. On a eight-hour (or 16-hour!) overnight flight, that matters more to us than anything.
• More comfort. You’ll typically get a bigger seat with better recline, pillows, blankets, and amenity kits. You might get a better meal than economy, but not always.
• Priority access. While most premium economy fares don’t include lounge access, you do usually get priority check-in and boarding, and you may get fast-pass access in Europe.

Pro Tip: Always check SeatMaps or AeroLOPA before you book. The same airline can fly 2-2-2, 2-3-2, and 2-4-2 on different aircraft, and a narrowbody long-haul is a different experience than a widebody. We strongly prefer a widebody for a long-haul international flight, and even chose a connection over a direct flight once to Edinburgh because of it.

👉 Flights are getting out-of-control expensive right now. For strategies on booking these cabins for less, see our guide to cheap premium economy flights to Europe.

How We Ranked These 9 Airlines

We want to make one thing clear. These are all good products and we would fly each one again for the right price and itinerary. Every cabin on this list is comfortable, and every one of them beats economy on a long-haul flight. The ranking comes down to how premium each one felt compared to the others, not whether it was worth booking at all.

Our ratings consider the seat and the cabin layout, the food and drink service, the amenities, the airport experience, and what the whole thing costs. Prices listed are what we personally paid. Fares are extreme right now, so you may see much higher numbers in the short term. We certainly hope they come back down soon.

9. TAP Air Portugal Economy Prime

We ranked TAP last because they fly a narrowbody A321neo on our transatlantic route from Washington Dulles to Lisbon. Economy Prime does give you more legroom and better recline than their regular economy seat but it’s just a row with the middle seats blocked out in the regular economy cabin. Only a few Economy Prime rows have the middle seat blocked. So, some eats have extra legroom but are 3 across.

• What we paid: About $2,000 round trip.
• The upside: We bid for a business class upgrade and won, which turned the trip into a more exciting adventure.

👉 TAP Air Portugal Business Class Review: Is It Worth It?

8. Azores Airlines Comfort Class

Azores has the biggest seat on this list. A 39- to 40-inch pitch and a 21-inch width in a 2-2 layout, and these are dedicated seats in their own premium cabin, not blocked-middle economy. They’re comfortable and we got real sleep on a red-eye. We also learned that we got the newest model on the A321neo LR, and that older versions were in desperate need of an upgrade, so we got lucky!

Azores Airlines Comfort Class ranks eighth because of everything but the seat. There were no blankets on our overnight flight, which is a strange thing to run out of on a red-eye, and the cabin was freezing. On the daytime return, everyone got one. The baggage rules on the Comfort Light fare are strict too, capping your carry-on and personal item at a combined 8kg. We’re used to this in economy, but not premium. There’s no lounge access, minimal ground perks, and this is also a narrowbody. It’s just better than TAP because it’s the most-premium cabin on the plane with a much better 2-2 configuration and seat.

Why this is still a great option: This is a direct flight to the Azores from the US East Coast and Canada, which means you don’t need a seven-hour detour all the way through Lisbon to get to the islands.

What we paid: $1,400 round trip from Toronto to Ponta Delgada.

👉 Azores Airlines Comfort Class Review: Is It Worth It?

7. SAS Plus

SAS Plus has the best recline of any airline on this list, and the cabin on the A350 is a comfortable place to spend eight hours. It just doesn’t feel as polished as the US carriers. The cabin design, the service touches, and the amenities are all a small step behind. The wine stops after dinner service, the cabin gets really warm, and they recently cut lounge access for long-haul premium economy fares.

So why do we fly it more than almost any other airline on else on this list? Two reasons. The cash fare is often far below the legacy carriers, and SAS has a business class upgrade bidding system where we’ve won lie-flat seats for under $400 per person each way. Book premium economy at a good price, treat the upgrade as a bonus, and you can end up in a lie-flat seat for a fraction of what business class costs outright.

What we paid: $900 to $1,600 round trip from Washington Dulles.

👉 SAS Plus Review: Worth It to Europe in Premium Economy?

👉 How to Bid for a SAS Business Class Upgrade

The US Carriers: Almost a Three-Way Tie

United, American, and Delta are close enough that ranking them feels almost arbitrary. The seats are within an inch of each other. The prices overlap. All three are comfortable. What separates them is the small stuff, so it depends on what you care about most or your airline loyalty.

6. United Premium Plus

United has the best amenity kit of any airline on this list. The Therabody products are close to what they hand out in Polaris business class, which is a genuine perk. The crews are usually great. The seat is wide and comfortable in a 2-4-2 layout, and the window pairs are ideal for couples.

It ranks last of the three US carriers on food and seat recline. The meals come off the same cart as economy with no special menu, and it’s the weakest food of any airline here (although America’s pasta might be the worst thing we ever ate on a plane). The recline is also an inch less than American or Delta. We recommend dining in the lounge before you board.

What we paid: $1,200 to $1,800 round trip, but fares have recently been as high as $3k or even more … and that’s true for all three of the US-based carriers on the list.

