What comes to your mind when you think of Singapore Airlines Premium Economy seats launched a couple of years ago? I had the comfort of taking Singapore Airlines Premium Economy on my flight back to Singapore from Dubai. Premium economy seats are available progressively on SIA’s Airbus A380, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777 aircrafts.
Doing a quick review on the additional perks I enjoyed on the Premium Economy experience for the benefit of anyone considering this option!
Flight: SQ495 Dubai to Singapore
Seat: 32F
Duration: 7hrs plus
(Much) More Comfort!
This is a big plus point for long haul flights, especially for travellers heading to North America and Europe. With the configuration of 2-4-2 cabin, the premium economy class seats are designed with greater width of 18.5-19.5 inches for enhanced comfort. A calf-rest and foot-rest is built right into the seat.
The full HD touchscreen was also user friendly and great to add to the experience. There are also 2 USB ports available to fully charge your electronics before you arrive at your destination! Other amenities also include a personal reading lamp and 1 power supply.
After dinner, it was time to get into my snoozing position. I just gently press the button and let the seat recline to a generous 8 inches to enjoy the full stretch of the seat.
Noise Cancelling Headset
This noise cancelling headset is just so awesome! I had a toddler crying just a few rows behind me but I had minimal disturbance to my movie and sleep time with this headset. Not to mention the sound of the engine was barely audible as well. Along with the extremely comfortable seat and music blasting on this headset, I somehow managed to have 4 hours of undisturbed sleep till 20mins before landing where I was asked to do the necessary to prepare for landing.
Better Food Options
There are 3 choices of main course on the flight itself. You are also able to reserve your main course from a variety of Premium Economy Book the Cook dishes up to 24 hours before you fly. In terms of beverages, there is a slightly wider variety with champagne and curated white and red wine available for your consumption.
Other Privileges
You have a separate priority check-in counter, boarding as well as 35kg baggage allowance (as compared to 30kg allowance on Economy). In addition, you get to earn Krisflyer miles at 110% of the actual miles flown.
Verdict
So how different is the price between Premiun Economy and Economy? A quick check on Singapore Airlines website shows that last-minute bookings will significantly reduce the price gap between these two to around just 10-20%. If you ask me, I think added comfort of the seats are the key reason to pay the difference to pamper myself to kick-start my holiday. My suggestion is that if you are booking a last minute long haul flight, premium economy is certainly to be considered for extra comfort and value.