These Airlines Had The Top Premium Economy Seats In 2025

Premium Economy is the newest class of air travel. It was first introduced in the early 1990s by EVA Air, and it has become truly mainstream in the 21st century. Many major long-haul airlines were offering premium economy by the end of the 2010s, and there are still airlines that are newly introducing it due to high demand. Emirates first introduced premium economy in 2020, becoming the first Middle Eastern carrier to do so, while LATAM, the largest airline in South America, will begin selling premium economy in 2027.

There are several factors that determine the overall quality of an airline’s premium economy offering. These can generally be split into soft products, which are the variable factors such as onboard service, and the hard product, which is essentially the seat. This guide will use as many objective metrics as possible to determine which are the world’s best premium economy seats. Note that these seats may not be available on all aircraft, and placements will be determined by a combination of legroom, seat width, technology, and other features like privacy wings.

The Emirates Premium Economy Seat

Emirates began operating aircraft with premium economy in 2021. The carrier is reconfiguring its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleets with these seats, while all Airbus A350s are being delivered with premium economy. Emirates is using the Recaro PL3530, a popular seat model for long-haul premium economy and short-haul business class. Emirates installs either 21 or 28 premium economy seats on its Airbus A350s, 56 on the A380s, and 24 on the Boeing 777-300ER.

These seats notably lack headrest wings, but are otherwise well-equipped. As per aeroLOPA, they feature a six-way adjustable headrest, a dual team of a leather leg rest and an adjustable footrest, and three ways to charge devices. The 4K UHD screen is 13.3 inches (33.78 centimeters), which, while good, is also the same size as the screens in economy. There are two elements that make the Emirates premium economy seat stand out: the visual design and materials, as well as the legroom.

The seat covers are made out of a high-quality cream leather with a stunning stitching pattern, while the armrests also feature a distinctive polished wood finish. Meanwhile, the seat pitch is set at 40 inches (101.6 centimeters), as opposed to the industry standard of 38 inches (96.52 centimeters). Furthermore, while the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 feature an eight-abreast layout, which is standard for premium economy on these aircraft, the A350s are configured seven-abreast. Most airlines install eight-abreast premium economy on the A350.

Air New Zealand’s Newest Premium Economy Seats

In 2025, Air New Zealand unveiled new cabins for its Boeing 787-9s. These included a new generation of herringbone suites with doors for business class, a new business class plus product, updated economy seats, and a new premium economy seat. There are 33 of these seats on the 787-9, and they’re based on the ZIMPrivacy PC-02, a fixed shell seat. As is standard on the Boeing 787, the premium economy seats are configured seven-abreast, split across five rows.

Data from aeroLOPA shows that these seats feature a pitch of 41 inches (104.14 centimeters), roughly three inches (7.62 centimeters) more than the industry standard. The seat width of 19 inches (48.26 centimeters) is standard for this cabin on a Boeing 787. However, these seats include a 15.6-inch (39.62-centimeter) HD screen with Bluetooth pairing and three ways to charge devices. These seats also feature eight inches (20.32 centimeters) of recline and a privacy wing.

The ZMPrivacy PC-02 is a fixed shell seat. This means that the seat slides forward when reclined, while the seatback stays in place. This preserves personal space for the passenger seated behind you, but it can reduce your own personal space, and some find fixed-shell seats uncomfortable. It’s one of the great debates in the world of airline interiors, but recliner-style seats are preferred by more passengers and are more common. The fixed-shell design does slightly hamper this seat’s ranking as a result.

ITA Airways Premium Economy On The A321neo And A330neo

ITA Airways offers premium economy on the Airbus A321neo, the Airbus A330-200, the Airbus A330-900, and the Airbus A350-900. Of these, the A321neo and A330neo feature the best seats. The A321neo is equipped with the Safran Z600, while the A330neo features the Safran Z535i, as per aeroLOPA. These two-seat models are very similar, but feature some design differences as the Z600 is intended for narrowbody aircraft, while the Z535i is designed for widebodies.

Both seats feature an excellent 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) of legroom, along with a 15.6-inch (39.62-centimeter) 4K touchscreen equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. In addition, both the Z600 and Z535i feature universal AC, USB-A, and a USB-C power port. Furthermore, ITA Airways equips both seats with a coat hook, a legrest, and a footrest. The main difference is that the Z600 on the A321neo is 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) wide, whereas the Z535i on the A330neo is 18.7 inches (47.49 centimeters) wide. However, the Z535i features slightly more recline.

The seats on the Airbus A330-200 and A350-900 are significantly older with less space. If you’re traveling in premium economy with ITA, you’ll therefore want to either book the A321neo or the A330neo. These seats are essentially the same level of quality as the aforementioned fixed-shell seats used by Air New Zealand. However, the seats used by ITA are recliner-style, which are preferred by many passengers. However, if you prefer the benefits of a fixed-shell seat, then the new Air New Zealand seats are a superior option to those equipped by ITA Airways.

JAL’s Premium Economy Seats On The A350-1000

Japan Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 in December 2023. As the carrier’s future flagship aircraft, the A350-1000 came with new seats across all cabins. In premium economy, JAL’s new seats are based on the newest version of Safran’s articulated fixed shell seats. As per aeroLOPA, JAL installs 24 of these seats on the A350-1000, configured in the standard eight-abreast layout. Much like the other cabins, the premium economy seats are some of the most impressive in the world.

The seats are roughly 19 inches (48.26 centimeters) wide, which is standard for the Airbus A350. What isn’t standard, however, is the seat pitch of 42 inches (106.68 centimeters), more than almost any other premium economy seat in the world. The seats feature headrest wings and even include a privacy divider, along with a 16-inch (40.64-centimeter) 4K screen. The seat controls are motorized, and the seat also includes a tablet holder, in addition to seven inches (17.78 centimeters) of legroom.

The seat is ultimately a fixed shell seat, which comes with its own unique benefits and drawbacks. Mainly, reclining your seat does not impact the personal space of the person behind you. However, reclining your seat can decrease your own personal space, and fixed-shell seats as a whole can be less comfortable than a recliner-style seat. On the other hand, some passengers swear by fixed-shell seats. If fixed-shell seats are your preference, the JAL premium economy seats on the A350-1000 are the best in the world.

EVA Air’s Seats On The Boeing 787-9

EVA Air was the first airline in the world to introduce premium economy in the early 1990s. The majority of EVA Air’s fleet is made up of the Boeing 777-300ER, which features older seats with less space. However, EVA Air operates eight Boeing 787-9s equipped with its latest premium economy product, which are the world’s best recliner-style premium economy seats. Data from aeroLOPA shows that the 787-9s are equipped with 28 premium economy seats configured in a standard seven-abreast layout.

These seats are based on the Recaro R5. They feature privacy wings and a 15.6-inch (39.62-centimeter) HD screen. In addition, these seats feature a pitch of 42 inches (106.68 centimeters), tied with JAL as being the most out of any premium economy seat operated by a full-service airline. Furthermore, these seats are 19.5 inches (49.53 centimeters) wide. Although these seats are only available on eight aircraft so far, the carrier has another nine 787-9s on order and 24 Airbus A350-1000s to partially replace the Boeing 777-300ER fleet.

These seats are not quite as modern as the seats on JAL’s A350-1000s. However, the debate between a recliner seat versus a fixed shell seat is one of the most divisive in the world of airline interiors, with more people often favoring the traditional recliner. This gives EVA Air a slight boost over JAL. However, in practice, these two seats are essentially the same level of quality, and judging which is better comes down to whether you prefer a recliner-style seat or a hard-shell seat.