7 Most Comfortable Premium Economy Seats You Can Book In 2026

Premium Economy has come a long way from just being ‘economy with a bit more legroom.’ As demand for more premium seating options has surged post-pandemic, it has become one of the most competitive areas in commercial aviation. Consequently, airlines are investing heavily in improving seat design, comfort, and the overall passenger experience, making premium economy a distinctly different class positioned between economy and business.

Recognizing this, the 2025 SkyTrax Awards for Best Premium Economy Class Airlines celebrated the carriers leading this change. As part of these awards, carriers were also ranked for the quality of their seats and the level of their catering in premium economy. It is the former category that we are going to examine in more detail, looking at the most comfortable premium economy seats that you can book in 2026.

Air New Zealand

A $2 Billion Upgrade To Its Boeing 787 Fleet

Air New Zealand was an early adopter of the premium economy concept, introducing it on its long-haul flights as far back as 2004. By the time it took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER in 2010, it had introduced the hard-shell “Spaceseat” in premium economy, although this was eventually replaced by more traditional recliners that started appearing on its Boeing 787-9s from 2014.

The airline is currently in the midst of a massive $2 billion retrofit program, which includes substantial upgrades to all cabins. In May 2025, Air New Zealand unveiled its first fully retrofitted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which included its new premium economy seat from ZIM Aircraft Seating. This has a fixed outer shell, which allows passengers to recline without impacting the seat behind them. Each seat includes side wings to enhance privacy, an 11″ HD touchscreen display, and has a seat width of 19.3″, row pitch of 41.5″, and a recline up to 8.7″.

The retrofit will see all of Air New Zealand’s 787-9s move from 21 to 33 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 layout. The airline expects to have seven retrofitted 787s in service by the end of 2025, with the entire 14-aircraft Dreamliner fleet scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. It also has five new Boeing 787-9s and five 787-10s on order, expected to arrive starting in early 2026, and these will come factory-fitted with these new cabins. Because these new aircraft are scheduled to replace the 777-300ERs, there are no plans to upgrade the premium economy cabins on those aircraft.

Cathay Pacific

A Premium Economy Upgrade Ahead Of The Boeing 777-9

Cathay Pacific first introduced premium economy in March 2012, debuting the cabin on its long-haul aircraft of the day, including Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 747-400s, and Airbus A340-300s. At launch, the premium economy product offered a dedicated separate cabin with wider seats, increased pitch, greater recline, and a 10.6″ personal screen. The arrival of the airline’s first Airbus A350s in 2016 led to an improved premium economy seat, with a larger personal screen and two inches more row pitch.

Cathay Pacific now has 48 A350s in operation, with the -900s having 28 premium economy seats and the larger -1000 having 32, both in a 2-4-2 configuration. It also has 43 Airbus A330-300s that it uses for its high-capacity regional routes, and these used to have a small 21-seat premium economy cabin. However, only two examples retain this layout, with most carrying a more dense configuration. The airline has not yet confirmed whether it will be offering premium economy on the 30 Airbus A330-900s that it is set to take delivery of from 2028, but as these are primarily -300 replacements, it is unlikely.

On the Boeing side of the fleet, Cathay Pacific is in the midst of a $14 billion retrofit of its 777-300ERs, which includes the new Aria Suites in business class. As part of this, it is substantially increasing the number of premium economy seats from 32 to 48, in a 2-4-2 configuration. As of December 2025, 11 aircraft have already been reconfigured, with the entire 35-aircraft 777-300ER fleet scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. This new premium economy cabin will also be standard on Cathay Pacific’s future Boeing 777-9 aircraft once they are delivered. The airline currently has 35 on order, and is hoping for deliveries to start in 2027.

Delta Air Lines

The Only US Airline In The Top 10

Delta Air Lines was the only US airline to feature in the Top 10 of SkyTrax’s ranking of Best Premium Economy Seats. Delta first introduced its Premium Select product in October 2017 with the debut of its Airbus A350-900 fleet. These flagship aircraft have been undergoing upgrades to a substantial 48-seat premium economy cabin, arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. Each seat has a width of 18.5″, a row pitch of 38″, and a recline of 7″.

Delta also operates over 80 A330s, with the older -200s and -300s having a 21-seat Premium Select cabin, while the newer -900s have a larger 28-seat premium economy offering. All the Airbus widebodies are currently going through a cabin refresh that includes a new interior aesthetic with updated upholstery, memory foam cushions, and enhanced mood lighting. Not included in this refresh are the soon-to-be-retired Boeing 767-300ERs, which have the smallest premium economy cabins at just 18 seats, with 5 examples that are 35+ years old retaining a two-class configuration.

Initially focused on long-haul international routes, Delta has recently expanded Premium Select to high-traffic domestic routes. In September 2024, Delta debuted the product on select transcontinental flights between New York JFK Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, followed by an expansion to the JFK to San Francisco International Airport route in November 2025.

Singapore Airlines

The Largest Premium Economy Cabin In The World

Singapore Airlines is no stranger to winning SkyTrax awards, and was ranked fourth in terms of the best premium economy seats. The airline officially introduced its premium economy offering in 2015 on the Singapore-Sydney route, and it was subsequently rolled out across its long-haul fleet. It can currently be found on four of its five widebody types, with some interesting quirks.

Starting with the A350-900, Singapore Airlines has 34 of its 58 aircraft fitted with a 24-seat premium economy cabin, arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. These Safran Z535 recliner seats feature 13.3″ touch screen displays and an integrated calf rest and footrest. Each seat has a width of 19″, a row pitch of 38″, and a recline of 8″.