👉 United Premium Plus Review: Is It Worth It to Europe?

5. American Airlines Premium Economy

American edges out United on the bedding and extra inch of recline. The contoured lumbar pillow is fantastic, and it doubles as neck support. The under-arm storage nook is also a nice perk on a long flight. On the 787-9, the cabin is just three rows in a 2-3-2 layout, which feels private.

The catch is aircraft-dependent, but this is also true for the other US-based carriers. When the crew keeps the curtain closed, the forward lavatories feel close to business class. When they don’t, economy passengers stream through your cabin all flight. On other flights, your lavatories are shared back with economy.

What we paid: $1,300 to $1,800 round trip.

👉 American Airlines Premium Economy Review: Worth It on a Long-Haul?

👉 Still deciding between the two? United vs American Premium Economy: Which Is Better?

4. Delta Premium Select

Delta takes the top spot among the US carriers for two reasons: the premium menu and the amazing pillow. The premium menu is a real step up rather than the same tray economy gets, and on a long flight that you paid a lot more for, it’s appreciated. The seat on the A330-300 is a 2-3-2 layout with recline matching American’s, so the seats are hard to compare. But Delta also tends to be the most expensive of the three, which is a significant trade off.

What we paid: $2,000 round trip from Boston to Paris.

3. Lufthansa Premium Economy

We specifically flew the A380 on Lufthansa, which is a unique experience that may vary from other Lufthansa aircraft. The cabin is simultaneously quieter and more spacious than any 777 or 787 we’ve flown, and the premium economy section is curtained off with lavatories at the back of the cabin, so no economy traffic comes through. Business and first class are upstairs, so premium economy gets a nice space at the front of the plan. On a long overnight, that quiet makes a real difference.

The food is a clear step above some of the other carriers. We had a printed menu, real flatware, a pretzel roll, Bavarian coleslaw, and a proper main course.

The one real complaint is the seat cushioning. It’s stiff, and by the end of the flight it caused some back discomfort. Everything else about the cabin is excellent, but you should know that going in, and maybe use a lumbar pillow.

What we paid: $1,750 round trip, including connecting legs and seat selection.

👉 Is Lufthansa Premium Economy Worth It on the A380?

2. French Bee Premium Blue

French Bee is a low-cost carrier most Americans have never heard of, and you may be shocked that it beats Lufthansa, Delta, American, and United on this list. Here’s why.

French Bee’s Premium economy is the most premium cabin on the aircraft, and they treat you like business class even if you don’t get a lie-flat seat. You get business-class-style airport priority with fast-track through security, priority boarding, pre-departure champagne, and a nice wine selection. They serve a light meal from Newark to Paris even though the flight leaves at 11 pm and have a pretty good offering on the day flight home, though we’d say Delta and Lufthansa have better meals.

The seat is good. It’s comfortable, it’s a proper recliner with a footrest, and it’s a quiet, small cabin at the front of the plane with quiet bathrooms. The only downside is the seat is about two inches narrower than the legacy carriers. But the recline is better.

The only real drawbacks are logistical. The routes are limited to Paris-Orly with only one or two flights a day, so a cancellation can mean a 24-hour delay. Departures are late at night, which often means you’ll need a hotel on the return. But the nice thing about late departures and arrivals is you skip a lot of the madness Newark is known for.

What we paid: $900 to $1,300 round trip from Newark. When you add in the priority perks, this is hard to beat and why it ranks second.

👉 French Bee Premium Economy Review: Worth It to Paris?

1. Icelandair Saga Premium

Icelandair markets Saga Premium as business class, but it doesn’t have lie-flat seats. This is a true business offering other than that aspect, with priority check-in and boarding, printed menus, pre-departure champagne, and the only lounge access on this list. The crew treats it like business class because that’s what it is, except the seat doesn’t go flat.

The food is the best part with pre-departure bubbly and authentic champagne in flight, several Icelandic courses on real dishware, and it’s been consistent flight after flight.

The forward lavatories are reserved for Saga Premium, so there’s no economy traffic. There’s one more thing almost no other airline offers. The connecting legs inside Europe are a true domestic-first-style cabin, not economy with the middle seat blocked, which is what most European carriers call business class.

The honest downsides are that the overnight is short and the recline is less, so you won’t sleep much. You depart the East Coast around 8pm, land in Reykjavik around 6am, and once dinner service is done there isn’t much flight time left to sleep. There’s also no priority immigration lane at Keflavik for business class but it runs very efficiently.

What we paid: $900 to $1,300 round trip from Washington Dulles, including direct to Reykjavik or onward connections to Oslo and Paris. You will need to catch a fare sale for these deals but they happen a few times a year and are totally worth it. You can also add a free stopover in Reykjavik if you’re traveling onward in Europe.

