Airline Cabin Classes Explained: What’s the Difference Between Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Class?

Airlines are balancing the fine line between fitting as many paying passengers into an aircraft as they can without squishing them and still catering to the high ballers at the same time. This is where the beauty of cabin classes comes in—from premium economy to the fanciest business class suites, you as a passenger have choices when it comes to where you are on the “human sardine” scale.

So, whether you’re just starting to travel (here you go: 21 FAQs and Tips for the First-time Flyer) or you’re finally ready to graduate from low-cost traveler and ditch cattle class—congrats! This article will explain in detail what each airplane cabin class means.  

We’ll talk about the different cabin classes with a focus on international travel. Specifically, what services you will get in each one, and how they (wildly) differ across airlines. You’ll learn how to snag cheap business class seats, what premium economy even means, as well as a little photo inspiration showing you your future (if you manage to save up enough).  

I usually fly premium economy. I’ve put together several dedicated premium economy reviews where I’ve scrutinized my experiences down to details like what the food is served on and how good the headphones are, like on my Austrian Airlines flights to Japan and my most recent one to Argentina.

Ony my way to Chile!
 

Now let’s get down to business:

1. What are the 4 cabin classes offered by most airlines?

Most airlines tantalize us with four main cabin classes: First class, where you pay a king's ransom to live like royalty for a few hours; Business class, the sweet albeit slightly expensive spot for those who mix pleasure with, well, more pleasure; Premium economy, my personal favorite, where you get a taste of the good life without selling a kidney; and Economy, which is nothing more than a bus ride in the sky, where you're grateful for every inch of legroom and a free packet of peanuts.

Which cabin class do you fly in?
 

I’ll describe each class in detail below. I should note that some airlines have upped their business class game in lieu of having a dedicated first class.

So, when I'm not feeling like splurging on a seat that costs more than a small car, I opt for Premium economy (the name varies across airlines, but this is the golden standard). If you’re using a quality airline and can get it at a good rate, don’t hesitate. Sometimes, you’ll get offered an upgrade from economy to either premium economy or business for a great price, in which case, spend away!

As for first class, it’s usually a waste of money. It’s like staying in one of those over-the-top 5-star hotels—why? Unless I’m for some reason spending all day there making full use of the gyms, spas, and shoe polishing services, why the hell would I need to drop thousands on a night’s sleep? Because I can? Because I don’t have anything better to do with my money (I SO do!)? There’s a limit to how good a bed can be, and I don’t travel to explore hotel interiors. Nah, first class on an airplane is like a 5-star hotel in the sky—redundant. Although some of those extreme first classes have popped up, like Singapore Airlines First Class Suites or Etihad's Residence, those raise even my eyebrows. More about these two below.

2. What is economy class on an airplane?

Economy class (also called cattle class, main cabin, or, if you’re a boomer, coach) is the cheapest airplane cabin class and as such, the worst, most crowded, and least comfortable. I’m not sure what else you want me to say, it’s hard to butter up economy class… it’s the class you choose if you want to get from point A to point B and price is your deciding factor when purchasing plane tickets.

What to expect in economy class:

• The cheapest seats on the airplane in a usually very crowded cabin
• Seats that are just wide enough to fit your butt, no foot rests
• Seats that recline just a bit
• You may or may not need to pay to reserve a specific seat
• A personal entertainment system on the seat back in front of you (on long-haul flights always, on shorter flights sometimes)
• A hot meal or meals (the number depends on flight length—the further you fly, the more you eat), always with at least 2 variants to choose from, complimentary drinks (some alcohol, too), snacks
• Your free luggage allowance very much depends on your airline

Economy class with no entertainment system... shoot me now
 

People travel in economy solely because they can’t afford to travel in a higher class. Nobody would willingly look at the available classes and be like “oh yes, I much prefer this crowded cabin with tight seats to these more spacious ones”. Just looking at part of a seat map of a Boeing 777-300ER, where 18 business seats take up the same amount of space as 62 seats in economy:

Same area, but with 18 seats in business and 62 seats in economy. I wonder which you’d choose if price wasn’t an issue…
 

If any of this comes as news to you, you will benefit from my article “Tips for the First-time Flyer: From Finding Departures to Making it to Arrivals”.

