Don't Sleep on Premium Economy!

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Premium economy offers a valuable middle ground between business class and economy, giving families significantly more comfort without the high price tag of business class tickets.

• Premium economy on Air France features better seat recline and footrests
• Cabin arrangement is typically 2-4-2 with approximately 40-48 seats
• Passengers receive amenity kits with essentials like earplugs, socks, and toiletries
• Kids get special activity boxes with puzzles and games
• Access to one business class lavatory with premium skincare products
• Flight attendants offer additional snacks and treats throughout the flight
• Self-service refreshment station available for drinks and snacks
• Booked five tickets using 150,000 Amex points transferred to Virgin Atlantic (with bonus)
• Total taxes and fees were approximately $1,700 ($350 per person)
• For a family of five, booking requires strategic seat selection
• Particularly worthwhile for flights over seven hours
• Award availability is typically better than business class
• Excellent option for daytime flights when everyone is awake

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Transcript

Introduction to Premium Economy

Speaker 1 0:00

Everyone talks about business class flights and, while they are wonderful, when you're a family of five, it can be really difficult to make that happen for a lot of reasons. So today's episode we're going to be sharing our recent experience flying premium economy on Air France and the TLDR. Here is do not sleep on premium economy, so listen in. Hi, I'm Raya.

Speaker 2 0:36

And I'm Dwayne.

Speaker 1 0:37

And we are your hosts of the Travel Party of Five podcast, where we share how we travel as a family of five around the world.

Speaker 2 0:44

We will also share how we use points. A family of five around the world. We will also share how we use points and miles to travel as affordably as possible and sometimes even completely free.

Speaker 1 0:52

So if you're wanting to travel more with your family but you're not sure how, we'd love for you to listen in.

Speaker 2 0:57

So welcome to our podcast, where we hope you learn a thing or two to get you closer to your next trip. Hey guys, welcome back, welcome back, thanks for tuning in.

Speaker 1 1:17

Hello, I am Raya. This is my husband, dwayne. If you are a new listener, thank you so much for tuning in, and if you're an OG listener, also thank you. We appreciate you all. I think probably we might be doing a little shorter of an episode today.

Speaker 2 1:34

I don't know how long this is going to take us to cover?

Chase Sapphire Card Offer

Speaker 1 1:35

Not very long, but we're going to share our experience flying Air France Premium Economy as a family of five and I can also compare it a little bit to flying economy and business class on the same airline. Before we jump in, as a reminder, if you are new to points and miles, there is an elevated offer right now on the chase Sapphire preferred card. The elevated offer is 100,000 chase points when you spend $5,000 within the first 90 days. The card has a $95 annual fee and normally the offer on this card is 60,000 points, so it's almost double what it normally is. And if you are wanting to open like your first card, this is 100% the card to open. If you've never had the card before, then you're eligible. And if you, if it's been more than 48 months since you earned the signup bonus on this card, you are eligible to get it again.

Speaker 1 2:35

So I will put a link to our referral note or, sorry, to our referral link for the card in the show notes. If you get value out of our podcast and you don't have another referral link from a friend to use, we would greatly appreciate it. If you get value out of our podcast and you don't have another referral link from a friend to use. We would greatly appreciate it if you use our link. We earn a few points for you doing that, but either way, like this is the number one card, most points and miles people recommend to get started, and chase points can be used a lot of ways. Our favorite way is to transfer them to Hyatt, but you can also use them for United Southwest and a bunch of other airlines. So it's a fantastic card and I'm sad that we are not eligible for it. Okay, so we flew Air France Premium Economy back from Paris straight to Phoenix, which is a 10, 11 hour flight somewhere in the middle there.

Speaker 2 3:22

Yes, 10 and a half hours.

Speaker 1 3:24

I have also flown this route in business class and then on the way there we flew economy. I think premium economy is like almost like a hidden gem, because I felt super comfortable in the seats and I could have slept there much better than in economy.

Speaker 2 3:49

Without a doubt.

Speaker 1 3:51

So if you don't know the difference. So business class is obviously the best right. You get a life flat seat and the service is phenomenal. And then you have premium economy, which is a cabin in between business or first class and economy.

Speaker 2 4:09

Yeah, so it's not a lot of seats.

Speaker 1 4:11

No, not like me. I mean, how many would you say? Like maybe 40. So there's four seats in the middle and there's two on each side. So basically the road like six across and maybe 40, 48.

