The Best Premium Economy Airlines in the World (2026 Ranking)

Emirates has the best premium economy in the world in 2026. Skytrax passengers voted its seat the best premium economy seat on any airline, and its overall product second only to EVA Air.

It also won the other two big 2026 verdicts. AirlineRatings.com’s passenger-voted Flyers’ Choice Awards named Emirates the preferred premium economy, and The Points Guy gave it Best International Premium Economy for the second year running.

EVA Air is second and Cathay Pacific third. This page ranks each airline by combining two Skytrax 2026 lists, the overall premium economy ranking and the seat ranking, as of October 2026. For each one you also get the aircraft to book, because premium economy on the wrong plane can be a much older seat.

Rank	Airline	Premium economy to book	Skytrax overall 2026	Skytrax seat 2026	Average
1	Emirates	New seat, Airbus A350	2	1	1.5
2	EVA Air	Fourth-generation seat, Boeing 787-9	1	3	2.0
3	Cathay Pacific	New seat, retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER	4	2	3.0
4	Singapore Airlines	Airbus A380	3	4	3.5
5	Japan Airlines	Airbus A350-1000	6	6	6.0
6	Virgin Atlantic	Boeing 787-9	5	8	6.5
7	Lufthansa	Allegris, Airbus A350 or Boeing 787-9	10	5	7.5
8	Delta Air Lines	Premium Select, Airbus A330-900	7	9	8.0
9	Air New Zealand	Retrofitted Boeing 787-9	8	10	9.0
10	Air France	Premium, Airbus A350	9	Not ranked	10.0

1. Emirates

Emirates ranks second overall with Skytrax and first for both the premium economy seat and premium economy catering. It is the only airline that also tops the AirlineRatings and The Points Guy lists for 2026.

On the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, the seat gives up to 40 inches (102 cm) of pitch, a 19.5-inch (50 cm) width and 8 inches (20 cm) of recline. It has a calf rest, a footrest and a 13.3-inch screen, and the four-class A380 carries 56 of them in a 2-4-2 layout.

The seat to book now is the new one on Emirates’ Airbus A350s, unveiled in September 2026. It is an electric seat with a full-height privacy screen between seats, 20 inches (51 cm) wide with up to 39 inches (99 cm) of pitch, and it reclines into a cradle without pushing into the row behind.

Only 28 of those seats fly on each A350, in a 2-3-2 layout, with a 13.3-inch 4K screen and wireless charging. Meals come on Royal Doulton china with Robert Welch cutlery, and Skytrax voters rated its premium economy catering the best in the world.

Why is it ahead of EVA, which won the overall vote? Emirates is the only airline in the top two on both Skytrax lists, and its premium economy is spreading fast: by May 2026 its retrofit program had finished 95 aircraft, 42 A380s and 53 777s, out of 219 in scope.

2. EVA Air

EVA Air won the Skytrax World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airline award for 2026. It also won Best Premium Economy Class Amenities and the best premium economy in Asia, and its seat placed third.

Skytrax calls EVA the pioneer of the cabin. EVA introduced premium economy in 1992 under the name Evergreen Deluxe Class, with a 38-inch pitch, and says those were the first such seats with personal TV screens.

Book its three-class Boeing 787-9s. They carry EVA’s fourth-generation Recaro seat: 28 seats in a 2-3-2 layout, a 42-inch (107 cm) pitch, the equivalent of 8 inches (20 cm) of recline and a 15.6-inch screen. The front row gets an extended leg rest.

That 42-inch pitch ties for the most in this ranking. The new 787-9 cabin reached the United States in October 2025 on the Dallas Fort Worth to Taipei route, and Washington Dulles was scheduled to follow in late June 2026.

The reason EVA is second rather than first is the rest of the fleet. The Boeing 777-300ER still has the older seat, with 38 inches (97 cm) of pitch, a 19.5-inch (50 cm) width and an 11-inch screen. EVA’s premium economy also brings a Hunter amenity kit, Guzzini tableware, its own menu and expedited baggage handling.

3. Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific ranks fourth overall with Skytrax but second for the seat, and the seat is new. It flies on Cathay’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs, with 38 aircraft in the program.

The Points Guy, which previewed the cabin in 2024, counted 48 seats in a 2-4-2 layout, each about 19 inches (48 cm) wide with 40 inches (102 cm) of pitch and roughly 8 inches (20 cm) of recline. Each has a leg rest and a flip-out footrest, and Cathay fits a 15.6-inch 4K screen.

Cathay also gives premium economy its own lavatories on each side of the cabin. The new cabin reached Los Angeles in April 2026, daily from May 1, after San Francisco and Vancouver.

Off the 777, Cathay’s A350s are a good fallback: 40 inches (102 cm) of pitch, 9 inches (23 cm) of recline and a 12.1-inch screen. Every Cathay premium economy seat has a full-length calf rest and footrest.

4. Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is third overall with Skytrax, fourth for the seat and third for catering. AirlineRatings voters placed it second, behind Emirates.

Its ranking is a vote for service, not hardware. When the seat launched, Executive Traveller measured it at 19.5 inches (50 cm) wide on the A380 and 18.5 inches (47 cm) on the 777-300ER, with 38 inches (97 cm) of pitch and 8 inches (20 cm) of recline on both. Singapore confirms a calf rest, a footrest and a 13.3-inch screen.

Book the A380 for the wider seat. The standout perk is Book the Cook, which lets premium economy passengers pre-order from up to 20 dishes at least 24 hours before departure, plus Charles de Cazanove champagne and porcelain serviceware.

A new seat is coming, but later than planned. The first retrofitted long-haul A350-900 was due in the second quarter of 2026, and the launch has slipped to the first quarter of 2027 over supply chain and seat certification delays. One Mile at a Time reports the new cabins will be revealed on November 7, 2026.

The retrofit also shrinks the cabin on Singapore’s ultra-long-range A350s, from 94 premium economy seats to 58. On its longest nonstops, premium economy will get harder to book.

5. Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines places sixth on both Skytrax lists, and it has one of the most advanced seats in this ranking. The catch is that very few flights have it.

On the Airbus A350-1000, JAL fits 24 premium economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout. Each has about 42 inches (107 cm) of pitch, about 19 inches (48 cm) of width, a 16-inch screen and a fixed back, so it reclines without touching the passenger behind.

The recline is motorized and the leg rest rises to 90 degrees. When it announced the seat in 2023, JAL called it the first premium economy in the world with electrically operated recline.

From October 1, 2026 to March 27, 2027, JAL also flies the A350-1000 between Tokyo Haneda and London, which brings it to 14 flights across five routes. Elsewhere you get the older JAL Sky Premium seat with a 12.1-inch screen.

Premium economy on JAL includes two checked bags of up to 50 pounds (23 kg) each. For how it compares with its Tokyo rival, see our ANA vs JAL comparison.

6. Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic is fifth overall with Skytrax and won Best Premium Economy in Europe, but its seat places only eighth. That gap tells you what you are buying: the service and the food, more than the hardware.

Virgin calls the cabin Premium. You board to a chilled glass of bubbly, choose from three main courses served on china, and get two 50-pound (23 kg) checked bags. Lounge access is not included.

Book the Boeing 787-9. Its 35 Premium seats are up to 21 inches (53 cm) wide, the widest in this ranking, with 8 inches (20 cm) of recline and up to 38 inches (97 cm) of pitch.

Virgin’s newer jets have narrower seats. Both the A350-1000 and the Airbus A330neo list an 18.5-inch (47 cm) width with up to 38 inches (97 cm) of pitch, and the A350-1000 gives 7 inches (18 cm) of recline.

The 787 will change too. Virgin plans to refit it from 2028 to 2030, growing Premium from 35 seats to 56.

7. Lufthansa

Lufthansa is only tenth overall with Skytrax, but its seat ranks fifth, ahead of Japan Airlines and Virgin. That seat is Allegris, its new long-haul cabin.