These same seats are used on Singapore Airlines’ seven Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft, which are used to fly its routes to New York JFK, the longest non-stop commercial flight in the world at 9,487 miles, and Newark Liberty International Airport, which is just three miles shorter. These aircraft are configured with just 161 seats, made up of 67 business class and 94 premium economy, in order to maximize range. This means the ULR has the world’s largest premium economy cabin by seat count.

Singapore Airlines also has premium economy cabins on its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with the former featuring 44 premium economy seats in the forward section of its lower deck. Notably, the airline has chosen not to add premium economy to its current fleet of 26 Boeing 787-10s (with five more on order), as these aircraft are configured specifically for medium-haul, regional routes, where a two-class configuration of business and economy better suits the operational and market demands.

Virgin Atlantic

The Premium Economy Pioneer

Virgin Atlantic was the overall winner of SkyTrax’s award for “World’s Best Premium Economy Airline”, but placed third in the category for best premium economy seats. The airline was a pioneer of the “in-between” class, first introducing it in May 1992. It launched as “Mid Class,” designed to reward travelers paying full economy fares with better space and service. The product was rebranded to “Premium Economy” in 1994, setting the name that would ultimately be used by the industry, and is now simply referred to as “Premium”.

Virgin Atlantic offers large premium economy cabins on all four of its widebody types. However, while the soft product is consistent, there are some notable differences in the actual seats:

Airbus A350-1000 & A330-900: These newest aircraft feature the Collins MiQ seat, arranged as 2-4-2 on the A350 and 2-3-2 on the A330neo. The seats feature a 13.3″ touch screen display with integrated Bluetooth, four-way adjustable headrests and a full-size bi-fold table. Each seat has a width of 18.5″, a row pitch of 38″, and a recline of 7″.

Boeing 787-9: Features the Safran GB Reverb seat in a 2-3-2 configuration. These seats have a smaller 11.1″ HD touchscreen display, and are equipped with a four-way adjustable headrest and pull-down footrest. Each seat has a width of 18.7″, a row pitch of 38″, and a recline of 8″.

Airbus A330-300: Features the ThreeSixty Aerospace (now Safran GB) Retreat seat in a 2-3-2 configuration. These seats have the smallest screens at just 10.5″, but the greatest width at 20″.

Virgin Atlantic is planning a multi-billion dollar fleet transformation to increase premium capacity. A full cabin re-design is planned for the 787-9s, starting in 2028 and completing by 2030. This will see the old onboard bar being removed to make room for more premium seating, with the premium economy cabin expanded from 35 to 56 seats. In addition, 10 new A330neo deliveries from Q3 2026 will arrive in a high-premium configuration, featuring 56 premium economy seats (up from 46).

Japan Airlines

The First Carrier To Offer Shell Seats

Japan Airlines came in second in the SkyTrax rankings for best premium economy seats, and has long been an innovator in the category. The airline first introduced its premium economy cabin in 2007 on its route from Tokyo Narita Airport to London Heathrow Airport. The carrier was the first to offer shell seats in premium economy, which recline without tilting backward, preserving the personal space of each passenger.

Today, Japan Airlines offers premium economy on three of its widebody types. Its flagship is the Airbus A350-1000, which is gradually replacing the Boeing 777-300ERs, and which has 24 “Sky Premium” seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. These are Safran articulated fixed shell seats featuring lumbar support, a motorized leg rest that rises up to 90°, an adjustable headrest with winged dividers, and a 16″ 4K UHD touch screen display. Each seat has a width of 19″, a very generous row pitch of 42″, and a recline of 7″.

It is also noteworthy that Japan Airlines flies multiple other widebodies that do not have premium economy cabins. Its current A350-900s, 767-300ERs and 787-8s are primarily configured for use on high-volume domestic and regional routes, and the carrier has opted to include first and business classes rather than premium economy. However, it does have a new batch of 20 A350-900s set to arrive from 2027 which will be in an international configuration, and will likely include premium economy.

Emirates

Late To The Game, But Awarded Best Premium Economy Seat

Emirates was relatively late to adopt premium economy compared with other global carriers, only introducing it on its A380s in 2021. This year it has topped the SkyTrax rankings for the best premium economy seat, although it is debatable whether its Recaro PL3530 seats truly are superior to JAL’s Safran fixed shell seats described above. The seats themselves feature a six-way adjustable headrest, calf rest, footrest, a retractable bi-folding table, and a 13.3″ 4K UHD touch screen display. Each seat has a width of 19.5″, a row pitch of 40″, and a recline of 8″.

The availability of premium economy across Emirates’ fleet is spotty as the carrier is still undergoing an extensive fleet retrofit after its late start with the cabin class. The current status is as follows:

Airbus A350-900: The first 10 aircraft delivered have a regional configuration with 21 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 layout. Subsequent aircraft have an international configuration with an additional row of premium economy to take the total to 28 seats.

Airbus A380-800: The super-jumbos come in eight different cabin configurations, three of which have premium economy. Currently, 43 A380s have a 56-seat premium economy cabin, and the carrier plans to ultimately retrofit a total of 110 aircraft.

Boeing 777-300ER: The 777s also have multiple configurations, and 38 aircraft currently have a 24-seat premium economy cabin. Emirates ultimately plans to retrofit a total of 81 of these aircraft.

Emirates also operates 10 Boeing 777-200LRs, but there are no plans to add premium economy to these aircraft as they are nearing end of service at an average age of 17.6 years. The airline also has orders for 777-9s (270), 787-9s (20), and 787-10s (15) which it will start taking delivery of in the next few years. All three new types are expected to include premium economy cabins.