Seats in economy class

If you’re flying economy, you’ll likely also have to pay extra to reserve a specific seat and not get your group separated into random seats throughout the plane. Your seat will be just big enough to fit a medium-sized read end into and will have limited leg room. If you’re taller than 185 cm (6 ft), good luck fitting your knees, especially if the person in front of you reclines.

Tip for tall folks: If you are on the taller side, look for “seat pitch” to figure out how much leg room there is in front of a seat. Usually, you’re looking at between 74 to 81 cm (29 to 32 in), which can make a huge difference for your knees.

Meals in economy class

On long-haul international flights, you’ll also be served a meal (or several, depending on the duration of your flight). Most of the time, you’ll have a choice of 2–3 different options for the main meal(s), provided you’re not sitting in the back and all that’s left by the time the cabin crew makes it to your row is that weird pasta.

Luggage in economy class

Economy class fares may or may not include checked bags and carry-on allowances. This varies widely by airline and route. Most airlines automatically give you checked luggage allowances and a small carry-on limit where you can pay extra to carry extra.

Low-cost airlines

If you’re flying low cost, you’re basically just paying to sit your butt down and EVERYTHING else is extra—those cheap tickets may not work out the cheapest when you factor in all those add-ons! You pay for seat reservations, luggage, food and drinks, and have to check yourself in online.

The longer the journey, the more you’ll want to choose a comfortable class. For my trip to Japan, I chose Austrian Airlines' premium economy class

Not every economy class is complete crap

You don’t have to fret too much though, economy isn’t all bad, it’s just a mindset! If you try really, really hard, you can chock it down to adventure and a “fun” travel experience. Listen, if you can’t afford business, you can’t afford business. What you can do is choose to fly with a quality airline so that your economy class experience isn’t worse than it has to be. If you fly Etihad, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, or ANA All Nippon Airways, you’re bound to be less unhappy with your cramped quarters than if you go for, oh, I don’t know, Austrian Airlines, or any low-cost carriers worldwide. Those are literally just airborne buses, and not the good kind.

Further reading: Long-Haul Flight Survival Guide—get my tips on getting comfortable even if you end up in an economy seat.

3. Which airlines have the best economy class?

If you trust the World Travel Awards people, the airline with the best economy class in 2023 is Etihad Airlines. Other front-runners are:

• Japan Airlines
• Emirates
• Qatar
• ANA Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Air France

When choosing economy class, you have to remember that the more paying passengers an airline can stuff onto a plane, the better (for them). It makes sense then that over time, the number of seats in economy across airlines have steadily increased. Seats have gotten narrower and narrower to allow for more seats next to each other and legroom has shrunken down to the bare minimum to cram in more rows.

I was happy with the flight on Ana Airways
 

If you stumble upon a seat configuration where there’s just 9 seats across a row instead of 10 in a Boeing 777, you know you’ve found a good one. Then again, nobody’s such an aviation nerd that they’ll go obsessively comparing seat maps when booking economy class plane tickets. Except for aviation nerds. And you need to look at those seat maps closely, because while it may be nice that there are less people in your row, your seats may not be THAT much wider. Or wider at all! British Airways has both 3-3-3 and 3-4-3 layouts on the Boeing 777, and the seats on the 3-4-3 version are wider than on the 3-3-3 seat map! Jeez, economy is tough.

4. Can you lie down in economy class?

Usually no, you can’t lie down in economy class, because the limited recline is a joke. I will say some is better than nothing, especially if you’re crammed in your seat for 10+ hours, and it’s fine for watching movies. But you’re still sitting pretty upright, and no, you will not get a good sleep.