👉 Is Icelandair Saga Premium Worth It? An Honest Review

👉 Is Business Class Within Europe Worth It? We Tested 4 Airlines

Premium Economy Compared: All 9 Airlines

Here’s everything side by side to compare. Prices are what we paid, but note that fares are running high right now.

#	Product	Aircraft	Layout	Seat (P/W/R)	What We Paid
1	Icelandair Saga Premium	737 MAX / 767	2-2 / 2-1-2	40″ / 20.5″ / 5-7″	$900-$1,300
2	French Bee Premium	A350-900	2-3-2	36″ / 18″ / 7″	$900-$1,300
3	Lufthansa Premium Economy	A380	2-4-2	38″ / 19.3″ / 130°	$1,750
4	Delta Premium Select	A330-300	2-3-2	38″ / 18.5″ / 7″	$2,000
5	American Premium Economy	787-9	2-3-2	38″ / 19″ / 7″	$1,300-$1,800
6	United Premium Plus	777-200	2-4-2	38″ / 18.7″ / 6″	$1,200-$1,800
7	SAS Plus	A350-900	2-4-2	38″ / 19″ / 8″	$900-$1,600
8	Azores Comfort Class	A321neo	2-2	45″ / 21″ / 6″	$1,400
9	TAP Economy Prime	A321neo	3-3-3*	34″ / 18″ / 7″	$2,000

* Only some TAP Economy Prime rows have the middle seat blocked. Check the seat map.

Why We Haven’t Flown British Airways or Virgin Atlantic

Two obvious names are missing from our list, and it’s a routing problem rather than about the product. We’d happily try both, and we hope to soon.

The issue is what happens after London. If we’re only going to London, either would be a great option. But when we’re connecting onward, the transatlantic leg in premium economy is short and the connecting flight winds up being a long stretch in regular economy. We’d rather fly Lufthansa premium economy to Frankfurt or Munich and take a short hop to Prague or Dubrovnik, for example, than have a premium seat to Heathrow and hours in economy for everything after.

What We Still Want to Try

Three premium economy airlines to Europe are high on our list to try next:

• Air France: This is the most searched premium economy product on the internet. We want to see how it stacks up against Lufthansa on a comparable route.
• KLM: Same reasoning, and Amsterdam is a hub we pass through often enough that it should have happened by now.
• Norse Atlantic: This one is huge for us because it’s another low-cost long-haul carrier with a premium cabin, and the most direct comparison to French Bee. The only reason we haven’t flown Norse Atlantic yet is we have to get to JKF first. Newark is much easier. Norse did fly out of IAD briefly but they were priced really high for some reason. From JFK they offer true bargains.

Premium Economy FAQ

What Is the Difference Between Economy and Premium Economy?

Premium economy is a separate cabin with a wider seat, more recline, priority boarding, an amenity kit, and sometimes better food. Extra-legroom economy products like Economy Plus or Comfort+ are still economy seats with more space in front of you. The seat and service don’t usually change beyond a few small perks.

Is Premium Economy Worth It to Europe?

For an overnight transatlantic flight, we think so, especially for couples who can take a two-seat pair and avoid a row-mate. The fare is usually about double economy but airlines like French Bee, SAS, and Norse Atlantic often offer premium economy fares for the same price as economy on legacy carriers.

Which Airline Has the Best Premium Economy to Europe?

Icelandair Saga Premium is our pick. It’s marketed as business class, includes lounge access, printed menus, pre-departure champagne, and multi-course meals on real dishware, and the fares often land between $900 and $1,300 round trip on sale. French Bee Premium is a close second and often the better booking if you’re flying to Paris from Newark.

Is Premium Economy the Same as Business Class?

No. If the seat doesn’t lie flat for an international long-haul, we consider it premium economy, no matter how the airline markets it. Icelandair and Azores Airlines both sell their premium economy as business class because it’s the most premium cabin they offer. The perks can be excellent, but the seat is what makes the difference.

What Is the Best Seat in Premium Economy?

For couples, the two-seat pairs on the side of the cabin, so you never share a row. For solo travelers, aisle seats in the middle section, since fewer people climb over you. Always check SeatMaps or AeroLOPA before booking, because the same airline flies different layouts on different aircraft.

Quick Tips

• Every cabin on this list beats economy on a long-haul flight, so the real question is what you’re paying for.
• If you want the most premium experience, book Icelandair Saga Premium on a fare sale. Just know the flight to Reykjavik is very short but you’ll get true domestic first class on your connection.
• If you want the best value to Paris, book French Bee.
• If you want a shot at a lie-flat seat for cheap, book SAS Plus and bid for the upgrade.
• If you’re trying to choose between American, Delta, or United, pick based on loyalty or the best route, times, or price. They are very similar options.
• And whatever you book, check the seat map first. The cabin name or even the airline itself will not tell you what you’re getting. Every aircraft is different.

👉 Should You Fly SAS to Europe? What to Know First

👉 Cheap Premium Economy Flights to Europe: 3 Ways to Save Big

Which premium economy have you flown, and where would you rank it? Let us know in the comments.

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