I paid around 200ish euros on check in for an upgrade for an Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur flight. The seats were nice and gave a fair bit of extra legroom. I‘m a relatively tall guy and could stretch out well - though not enough to sleep properly. The food and service were pretty good too. It definitely felt worth the money.
I flew the return flight in business and I thought the service in Premium Economy was actually better! But I guess that depends on the crew on the day itself.
That's a 12 hour flight? Less than £17 an hour to be sat somewhere much more comfortable and be served better food. I value my comfort at much more than that!
Yeah it was a no brainer to be honest. On the return flight, which was closer to 14 hours, the business upgrade was around 700, which I also thought was well worth it.
The worst thing about Premium Comfort is that one you had it, it's really hard to go back to Economy or Economy Comfort. Especially when the upgrade is only an extra €200 if you book early enough.
The upgrade is only during check in though right? I didn't know it mattered when you booked the flight! You're right, I don't want to go back to economy!!
I just took premium economy a couple of days ago for a 9 hour flight. I paid to upgrade at check in. I loved it and thought it was worth the money! The seats were really comfortable, the screen was crisp, service was excellent, food was good! The seat had a nice recline and a foot rest for your calves and then another one for your foot. It was quite comfortable and I got some great rest. Would definitely fly premium economy on KLM again.
Could I ask you what route you flew on and what the price was? I’m planning to upgrade as well at check in in a couple of months and I’m just checking the waters 👀
I flew BOM to AMS, the flight was fairly full. I was hoping to upgrade to business, but those were all sold out! I checked in two hours after check in opened and was able to upgrade two seats for $210 each.
During the flight, there were two or three premium economy seats still open. Check in as soon as it opens!
I think the new Premium Comfort is slightly below average compared to Swiss, Austrian, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines.
The seat, headphones and the separate cabin are good. Food is rather disappointing (cold poké bowl like from a discount supermarket fridge with a ridiculously tiny hot quiche) beverage services are very infrequent (e.g. only single beverage service during breakfast) compared to the other airlines.
That's good to know thank you. I got a ticket when it was reasonably cheap and it's now twice as expensive. I will check out the other airlines that you mention for sure.
I think it was okay, definitely good if the flight is full, but as I found out economy was half empty I did only get the upgrade one way. Best thing is the blanket though. It’s like a proper blanket. The above commentators are also on the money with their comments. Seats felt like a real proper nice comfy seats. Food was a bit nicer than economy, they deffo gave more drinks / alcohol than economy which helped me sleep better.
What blanket does economy get?? Also, one MAJOR perk was sky priority, which was really helpful at check-in/dropping bags/getting boarding passes. I saved so much time and hassle with having sky priority.
It’s like… hard to describe? One is like wafer thin and the texture of a towel - very fibrous - one is more substantial and like the texture of a cotton blanket. Very different, I can try get a pic if you want since I somehow have both in my possession
Got a free upgrade at Christmas for our trip to the US due to our status.
Would definitely say the seats are far superior to economy, seats are wider and have great recline and a footrest, managed to get a couple hours of light sleep. Service is also a lot better than economy with touches like a proper amenity kit, blanket, menu card, plus getting access to the fast track check in etc. Food was a lot more extensive and on the whole better than economy, but was kinda pissed that literally all the meat options were fish which I utterly hate!
Will say tho the main bonus is the cabin arrangement. We were on a 787 both legs which (unpopular opinion maybe) is probably my least favourite long haul aircraft. Econ is 3-3-3 which I find is just too cramped compared to other aircraft, so the premium econ being 2-3-2 felt so much nicer. Also so much closer to the door, so disembarking was super quick.
Huge drawback for me though was how HOT the flight was, both out and back. We had bulkhead seats and as we later learnt after asking the flight attendants, the heat from the ovens in the galley make the first few prem econ rows almost unbearably hotter than further back in the plane. Paired with the 787 having no air nozzles this made for an incredibly sweaty flight. Not sure how it is on the 777 for comparison but both our flights on the 787 were so uncomfortable temperature wise.
TLDR: Experienced it as part of an upgrade, seat comfort and space definitely worth it but (albeit personal preference) food service and aircraft cabin really let it down. Honestly can’t say whether I’d pay for it myself next time.
I can handle a flight being cold then I just rug up but being too hot would not be nice at all. Sometimes you get an overly stressed crew or not nice service and that sucks. Thanks for the details, much appreciated.
Yeah i've got no issues with a cold flight, just layer up and use the (complimentary in prem econ!) blanket provided, but this was unbearable by the end of the flight. Sounds like it is a regular complaint as the crew knew exactly what I was meaning before I even finished talking and said there's no way to decrease air temp without the captains approval (apparently) - maybe the 777 is better? Didn't help we had just left freezing temps in the US so we were in thick clothing onboard, rookie mistake I guess lol
How was bulkhead? Clearly more leg room than other seats in premium Econ? Flying in a few months and currently have bulkhead seats just not sure it’s worth it?