But! Not all economy class experiences are of the standard sardine can variant. Some airlines have started experimenting with lie-flat products in economy—you read that right! Air New Zealand has the “Skycouch” and ANA Airways introduced the “Couchii”, which is where they make you a bed out of 3 neighboring economy seats. Lufthansa does a similar thing where you can reserve a “sleeper row”. Air New Zealand will even be introducing bunk beds in economy class in 2024 (where people can pay to take turns on them in set time increments—should be interesting).

That said, if you’re lucky enough to be on a flight that isn’t full and sit near the very back, you may snag your very own “sleeper row” without paying for it. Fingers crossed!

Tip for a good sleep: Get a good hotel and ask for early check-in depending on what time you arrive. Honestly, if you’re flying economy and aren’t a first-class sleeper, you’ll need a good rest after arriving at your next destination. I book all my hotels through booking.com simply because it’s the best, most effective way. It’s always super helpful to read the reviews before making a choice, plus somehow there are always more room photos on there than on the official websites, and the customer service is incredible. (If you use my link to book your hotel, I get a small commission with no extra cost to you—thank you for the token of appreciation!)

5. What does premium economy mean?

Premium economy class (called a wide variety of names on different airlines) is a happy middle between economy and business, if you choose wisely.

What to expect in premium economy class:

• You’re in a dedicated cabin separate from the cattle back in regular economy
• Better, wider seats with more legroom
• Better entertainment system
• Better food on real plates (not always) and fancier drinks
• Better crew that makes you feel like a star (can be hit and miss)
• Sometimes priority boarding, sometimes Sky Priority
• Extras like welcome drinks, hot towels to freshen up, better toiletries (my girlfriend said so)

There's a bit more leg and elbow room here—tried and tested for you in Austrian Airlines Premium Economy
 

Depending on your airline, premium economy may be very close to business class with tons of extras and a comfortably large seat, or painfully resemble regular economy, just with a little facelift and nicer plates. Whether or not premium economy is worth it will strongly depend on which of the two you’re getting, and how much extra you’d need to pay for the premium privilege.

Seats in premium economy class

Think of premium economy as economy with a glow-up: the seats are wider, there's ample legroom to stretch those limbs, and you even score a leg rest, transforming your space from cramped quarters to a cozy nook. Your seat will likely have wider armrests (no more elbow battles!) and welcome add-ons such as USB ports or cup holders—don’t you hate having to keep your tray table down just to have a place to put your drink? For now, I choose Air France’s premium economy seats as the best I’ve tried so far—they reclined so far back it almost scared me (read the full review of my flight from Paris to Buenos Aires).

Meals in premium economy class

In premium economy, the meal service gets an upgrade too. On my Austrian Airlines premium economy flight from Vienna to Tokyo I thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience, with food catered by DO & CO, the catering company that also curates food for first-class airport lounges, 5-star hotels, and international sporting events like Formula One races and ATP Masters games. Yes, the china was still triangular so it fit on the small tray nicely, but my coffee cup had a golden handle and I finally felt seen. Bonus points for the wine that didn’t taste like it was bottled in despair.

For a meal on the plane—very good! Notice the golden handle on the coffee cup

Priority services in premium economy class

You may or may not get priority boarding. On my Austrian Airlines flight, we boarded with regular economy class people, and on Air France, they had us on the plane right after business class folks, kids, and grannies, like a semi-priority. No biggie, though, it’s not like I’m ever one of those people that try to be the first person on the plane only to end up the 43^rd person in the line at the gate.

I hugely appreciated having Sky Priority, which doesn’t get you on the plane faster, but it does get you some cool in-airport services—you fly by the line at check-in, security, and immigration (though note that not every airport accommodates all of these). If you hate waiting in line, this one’s a game changer for you.