Speaker 2 4:27

Yeah.

Speaker 1 4:28

And so I had booked as a reminder, I booked this through Virgin Atlantic, actually when there was a transfer bonus from American Express to Virgin Atlantic. So I transferred 150,000 Amex points, which then became 195,000 Virgin Atlantic points, and then I was able to book five one-way tickets from Madrid to Phoenix with an overnight layover in Paris. The taxes and fees were high, it was like close to $1,700 total. But again we got to fly premium economy and our, our cost per person was like $350 or something, which I think is quite good, it's very good. So, um, the flight from Madrid to Paris was an economy. It's a two hour flight, so it's, it was completely fine. And again, then we stayed overnight in Paris and we got on the flight in Paris to go straight to Phoenix the next day.

Premium Economy Amenities

Speaker 1 5:29

And so the way premium economy differs from economy is the seats recline a little bit more. There is a like a footrest that comes out kind of like a recliner chair, and you also get some amenities. Like we got an amenity kit for each of us that had, like you know, earplugs and toothpaste and toothbrush and socks yeah, eye mask socks. The kids got like a little game type thing, box, I don't know, had like a puzzle and some other stuff in it. So that was cute and you also get access to one of the same bathrooms that the business class gets to use, which has like nicer like there's like face stuff in there you can use like toner and whatever to help moisturize your skin after a dry, long flight. Did Did you use any of that? Of course not. I did, and so did our daughter. We went in there and I was like, ooh, look, they also come around with like snacks throughout the flight, which I don't think they do that in economy. They walked around with ice cream one time.

Speaker 2 6:38

The ice cream was really good actually.

Speaker 1 6:40

Yeah, and the kids were like, ooh, ice cream. And then there's also like a. How would you describe the drink area?

Speaker 2 6:51

It's not like a bar, but that's how it was described to me, but it's, it's not.

Speaker 1 6:53

it's not I mean, it's just like an area where you can get it, Like if you want a soda or something you can pour yourself a soda.

Speaker 2 6:57

It's like their station where they set things up.

Speaker 1 7:00

I mean, yes, but you can, you can get it yourself, so you don't have to ask them to bring it to you. You can go pick out a snack or a sandwich or like a soda or whatever. I even saw some people coming back with wine, but I think they took the last one before I could get there. So that's okay, and then the food that you get is also a little bit better. I'll say the food was was fairly decent on the flight back yeah, I didn't.

Speaker 1 7:30

I didn't have a problem with it on our flight there, if you remember, if you listen to our paris episode, we somehow were the last to be served and they had run out of the meat entree, which was chicken, some kind of chicken something, so we all had to eat the vegetarian option and it was not good like at all not good at all so, um, they give you a blanket.

Speaker 1 7:54

In premium economy, you have a pillow, yep, and you have, um what's the word? Um headphones, like at your seat, set up for you. I think we said this already, but the seat reclines back a little bit more. It's just a lot more comfortable. I think for families, like this is the way to go, like I think that you know, especially the kids, like the kids do not need business class, especially on a daytime flight. Like I think premium economy is the way to go, definitely the way to go.

Speaker 1 8:29

If you're trying to fly like a whole family, it's significantly better than economy, especially if it's an overnight flight. We were on a daytime flight so everyone was awake the whole time, which I feel like it is actually more important to be comfortable when you're awake the whole time than it is if you're going to be half asleep for part of it. You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 8:54

Yep, I agree.

Speaker 1 8:57

And obviously Air France has the entertainment screens and all that which I mean. You have that in economy too, so that's not a big difference.

Speaker 2 9:04

Yeah.

Family Seating Arrangements

Speaker 1 9:06

But I think that would be my biggest takeaway and so to compare, because I also flew this exact flight in business class last year, you can put your feet all the way up, which was really nice after running around Italy and Paris for two weeks in business class. But I mean, they serve, they give you like real cutlery versus like plastic cutlery. On premium economy and economy um, the food is obviously better in business class, but I think for a daytime flight like I was still pretty comfy in premium economy.