The Allegris premium economy seat sits in a hard shell, so reclining does not disturb the row behind. It gives 39 inches (99 cm) of pitch, a leather leg rest, a 15.6-inch 4K screen and wireless charging.

You find it on new Airbus A350-900s, with 24 seats, and new Boeing 787-9s, with 28. Lufthansa’s first A350-1000 joins the fleet in winter 2026/27 with 35 Allegris premium economy seats, flying from Munich.

The catch is consistency. Older Lufthansa jets still have the previous seat with an 11- or 12-inch screen, and the majority of the long-haul fleet is not due to have Allegris until the end of 2028.

8. Delta Air Lines

Delta is the best-ranked US airline: seventh overall, ninth for the seat, and the Skytrax winner for best premium economy in North America. Its cabin is called Delta Premium Select.

The seat gives up to 38 inches (97 cm) of pitch, up to 19 inches (48 cm) of width and up to 7 inches (18 cm) of recline, with adjustable leg and head rests and a screen of up to 13.3 inches. On the Airbus A330-900, Delta fits 28 of them.

Avoid the narrowbodies. On the 757-200, 737-800 and 737-900ER, Premium Select has no foot and leg rest, no 13.3-inch screen and no noise-canceling headphones.

Delta now also sells a cheaper Basic fare in Premium Select. If you are deciding between this cabin and Delta’s extra-legroom economy, our Delta Comfort Plus vs Premium Select guide breaks down the difference.

9. Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand is eighth overall with Skytrax and tenth for the seat. Skytrax also named it the best premium economy in Australia and the Pacific, and AirlineRatings voters put it third worldwide.

Book a retrofitted Boeing 787-9. Its 33 new ZIM seats are 19 inches (48 cm) wide and recline 8 inches (20 cm) by sliding forward inside a fixed shell, with a 15.6-inch screen and 41 to 42 inches (104 to 107 cm) of pitch on Air New Zealand’s seat map.

All 14 of its 787-9s are due to have the new cabins by the end of 2026. The fare includes two checked bags.

10. Air France

Air France rounds out the top 10, ninth overall with Skytrax. It misses the seat top 10 but places fourth for catering, and won the Skytrax award for the best premium economy catering in Europe.

Air France launched premium economy in 2009 and now calls it Premium. The latest recliner seat is on selected Boeing 777s and Airbus A350s, and Air France says it is on more than 80% of its fleet.

Air France quotes 37 to 38 inches (94 to 97 cm) of legroom and a recline of up to 121 to 124 degrees, depending on the aircraft, plus an adjustable footrest and a 13.3-inch 4K screen. The A350 has 32 Premium seats, each with a 19-inch (48 cm) seat pan.

The food is the reason to fly it. You get a glass of champagne on boarding and a full French-style meal with a choice of two hot main dishes by chef Frédéric Simonin.

Just outside the top 10: Korean Air, Qantas and ANA

Korean Air is the newest name on the list. It started flying premium economy, called Premium Class, in September 2025 on retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs, first between Seoul and Singapore, and Skytrax voters already rank the seat seventh.

Korean fits 40 seats in a 2-4-2 layout with 39 to 41 inches (99 to 104 cm) of pitch, a 19.5-inch (50 cm) width, leg and footrests and a 15.6-inch 4K screen. Korean says fares are generally around 110% of normal economy fares, a small premium for the extra space.

Qantas is 13th with Skytrax. Its 787-9 seat is good, 20.5 inches (52 cm) wide with 9.5 inches (24 cm) of recline and a 38-inch (97 cm) pitch, and a new Project Sunrise seat with 40 inches (102 cm) of pitch is coming, but its first A350-1000 delivery has slipped to April 2027.

ANA is 14th. Its new Recaro seat raises pitch by 2 inches to 40 inches (102 cm) and recline to 9 inches (23 cm), but it arrives on new 787-9s and is not yet in service.

Which US airline has the best premium economy?

