A piece of luxury above the clouds: more and more airlines are focusing on premium economy products in their range of services. For a manageable surcharge, they offer passengers more space, more storage space and often other benefits.

The US airline Delta Air Lines scores with its guests, for example, with the so-called Delta Premium Select class. In addition to noticeably more legroom, footrests and larger screens, it should also convince passengers with special amenity kits and noise-cancelling headphones. This summer, aircraft in Superior Class will be used on almost all of the airline's transatlantic routes - including the connections from Munich to Detroit and Atlanta, from Frankfurt to New York-JFK, Detroit and Atlanta, and from Zurich to New York-JFK.

Several companies and organizations in the industry can confirm the trend towards premium classes. While Economy Class is still the most booked cabin class, online travel company Skyscanner has seen a steady increase in Premium Economy Class bookings. The more comfortable category is becoming increasingly popular, especially on long-haul flights such as to Sydney or New York. According to a recent survey by Skyscanner, 49 percent of the Germans surveyed plan to spend more money on their vacation this year. 19 percent want to make targeted investments in flight upgrades. "If you like to stretch your legs and don't want to fight for elbow room with your neighbor, an upgrade offers significantly more comfort," explains Skyscanner travel expert Naomi Hahn. “The good news is that a premium economy seat will cost, on average, up to 20 percent less this year than it did before the pandemic. My tip is to expand your flight search to multiple dates and airports, as this often gives travelers the chance to find real bargains.”

Canusa, the North American specialist, has observed great popularity among customers, especially in the direction of the USA and Canada. Managing Director Tilo Krause-Dünow: “Due to the pandemic, the USA and Canada were inaccessible to travelers for a long time. Therefore, there is still an enormous amount of catching up to do, which will certainly continue over the summer. No wonder that many now want to treat themselves to more comfort on their journey.” According to Tilo Krause-Dünow, this works particularly well on the North American routes. A large number of airlines are now using the product over the North Atlantic – albeit under different names. These include Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Air France, British Airways, but also US carriers such as Delta Air Lines and United.”

The business travel management platform TravelPerk also sees a trend towards premium economy in its segment – ​​supported by the companies. Here, however, this is to be seen more as a more cost-effective alternative to full business class and less as an upgrade option to economy class. Corona is increasingly losing its terror, so that travelers in this segment would not have to worry about being in a smaller space here. Country Manager Eugen Triebelhorn: “Business travelers are now increasingly choosing Premium Economy over full Business Class, as a broader spectrum of employees is now traveling again after many restrictions have been lifted. During the peak phase of the pandemic, the circle of travelers was much more limited.”