Speaker 1 9:41

So I would not hesitate to book that again, you know yeah, I mean, I thought it was great we have a business class flight that we booked for all five of us actually coming up later this year to the Christmas markets, and the kids do not know. I mean, they know we're going to Christmas markets but they don't know that we're flying there in business class and the way back is economy. And I'm already plotting, like how can I upgrade us to premium economy for the flight back? I assume that there's a cash price. I just don't know if there will be five seats available. So, oh, the other thing we should talk about is so there's two seats on each aisle and four seats in the middle in premium economy. So for a family of five, I booked the whole row of four and then I had to book one seat extra on the aisle. So I sat with all three kids for the entire 10 and a half hour flight and Dwayne got to sit in an aisle seat by himself. How was that for you?

Speaker 2 10:40

It was great. I met a nice gentleman that worked for Boeing for so long and we talked about airplanes and it was, it was great Every once.

Speaker 1 10:45

nice gentleman that worked for boeing for so long and we talked about airplanes, and it was, it was great every once in a while I would just tell the kids you need to ask your dad, because I was on one side and then it was all three kids and then duane was on the aisle one row behind us but like on the opposite side of where I was. So I just told the boys, like if you need something, you need to ask your dad I, I would.

Speaker 2 11:06

I have no problem sitting with the kids, it's just the kids don't want to sit with me, so mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom mom. But yeah, I would be more than happy to sit with the kids.

Speaker 1 11:17

You can do that next time. Maybe I'll just upgrade myself to business class and you guys can get a row in premium economy all to yourselves, it's fine with me. I have no problem with that, oh my goodness, I would have a problem with that. That doesn't feel right.

Speaker 2 11:31

I know you would, but I wouldn't bother me.

Speaker 1 11:35

No, I'm saying like if I was in business class and you guys were all in premium economy. I'm just excited for the day when our kids are old enough to be in economy by themselves and we can fly in business class.

Speaker 2 11:50

Well, that was the couple in front of me. They were in premium economy and their two kids were in economy but, they were like 16, 15, 16, 16, 17. Yeah.

Speaker 1 12:01

When you're that young, like econ, I feel like economy is fine. You know it's totally fine for you. Your back doesn't hurt. Like you, you can tough it out. It's great. Yeah, Was that your first time flying premium economy?

Speaker 2 12:14

Yeah, never flown business class, so I'm excited for that.

Speaker 1 12:19

Yeah, honestly, I'm only disappointed that we're going to be sleeping for part of it and we're going to miss it, you know.

Speaker 2 12:27

I'm probably not going to be sleeping, but maybe I don't sleep well on flights.

Speaker 1 12:32

Yeah, but if your seat laid flat, don't you think you would Not, if I can just get food whenever I weigh down the flight attendant while on flights?

Final Thoughts and Value Assessment

Speaker 1 12:36

Yeah, but if your seat laid flat, don't you think you would Not, if I can just get food whenever I weigh down the flight attendants, you can probably get some kind of whiskey too, if I had to guess. Oh, yeah, yeah, I am looking forward to that, but I do. I need to figure out if we can pay to upgrade to premium economy sooner rather than later. Yeah, I think we definitely it would be pretty shitty to fly their business and then fly back on it.

Speaker 2 13:02

I know it's like there's nothing to look forward to. You're just like you're already, sad that you're leaving, and then yeah yes, I was looking forward to the premium economy flight.

Speaker 1 13:09

I will say like, maybe that's another hack, is like just trick your brain a little bit because you are sad to go home, right, and then on top of that you have to fly an economy. It's like wah, wah, wah. I have no idea if this was helpful or not, but I hope that it was. And if you've been on the fence about you know, is premium economy worth it versus economy? I think the answer is yes, 100, a hundred percent it is. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Speaker 2 13:38

Definitely, especially if the flight's over, you know, eight hours. I mean, even if it's like seven, it's still worth it.

Speaker 1 13:45

Yeah, it was. It was totally worth it, I think, and if you can get a transfer bonus or something like we did, then even more so. So a hundred percent worth. It would absolutely fly it again and it's a great. I think it's a really good way for families to get a little bit more comfort when you're flying, without paying the high points cost of a business class flight for you know four or five or six of you, because a lot of times that's impossible and premium economy has more availability than business for award availability specifically. So there we have it. That is our comparison and if you have any questions, find us on instagram at travel party of five, and we will be back next week with a brand new episode.

Speaker 2 14:31

Yes, and, as always, we appreciate you listening. Thanks for tuning in. Thank you, bye. Have a good one.