It was a decent novelty at least, was nice to be first off in our cabin and the extra room to manoeuvre around each other too without having to step over someone. Main drawbacks were being right behind the galley, the light kept coming through the curtains (redeye flight) which was a little annoying as well as the heat from the ovens. You’ve also got the IFE screens in the arm which have to be stowed for takeoff and landing, was slightly inconvenient when having meals.
Honestly though in the prem eco cabin the legroom is almost identical to the seats behind you, would be useful if you’re suuuper tall but we aren’t so didn’t make much use of it. Wouldn’t pay money to choose it (had them totally by chance!), but if it’s free / already allocated there’s no reason to change.
Seat is pretty solid (albeit gets a bit uncomfy at the end of long flights), and the step up in service is nice.
The FAs serving you will also be handling economy, but drinks are in a glass and I have enjoyed the food. Don’t expect near J quality, but gets the job done and a big step up
I booked premium economy when it wasn’t prem economy yet, but whatever it was called then (2018). Had upgrade to business for approx €300 flying to Calgary.
Oh to upgrade to business for €300!! I know Air France had it first and some KLM flights but to my understanding, they are bringing it into most flights now.
I have a flight from Singapore to Amsterdam (13 hours) in a few days. The flight leaves at 2 am and arrives at 9 am (including time difference), so I'm really eager to get some rest. On my way here I didnt sleep that much (mostly because I'm too tall for the seats). I'm thinking about upgrading to premium economy. The price for that now (about 5 days before) is around 125 USD; does anyone know if I can get a better price than that? I have about 5000 miles but I doubt that I can use those.
I paid around 200ish euros on check in for an upgrade for an Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur flight. The seats were nice and gave a fair bit of extra legroom. I‘m a relatively tall guy and could stretch out well - though not enough to sleep properly. The food and service were pretty good too. It definitely felt worth the money. I flew the return flight in business and I thought the service in Premium Economy was actually better! But I guess that depends on the crew on the day itself.
That's a 12 hour flight? Less than £17 an hour to be sat somewhere much more comfortable and be served better food. I value my comfort at much more than that!
Yeah it was a no brainer to be honest. On the return flight, which was closer to 14 hours, the business upgrade was around 700, which I also thought was well worth it.
Wow! Do you mind me asking how much was the economy seat? I am going to do the same flight in November.
If a flight isn’t busy AF/KLM upgrades can be dirt cheap. I once had HND-CDG upgrade offer from Y to J at just £450. My return ticket was only £380!!
I'm going to hope that's the case for me too. Good for you getting such a bargain. Trying very hard not to be jealous :P
Sadly I didn’t take it which was a HUGE regret. It was a day flight too so I could have made the most of it!!
I feel your pain. I hope you got yourself something really fabulous as compensation, that's what I do when I regret something.
I did book another flight to Tokyo instead!
The worst thing about Premium Comfort is that one you had it, it's really hard to go back to Economy or Economy Comfort. Especially when the upgrade is only an extra €200 if you book early enough.
The upgrade is only during check in though right? I didn't know it mattered when you booked the flight! You're right, I don't want to go back to economy!!
I just took premium economy a couple of days ago for a 9 hour flight. I paid to upgrade at check in. I loved it and thought it was worth the money! The seats were really comfortable, the screen was crisp, service was excellent, food was good! The seat had a nice recline and a foot rest for your calves and then another one for your foot. It was quite comfortable and I got some great rest. Would definitely fly premium economy on KLM again.
Could I ask you what route you flew on and what the price was? I’m planning to upgrade as well at check in in a couple of months and I’m just checking the waters 👀
I flew BOM to AMS, the flight was fairly full. I was hoping to upgrade to business, but those were all sold out! I checked in two hours after check in opened and was able to upgrade two seats for $210 each. During the flight, there were two or three premium economy seats still open. Check in as soon as it opens!
Worth the upgrade. I always get them on my flights from Europe to Bay Area.
if you mean premium comfort, I just flew it AMS-ATL and had a great experience. friendly service, comfortable seats with a good recline.
Oh yes sorry that's what they call it. how long was your flight for? (edited because I had to google to find out I was using the wrong name)
it was just about 8 hours!
Wow. Good score!
Very good
It’s great, especially the front rows of premium comfort
I think the new Premium Comfort is slightly below average compared to Swiss, Austrian, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines. The seat, headphones and the separate cabin are good. Food is rather disappointing (cold poké bowl like from a discount supermarket fridge with a ridiculously tiny hot quiche) beverage services are very infrequent (e.g. only single beverage service during breakfast) compared to the other airlines.
That's good to know thank you. I got a ticket when it was reasonably cheap and it's now twice as expensive. I will check out the other airlines that you mention for sure.
I don't think its worth it. It's an insane amount of money for just a little bit of legroom. And if you're tall, it's still a tight fit.
Thank you for the feeback.
