A few years ago, premium economy was a punchline: a couple of extra inches of legroom and a slightly better dinner. That era is over. Airlines are pouring money and cabin space into the category, and travellers are responding — Going's 2026 State of Travel and Flight Deals Report found premium economy is now the fastest-growing cabin choice, with interest climbing from 16 to 20 percent of travellers in a single year. Nearly six in ten travellers say they plan to splurge on a premium cabin in 2026.
The changes are concrete. Air France has doubled its premium economy count from 24 to 48 seats on a batch of retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs, and Cathay Pacific grew its 777 cabin by 41 percent, from 34 to 48 seats. Lufthansa's Allegris seat goes further than most, with a fixed-shell design so reclining doesn't invade the space behind you, 39 inches of pitch, a leg rest, a 15.6-inch 4K screen and wireless charging. EL AL serves its long-haul Premium Class passengers the same dishes as business class — food from Michelin-starred chef Assaf Granit.
Bigger changes are coming. Hawaiian Airlines will debut a dedicated premium economy cabin on its Airbus A330s in 2028 as part of a five-year, $600 million-plus retrofit plan. Turkish Airlines enters the category the same year, starting with new A350 deliveries before retrofitting its wider fleet. Emirates is scaling fast, projecting around 4 million premium economy seats annually by the end of 2026 — roughly double its 2025 capacity — through a multibillion-dollar overhaul covering 219 aircraft.
Travellers seem happy. The J.D. Power 2026 North America Airline Satisfaction Study recorded a 14-point jump in premium economy satisfaction year over year, with Delta leading for the fourth straight year on 736, ahead of Alaska (720) and JetBlue (701). Point.me reports 30 to 40 percent more clicks on premium economy redemptions in the past two months compared with last year.
There are two catches when booking. First, the product varies by aircraft: the same airline may run entirely different premium economy seats on different planes, so it pays to check which aircraft is operating your route. Second, the price gap with business class is narrowing on some routes — meaning the smarter comparison may be premium economy versus a discounted business fare, not versus economy.
The category is also splitting into tiers. Air Canada launched a Premium Economy Basic fare in July on select international routes: same seat, meal and priority airport services, but without free advance seat selection, a second checked bag, refunds or upgrade eligibility. Industry watchers expect more stripped-down and fully loaded versions of premium economy to appear over the next five years.
One final frustration: online travel agencies and metasearch sites often show premium economy as a generic tag with a big markup, hiding what you actually get — extra legroom, better meals, lounge access. That means checking airline detail pages before you book is more useful than ever.
For anyone flying long-haul who can't justify business class, this is good news. The middle cabin is no longer an afterthought; it's where airlines are competing hardest.