Cabin crew in premium economy class

So far, I’ve never had completely bad service on a premium economy flight. One male flight attendant that took care of us on our Austrian Airlines flight stands out—constantly checking in to ensure we were comfortable without being overbearing. It's a fine line, and he walked it like a pro. In my review of an ANA Airlines premium economy flight, I rated the crew a 15/10—no comment needed. Then there was the prettiest flight attendant I’ve ever seen on one Air France flight, but she was so slow (in all ways you can imagine)! I love Air France, but the service was certainly not the highlight of their premium economy.

Value for money in premium economy class

Happy in premium economy class
 

Overall, premium economy can be the sweet spot in plane travel if you’re after the best value for money. Keywords ‘can be’—you’ll need to take a bit of time to look for premium economy seats that don’t cost double the price of a regular economy seat. I bought economy seats on our flight to Tokyo and then got a USD 50 upgrade to premium economy! A no-brainer, obviously. If you don’t want to take the risk and wait to upgrade after buying economy tickets, you need to be a little flexible to get the best price. For up to a few hundred dollars extra, a good quality premium economy will always be worth it. For double the price of a regular ticket, not so much.

Here’s an example of how prices of premium economy can differ on the same day, just different times:

If you’re a little flexible, you’ll usually find an offer that won’t break the bank. Or, buy economy and wait to be offered an upgrade by the airline.

6. What is business class on an airplane?

Business class is a whole level above economy class and even premium economy, especially if you’re on a long-haul international flight on a top airline. Many airlines are now leaving out first class altogether, which means business class in some cases is just as good as first class.

What to expect in business class:

• Bigger, better seats with direct aisle access
• Oftentimes lie-flat seats (be careful on shorter routes where you will certainly not be lying down!)
• On top quality airlines, you’re not just getting a seat but a whole nook just to yourself
• No strangers next to you breathing into your superior entertainment system
• Tastier food on actual plates that doesn’t look like a microwavable TV dinner
• Amenity kits that you won’t leave tucked in next to the barf bag
• Slippers, sometimes even loungewear to change into
• Lavatories that you can actually turn around in and not be afraid you’ll get sucked in by those scary toilets
• Cabin crew that doesn’t hide in the galley for most of the flight
• Free or cheap wifi
• Priority boarding. Sky Priority/skip-the-line services
• Lounge access
• Ego boost

Seats in business class

Strictly speaking about long-haul flights, a business class seat should give you enough comfort and privacy that you’ll arrive in your destination rested and ready to go, not feeling like you partied all night and can’t feel your left leg. Think wide, comfortable seats made from quality fabrics or leather, leg rests, privacy dividers. Some of these are just small and some are basically walls, sometimes even with doors! Which is why some business class seats are called suites—it’s like a tiny room just to yourself (not first-class level, but good enough). You also get direct access to the aisle, storage room and/or shelves, and tray tables that are more table than tray. Your seat will lie flat or almost flat, and you’ll get some nice bedding and pillows that aren’t bite-size like in economy.

The business class cabin accommodates much less passengers than the economy cabin, meaning travelers in business class get a premium that economy passengers can just enviously dream about at as they pass by while boarding: space. On average, the same area in an economy class cabin seats at least 3x as many passengers as in business class. I get claustrophobic just thinking about it. Honestly, the fact that on some flights you walk past the business class seats while you’re shuffling into economy is just torture.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some business class seats that’ll make you save up a little longer for your next flight:

The quad seats on Quatar Airways

Air France business class seating

And the spacious seats of Singapore Airlines

Yep, this is airplane seating of Etihad Airways

The spacious seating on Emirates

Meals in business class

Your dining experience in a business class seat is close to what it’s like eating at a restaurant. You’ll get silverware and real plates in real plate shapes (no triangles here). You choose from a menu and can get your food on-demand, not at a set time like in economy class. The wines will be award-winning, and the water was probably bottled by fairies by a quaint mountain stream.

Some business class services go above and beyond, and meal service is no different. Think your own little salt and pepper shakers, napkins that aren’t wrapped in plastic, (battery-operated) candles on your table, table clothes (I despise those!), and a flight attendant that can help with meal selection.