Delta is the best US option. It ranks seventh overall with Skytrax, while United ranks 19th and American misses the top 20, though American won the Skytrax award for the best premium economy catering in North America.

Spec	Delta Premium Select	United Premium Plus	American Premium Economy
Skytrax overall 2026	7	19	Not in top 20
Pitch	Up to 38 in (97 cm)	38 in (97 cm) on the 787-9	38 in (97 cm)
Width	Up to 19 in (48 cm)	19 in (48 cm), 20 in (51 cm) on the newest 787-9	18.5 to 19.5 in (47 to 50 cm)
Recline	Up to 7 in (18 cm)	6 in (15 cm)	Not published
Largest screen	13.3 in	16 in, newest 787-9 only	Not published
Leg and footrest	Yes, except 757 and 737	Not stated by United	Footrest, yes

United’s best seat is on its new Elevated Boeing 787-9, with a 20-inch (51 cm) width, a 16-inch 4K OLED screen, wireless charging and a privacy divider. It launched in April 2026 on San Francisco to Singapore and London Heathrow, so few flights have it yet.

American offers premium economy on its 777s and 787s, and on the Airbus A321XLR between New York JFK and Los Angeles, which carries a dozen seats.

Delta and United now both sell a stripped-down lowest fare in premium economy, so read the fare rules before you book. For a wider look at the three carriers, see our Delta vs United vs American comparison.

How to pick the right premium economy seat

Check the aircraft before the airline. On EVA, Lufthansa, Cathay and JAL, the same ticket can put you in a brand-new seat or a much older one, depending on the plane.

Look for three things: a fixed shell, so the seat in front cannot recline into you; a leg rest, which matters more for sleep than an extra inch of pitch; and a 2-3-2 layout, where no one sits more than one seat from an aisle.

If you are still deciding whether the cabin is worth it at all, our guide to premium economy vs economy covers the price gap and what each extra inch costs. And if the fare is close to a lie-flat seat, compare it with the best business class airlines first.

FAQ

Which airline has the best premium economy seat?

Emirates won the Skytrax award for the best premium economy seat in 2026, ahead of Cathay Pacific and EVA Air. Its new Airbus A350 seat is electric, 20 inches wide, offers up to 39 inches of pitch and has a full-height privacy screen. For pure legroom, EVA Air’s Boeing 787-9 and Japan Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 offer about 42 inches of pitch.

Is premium economy better on Delta or United?

Delta is better on most flights. Skytrax ranks Delta Premium Select seventh in the world and United Premium Plus 19th, and Delta offers up to 7 inches of recline against United’s 6. United’s new Elevated Boeing 787-9 has the better seat, 20 inches wide with a 16-inch screen, but it flies only a few routes.

Is it worth flying premium economy?

It is usually worth it on long overnight flights, where a leg rest and 7 to 9 inches of recline make sleep realistic. The value depends on the fare: Korean Air, for example, prices its Premium Class at around 110% of economy. Book the right aircraft too, because the same airline can fly a new seat and a much older one.

Can you sleep in premium economy?

Yes, but in a recliner, not a bed. The best seats for sleep have a fixed shell and a leg rest, such as Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 seat, whose motorized leg rest rises to 90 degrees. Air New Zealand also sells Skynest bunks to Economy and Premium Economy passengers in four-hour sessions, for travel from late December 2026.

Which airline invented premium economy?

EVA Air introduced premium economy in 1992, under the name Evergreen Deluxe Class, with a 38-inch seat pitch. Skytrax calls EVA the pioneer of the cabin, and in 2026 it named EVA the world’s best premium economy airline.

Does Qatar Airways have premium economy?

No. Qatar Airways flies economy, business and first class but no premium economy. Its former chief executive Akbar Al Baker argued Qatar’s economy was already as good as other airlines’ premium economy, and the airline has not changed course.

Which US airline has the best premium economy?

Delta Premium Select is the best-ranked US premium economy, seventh in the world and the Skytrax winner for North America in 2026. United Premium Plus ranks 19th, and American Premium Economy is outside the top 20, although American won the North American award for premium economy catering.