Is premium economy worth the upgrade? I flew Emirates’ middle cabin to find out

Even on the world’s most premium airlines, an economy seat can never really come close to competing with the comforts of business class. Sure, the food’s pretty good and the seats are comfortable enough, but the desire for lie-flat beds and a cold welcome glass of something fizzy leaves many passengers wishing they could turn left upon boarding.

Unless you’ve spent years accruing air miles (perhaps with some help from airline credit cards), the ever-increasing price of business class fares is enough to give many people pause when they are booking flights. Enter premium economy – a source of extra comfort for those looking for a happy medium.

Emirates launched its first premium economy cabins in 2021, debuting them on its new fleet of A380 aircraft travelling between Dubai and London Heathrow. As demand for premium economy has grown, so has the number of routes the cabin is available on, with the airline adding a further 10 cities to its offering at the start of 2026.

I booked a seat on a recent trip from Dubai to Mumbai to see how it compared to the experience of flying in business class.

The premium economy airport experience

As soon as I arrive at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, I feel the benefit of flying in premium economy. There’s a lengthy queue for the economy bag drop, but I skip it and head straight for the dedicated premium economy check-in area, where an empty counter is waiting for me. As a chronic overpacker, I also don’t need to stress about whether my baggage is going to exceed the weight limit – with Emirates, premium economy passengers get up to 35kg. Within five minutes, I have my boarding pass in hand, and I am heading through to security.

Unlike business class, premium economy passengers don’t get access to Emirates’ sprawling lounge, which, let’s be honest, is one of the best parts of flying business class. Instead, I head to Pret for a coffee and a croissant until it’s time to head to the gate.

But as soon as it’s time to board, I feel part of the passenger elite once more, boarding shortly after first and business passengers are called, without having spent 20 minutes standing in a slow-moving queue or a congested jet bridge.

The premium economy experience on board

I fly on Emirates’ newest aircraft, the Airbus A350, where the premium economy cabin sits between business and economy class, in a cosy space consisting of just three rows, arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration. Quilted cream leather seats are 19.5 inches wide, giving passengers up to 2.5 inches more than economy seats. It might not sound like much, but you can certainly feel it. Perhaps most stark, though, is the space around you. I sit in the cabin’s front row, and it all feels incredibly roomy, even before I’ve even reclined.