Even on the world’s most premium airlines, an economy seat can never really come close to competing with the comforts of business class. Sure, the food’s pretty good and the seats are comfortable enough, but the desire for lie-flat beds and a cold welcome glass of something fizzy leaves many passengers wishing they could turn left upon boarding. Unless you’ve spent years accruing air miles (perhaps with some help from airline credit cards), the ever-increasing price of business class fares is enough to give many people pause when they are booking flights. Enter premium economy – a source of extra comfort for those looking for a happy medium. Emirates launched its first premium economy cabins in 2021, debuting them on its new fleet of A380 aircraft travelling between Dubai and London Heathrow. As demand for premium economy has grown, so has the number of routes the cabin is available on, with the airline adding a further 10 cities to its offering at the start of 2026. I booked a seat on a recent trip from Dubai to Mumbai to see how it compared to the experience of flying in business class. The premium economy airport experience As soon as I arrive at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, I feel the benefit of flying in premium economy. There’s a lengthy queue for the economy bag drop, but I skip it and head straight for the dedicated premium economy check-in area, where an empty counter is waiting for me. As a chronic overpacker, I also don’t need to stress about whether my baggage is going to exceed the weight limit – with Emirates, premium economy passengers get up to 35kg. Within five minutes, I have my boarding pass in hand, and I am heading through to security. Unlike business class, premium economy passengers don’t get access to Emirates’ sprawling lounge, which, let’s be honest, is one of the best parts of flying business class. Instead, I head to Pret for a coffee and a croissant until it’s time to head to the gate. But as soon as it’s time to board, I feel part of the passenger elite once more, boarding shortly after first and business passengers are called, without having spent 20 minutes standing in a slow-moving queue or a congested jet bridge. The premium economy experience on board I fly on Emirates’ newest aircraft, the Airbus A350, where the premium economy cabin sits between business and economy class, in a cosy space consisting of just three rows, arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. Quilted cream leather seats are 19.5 inches wide, giving passengers up to 2.5 inches more than economy seats. It might not sound like much, but you can certainly feel it. Perhaps most stark, though, is the space around you. I sit in the cabin’s front row, and it all feels incredibly roomy, even before I’ve even reclined. Emirates premium economy seats have a pitch of up to 40 inches and a recline of eight inches, as well as a six-way adjustable headrest and calf and footrest stands to help passengers really stretch out. It’s still a long way from the lie-flat of business class, but for my three-and-a-half-hour day flight to Mumbai, it feels like a real treat. I’m able to get snug for a film. Then there’s the food and drink. Space aside, this is where the experience of flying premium economy feels just that bit more elevated than economy. Upon boarding, I’m presented with a tray of colourful juices to choose from, before swiftly being offered the day’s menu. There’s a three-course lunch on offer, with two options to choose from for my starter and main course. There’s also a wine list, with a red (pinot noir), white (riesling) and sparkling (Chandon brut) on offer. When lunch is served, my fold-over wooden lap table is laid with a heavy-duty white napkin, and food arrives on porcelain plates with mini salt and pepper shakers. I opt for roast chicken with a tangy mango salsa to start, followed by a mixed grill with biryani rice for the main course, and it certainly beats most economy food I’ve tried. There aren’t quite as many extras as you get in business class (no bread baskets here), but I don’t leave hungry. The premium economy cabin also features an upgraded in-flight entertainment system (although it’s already pretty great in Emirates economy), with 13.3-inch HD TVs, and more than 1,000 films, TV shows, albums and podcasts to choose from. Once we land, we disembark hot on the heels of business class, as does my case. So, is premium economy worth the upgrade? There’s still a big difference between the premium economy and business class experiences, so those hoping for the same level of comfort won’t find it here. But the difference in comfort isn’t as stark as the difference in price, and for a day flight when you’re not planning on lying flat, premium economy is a great way to have a little slice of luxury. For economy passengers who don’t want to splash dollars or miles on business class, you’ll definitely notice the step up in this cabin. Emirates premium economy routes
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Amman, Jordan Athens, USA Auckland, New Zealand Baghdad, Iraq Bahrain Bangalore, India Barcelona, Spain Basra, Iraq Bogotá, Colombia Boston, USA Brisbane, Australia Brussels, Belgium Cape Town, South Africa Chicago, USA Christchurch, New Zealand Colombo, Sri Lanka Copenhagen, Denmark Dallas Fort Worth, USA Dammam, Saudi Arabia Dubai, UAE Dublin, Ireland Edinburgh, Scotland Geneva, Switzerland Hong Kong Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Houston, USA Istanbul, Turkey Johannesburg, South Africa Karachi, Pakistan Kochi, India Kolkata, India Kuwait City, Kuwait Lisbon, Portugal London Heathrow, UK Los Angeles, USA Malé, Maldives Melbourne, Australia Mexico City, Mexico Miami, USA Mumbai, India New York, USA Newark, USA Osaka, Japan Oslo, Norway Phuket, Thailand Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Rome, Italy San Francisco, USA Sao Paulo, Brazil Seattle, USA Singapore Sydney, Australia Taipei, Taiwan Tehran, Iran Tokyo Haneda, Japan Tokyo Narita, Japan Tunis, Tunisia Zurich, Switzerland
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