Is premium economy worth the extra money?

Last week I was returning home on a transcontinental flight, and my seatmate noted that today's business class is yesterday's economy class. It seemed an apt observation, particularly since even the barest of amenities in economy or coach—a window seat, earphones, a pillow, a cold snack, added legroom that only contortionists would refuse—usually comes with a fee these days. But the gaping divide between the cost of an economy seat and a business or first class seat is too wide for many consumers to bridge.

That's why premium economy class is growing in popularity with passengers and airlines alike, since it offers a little bit more room and other goodies for much less than upgrading to business or first. However, carriers around the world offer vastly different products under this name, so identifying what you are getting and determining the value of the additional investment has become a critical exercise.

I went through this myself a few years ago when I was researching a book in India. I had no desire to acquire deep vein thrombosis in a cramped economy seat on such a long voyage, but on the other hand there was no way I could afford to spring for a 400% increase to ride up front. Premium economy became the sweet spot.

Defining products

The global airline industry offers dozens of different premium economy classes, from Air France to Air China to Air New Zealand. SeatGuru.com provides a comprehensive guide to such products, complete with a detailed chart.

SeatGuru.com summarizes premium economy as offering "about 5 to 7 inches of extra legroom as well as additional amenities, which can include 1 to 2 extra inches of seat width; 2 to 3 extra inches of seat recline; adjustable headrests, legrests, or lumbar support; larger personal TV screens; laptop power ports; and premium food service."

What's clear, however, is that you need to research what you're getting when you pay extra. For example, legroom as defined by seat pitch can range from 32 inches on up to 47 inches; seat width runs the gamut from 17 inches to 26.7 inches. In addition, some carriers include amenities such as personal TVs, Wi-Fi and power outlets, and some don't.

Due to tighter seating and fuller airplane cabins than ever—as I noted here in June —the desire to move out of economy is quickly growing among passengers. Earlier this month, IHS, a Colorado-based business analytics firm, released a new report that forecasts premium economy will be by far the largest growth area in airline seating over the next decade. Between 2012 and 2022, IHS prognosticates that new aircraft deliveries will provide 17.1% more premium economy class seats, compared to increases of just 9.3% for business, 6.1% for economy, 1.6% for first and 0.6% for business/economy.

The report also predicts that due to the global economic slowdown, "many major airlines" will downsize or eliminate first class cabins. Heath Lockett, senior analyst of aerospace electronics at IHS, stated: "Until recently, premium economy seating wasn't entirely dissimilar to economy, save for the addition of a couple of inches of seat pitch or a slightly more comfortable seat. However, that situation has evolved rapidly in recent years. The premium economy cabins of airlines such as Air New Zealand and Virgin Atlantic now almost equal the luxury found in some business-class cabins—a trend certainly expected to continue, particularly as business class becomes the 'new' first class."

Worth the cost?

Since aviation is big on cost-benefit analysis, it only makes sense to weigh the costs and benefits of paying more for these products. The prices can vary as dramatically as the seat sizes.

SeatGuru.com estimates that on transatlantic flights premium economy usually costs about 85% more than economy, but those who book close to departure can pay just 10% to 35% more. On transpacific flights the tab is usually about 95% more, with less variance for shorter booking windows. It also is usually about 65% less than business class.

I considered the cost of my premium economy ticket to India a good deal, but that was within the relative confines of the larger airline pricing models, and it assumed that first class products could be worth several times the cost of a seat in the rear. For me, premium economy makes sense when it straddles both the comfort and the cost of that chasm between economy and business or first.

But George Hobica, who writes USA TODAY Travel's Fly Guy column, is hesitant about using the word "bargain" to describe premium economy: "I will say that some premium economy seats on international-based airlines give you about as much comfort as you'd find on a US Airways first class domestic seat."

Buyer beware

Not all premium economy products are limited to international routes. American, Delta and United have offerings that are more modest than some products sold overseas, and several industry observers compare them to the standard economy classes of a few years ago. Hobica believes this is intentional: "It's clear that the three remaining U.S. network carriers are making regular economy so uncomfortable that they're weaning fliers out of economy into premium economy. It seems like they're taking what used to be called plain old economy class and relabeling it premium economy…By disincentivizing folks from flying regular economy, airlines have finally figured out a way to segment their products to suit a wider variety of pocketbooks and tolerance for discomfort."

Here's a brief rundown of the premium economy offerings from the biggest U.S. airlines:

• American Airlines Main Cabin Extra: Seats offer "up to" six inches more legroom, along with Group 1 boarding.

• Delta Air Lines Economy Comfort: Domestic seats offer 3 to 4 inches more legroom, and "most" long-haul international flights offer 50% more incline; also, priority boarding and free beer, wine and spirits on all international and some transcontinental flights.

• United Airlines Economy Plus: Offers additional legroom, and quicker deplaning from the front of the cabin; it can be bought on a one-time basis, or a one-year "subscription" from $499 (North and Central America) to $699 (global).

As for pricing, I'm sorry to be so cranky about this topic, but premium economy products highlight yet another example of opaque airline pricing, an issue I addressed here in April. In short, it can be quite difficult to determine the cost of these options prior to booking.

For openers, you need to be careful of the phrase "starting at" in the FAQs, since prices vary—sometimes by A LOT—for premium economy. In American's case, Main Cabin Extra is described with "prices starting at $8," but further research reveals the range is really $8 to $159 . Similarly, Delta states that for Economy Comfort, "prices start as low as $9," but another page explains the range is $9 to $99 per segment within most of North America, and $40 to $180 for the rest of the world.

What's more, in many cases you can't obtain the price of premium economy without first punching in the itinerary details of a specific flight, so once again comparison shopping is made that much tougher. And here's yet another warning: Consumer websites are filled with screeds from passengers about the availability of such products, sometimes even after they were purchased in advance.

Tips for shopping for premium economy seats

• Be careful what you're buying! Premium economy can vary widely from carrier to carrier, so make sure you click on an airline's specific description of this service before you click on the "purchase" button.

• Not all booking channels make it easy to search for premium economy products. For example, Expedia, Kayak and Priceline offer search tools that include this class, but Hotwire, Orbitz and Travelocity do not provide it on the initial search page. You may need to click on features such as "advanced search" or "additional options" to locate such seats.

• Make sure you're clear about the exact price of the product for your SPECIFIC flight, since some airlines' fees can vary widely for premium economy.

• For business travelers who are forbidden from flying in business or first classes, premium economy may offer a more comfortable flight without breaking company policy.

• Premium economy fares can be reduced significantly the closer you get to your departure date, so keep this in mind when shopping.

• Spoiled inventory means you may be able to upgrade for much less on your day of travel, so ask about this option.