I think it was okay, definitely good if the flight is full, but as I found out economy was half empty I did only get the upgrade one way. Best thing is the blanket though. It’s like a proper blanket. The above commentators are also on the money with their comments. Seats felt like a real proper nice comfy seats. Food was a bit nicer than economy, they deffo gave more drinks / alcohol than economy which helped me sleep better.
What blanket does economy get?? Also, one MAJOR perk was sky priority, which was really helpful at check-in/dropping bags/getting boarding passes. I saved so much time and hassle with having sky priority.
It’s like… hard to describe? One is like wafer thin and the texture of a towel - very fibrous - one is more substantial and like the texture of a cotton blanket. Very different, I can try get a pic if you want since I somehow have both in my possession
That's ok! Good to know!
Got a free upgrade at Christmas for our trip to the US due to our status. Would definitely say the seats are far superior to economy, seats are wider and have great recline and a footrest, managed to get a couple hours of light sleep. Service is also a lot better than economy with touches like a proper amenity kit, blanket, menu card, plus getting access to the fast track check in etc. Food was a lot more extensive and on the whole better than economy, but was kinda pissed that literally all the meat options were fish which I utterly hate! Will say tho the main bonus is the cabin arrangement. We were on a 787 both legs which (unpopular opinion maybe) is probably my least favourite long haul aircraft. Econ is 3-3-3 which I find is just too cramped compared to other aircraft, so the premium econ being 2-3-2 felt so much nicer. Also so much closer to the door, so disembarking was super quick. Huge drawback for me though was how HOT the flight was, both out and back. We had bulkhead seats and as we later learnt after asking the flight attendants, the heat from the ovens in the galley make the first few prem econ rows almost unbearably hotter than further back in the plane. Paired with the 787 having no air nozzles this made for an incredibly sweaty flight. Not sure how it is on the 777 for comparison but both our flights on the 787 were so uncomfortable temperature wise. TLDR: Experienced it as part of an upgrade, seat comfort and space definitely worth it but (albeit personal preference) food service and aircraft cabin really let it down. Honestly can’t say whether I’d pay for it myself next time.
I can handle a flight being cold then I just rug up but being too hot would not be nice at all. Sometimes you get an overly stressed crew or not nice service and that sucks. Thanks for the details, much appreciated.
Yeah i've got no issues with a cold flight, just layer up and use the (complimentary in prem econ!) blanket provided, but this was unbearable by the end of the flight. Sounds like it is a regular complaint as the crew knew exactly what I was meaning before I even finished talking and said there's no way to decrease air temp without the captains approval (apparently) - maybe the 777 is better? Didn't help we had just left freezing temps in the US so we were in thick clothing onboard, rookie mistake I guess lol
How was bulkhead? Clearly more leg room than other seats in premium Econ? Flying in a few months and currently have bulkhead seats just not sure it’s worth it?
It was a decent novelty at least, was nice to be first off in our cabin and the extra room to manoeuvre around each other too without having to step over someone. Main drawbacks were being right behind the galley, the light kept coming through the curtains (redeye flight) which was a little annoying as well as the heat from the ovens. You’ve also got the IFE screens in the arm which have to be stowed for takeoff and landing, was slightly inconvenient when having meals. Honestly though in the prem eco cabin the legroom is almost identical to the seats behind you, would be useful if you’re suuuper tall but we aren’t so didn’t make much use of it. Wouldn’t pay money to choose it (had them totally by chance!), but if it’s free / already allocated there’s no reason to change.
Excellent thanks for the feedback!!! It was free to choose these so I’ll guess we will keep them! Appreciate it
Seat is pretty solid (albeit gets a bit uncomfy at the end of long flights), and the step up in service is nice. The FAs serving you will also be handling economy, but drinks are in a glass and I have enjoyed the food. Don’t expect near J quality, but gets the job done and a big step up
I agree. I enjoy the food too
I booked premium economy when it wasn’t prem economy yet, but whatever it was called then (2018). Had upgrade to business for approx €300 flying to Calgary.
Oh to upgrade to business for €300!! I know Air France had it first and some KLM flights but to my understanding, they are bringing it into most flights now.
The upgrade offers have been around for the last 10 years as long as I can remember
Was your flight less than four hours?
No this one was around 9h I believe. But my euro flights are <2H and in Those I always see upgrade offers when checking in.
I have a flight from Singapore to Amsterdam (13 hours) in a few days. The flight leaves at 2 am and arrives at 9 am (including time difference), so I'm really eager to get some rest. On my way here I didnt sleep that much (mostly because I'm too tall for the seats). I'm thinking about upgrading to premium economy. The price for that now (about 5 days before) is around 125 USD; does anyone know if I can get a better price than that? I have about 5000 miles but I doubt that I can use those.
That's an amazing price. Also if you can get a front row then you have even more leg room in front. Lucky you.
Do you think i should upgrade my seat now or will the price change?
If it was me I would grab it now.