Of late, a woman traveler’s voice in the New York Times’ ethics column took everyone aback. She wrote about her ordeal of traveling in economy with kids, while her husband takes to the fancy of flying in luxury as he pays for his business class travel or gets an upgrade to Business Class for himself though they travel together. It is primarily because he finds business class flight tickets too expensive to afford for the entire family. Netizens called this strange, unfair, and iniquitous.
Premium Economy comes into play where long-haul business class travel breaks the bank. It is the middle-of-the-road travel class between Economy and Business. It suits both, business travelers on a budget and economy travelers willing to pay a little more for added comfort. Premium Economy tickets cost a little more than economy class airfares and less than business class flight deals online.
Emirates’ Premium Economy destinations
The list of international routes where Emirates operates flights with Premium Economy seats is widening every year. Since early 2024, Emirates’ premium economy offering on select flights to and from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata has been fetching good customer reviews to Indian Eagle. Mostly double-decker A380s and brand-new A350s deployed for Emirates flights to India feature this travel cabin.
Come 29 January 2026, Cochin International Airport will join Emirates’ premium economy network. The airline will offer premium economy seats on two of its seven weekly flights to Kochi, Kerala.
Where in the USA Emirates offers premium economy travel to?
New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles are among Emirates’ Premium Economy destinations. Also, this network includes Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Colombo, Seoul, Tokyo, Auckland, Melbourne, Male, London, Zurich, Dublin, Frankfurt, Brisbane, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Emirates Premium Economy seats’ features
Among all airlines, Emirates has the best premium economy seats, according to Skytrax Awards, the Oscars of aviation. In Emirates’ fleet, mostly A380s, A350s and B777s have Premium Economy with luxurious leathered seats, quality inflight food, and award-winning inflight entertainment. Emirates’ wide-body fleet is being retrofitted with this travel cabin for millions of dollars. Sophisticated interiors, highly aesthetic design, leather seating, and business-class-like service make Emirates Premium Economy a class apart from other airlines.
What’s the difference between Emirates’ Standard Economy and Premium Economy? The main difference is the comfort of seating long hours on 19.5-inch wide, cushioned seats with adjustable headrests and greater recline in Premium Economy. The seats offer a 40-inch legroom pitch, thereby providing enough cozy space for you to stretch out on raised leg rests. On the other hand, Emirates’ 17.5-in wide economy seats have a shorter legroom pitch up to 34 inches.
“The cream-toned leather seats are accessorized with fluffier pillows to comfort your back when you recline the body during a long-haul flight. A signature motif of the ghaf tree (the UAE’s national tree) in gold is one of the exquisite features of the meticulously designed interior,” said Dheeraj Duvvuru, CEO of IndianEagle.com.
Can you sleep on Emirates Premium Economy flights?
Premium Economy seats are unlike lie-flat beds on business class flights of premium airlines. However, you can lounge your body from head to toe and catch a good sleep on Emirates’ spacious premium economy seats with a greater recline and an adjustable leg rest. If uncompromised comfort is a prerequisite for you to get sound sleep during a long-haul flight, Emirates is your go-to airline.
Emirates Premium Economy perks
Should you upgrade to Emirates’ Premium Economy from standard economy? Yes, it is not just for luxury, spacious seating, but also personalized attention and service on board. Separate check-in, priority boarding, and generous check-in baggage allowance are among the perks of booking Premium Economy tickets of Emirates flights to/from USA.
Emirates’ A380s without First Class have Premium Economy with its own lavatory on the front of the upper deck. A380s with First Class have Premium Economy seats on the front of the lower deck. The front location makes it possible for guests to exit the aircraft before economy travelers, thereby facilitating their transfer to the next connecting flight (if they have any) during a short layover.
Do Emirates’ premium economy perks include lounge access?
Like most airlines with premium economy class, Emirates does not provide complimentary lounge access to premium economy guests. Not even Emirates’ best flight deals for premium economy travel to major destinations come with this facility. Instead, you can buy Emirates’ lounge service at the origin/connection/destination airport and call Indian Eagle’s customer helpline +1800-615-3969 for affordable phone-only deals.
Does Emirates Premium Economy have Wi-Fi?
Yes, Emirates offers free Wi-Fi among its premium economy perks to all Skywards members (Blue, Silver, Gold, Platinum), regardless of itineraries and fares. Higher-tier members receive unlimited Internet data for free. If you are not a Skywards member, you can purchase an inflight Wi-Fi plan.
Dining on Emirates Premium Economy flights
Quality inflight dining is a hallmark of Emirates’ Premium Economy service to New York, San Francisco and other destinations. Global dishes with seasonal flavors that Emirates’ cosmopolitan chefs cook for Premium Economy guests are elegantly served on Royal Doulton China tableware with stainless steel cutlery wrapped in linen, emulating the sophistication of a fine-dining restaurant. “Be it a continental breakfast or a multicourse lunch/dinner, you are sure to discover a meal to suit your taste from our regional monthly menus,” said Emirates. Lunch and dinner are complemented with fruit salad and delectable desserts.
“What elevates your ‘Premium Economy’ experience with Emirates is that you can celebrate a special occasion on board if it coincides with your flight. You can contact the airline and order a celebration cake of vanilla or chocolate flavor 48 hours before your scheduled departure,” said the chief travel economist of Indian Eagle Travel. Emirates Premium Economy reviews that we have received from our customers are positive about the range of inflight beverages, including wines and vintages from Business Class,” he added.
We are thrilled to see our partner’s premium economy class in service after three years of the pandemic-induced hiccups to its launch. As a leading air-ticketing partner of Emirates Airlines, we will offer our customers and newsletter subscribers cheap flights tickets to India for Premium Economy travel from USA once this brand new cabin is fully available in the US-India corridor.
Hopefully, I may fly in Emirates Premium Economy during my next trip to JFK.