Amenities and extras in business class

I like to be comfortable on my flights, but I’ve yet to get complimentary pajamas! Some business classes are focused on providing luxury services to those that like to be pampered, like Emirates, Singapore Airlines or Qatar. And then there’s Etihad who hands out loungewear.

On most business class flights, you can look forward to designer brand toiletries, slippers, bedding that’s actually comfortable and probably at least as expensive as you have in your own house.

You will probably have easy access to wifi which will be free or at least not too expensive. You’ll get reading lights and tons of outlets to plug in all your gadgets. Your entertainment system will be state of the art and you may get noise-cancelling headphones.

On some airlines, there’s even an on-board lounge. Yes, you get to hang our at a bar on the airplane.

Priority services in business class

As a passenger in business class you get a taste of the good life starting the moment you arrive at the airport. You’ll line up at check-in in a very tiny line instead of the snake that’s happening over in the economy area. Same thing goes at security (at least at some airports), immigration, and then at boarding time and then again at disembarking. The aforementioned business class superpower, Etihad, even has a chauffeur service for business class passengers!

Besides, you don’t have to wait around shopping at the overpriced shops—you get access to the business class lounge. There, complimentary food and drinks await… it almost seems like all people with extra money for better airplane seats want to do is stuff their faces. There may even be sleeping nooks or at least comfortable seating where the time passes just that much quicker.

7. Can you compare economy class and business class?

You can fly to South Africa squeezed in like a sardine or you can pay extra for more leg room. I know what I’m choosing!
 

Economy class sucks and business class doesn’t? If you want to compare economy class and business class, you can’t. The only thing business class has in common with economy class is the destination. You will, in fact, both fly to the same place. That’s where the similarities end.

Sure, you can purchase lounge access if you fly economy. You can pay extra to get the leg-room jackpot of exit row seats, and you can even order a special meal and pretend you’re special, because sometimes they hand out all those vegan and halal meals first. Heck, you can even add extra luggage and pay for priority boarding! But it still won’t be even remotely in the same league as business class, despite you paying very close to the business class price with all those add-ons!

Pro tip: One way to get business class seats for sometimes very good prices is to buy economy or premium economy plane tickets and wait for the airline to email you with an offer to upgrade you to business. When they do this, they’re usually quite generous with the price.

For example, on a recent trip to Thailand, I was offered to upgrade from economy to business for about USD 500 (one way)… let me do some math here… a typical business class flight from Prague to Bangkok costs at least USD 2,500. Economy costs about USD 850. If I upgraded when Qatar offered, I’d pay USD 1850 for a full business class ticket. You be the judge:

You can tell there is a huge difference in the legroom, comfort, and privacy of Economy and Business class on Qatar Airways

8. What is first class on an airplane?

First class is for true connoisseurs. That little “box” on the bottom left? That’s your private pod on Emirates
 

First class is usually the best class on an airplane. I say ‘usually’ because these days many airlines choose to skip first class completely and just have an exceptionally amazing business class instead. Honestly, by the look of some business classes, I can’t blame them. Sometimes business class looks like first class and sometimes it is first class, it all depends on the airline and route.

Of course, not every first class is glitz and glam—there are still plenty that are just a very comfortable, large seat with tons of amenities and priorities. But who am I kidding, the over-the-top ones are the funnest to talk about (and look at photos of)!

What to expect in first class  

• The best seats (oftentimes suites with doors) that turn into beds
• Gourmet food with lovely wine pairings served on real plates and in real glasses
• A dedicated crew member doting to your every whim
• Priority everything on and off the plane (even your luggage gets priority over everyone else’s luggage coming off the plane)
• Fancy airport lounges, sometimes with free spa services or even pools (check out Qatar’s “The Garden” Lounge Doha or Air France’s JFK Lounge)
• You don’t even have to walk inside the airport because you’ll be chauffeured around in a golf cart, and you may even get picked up from your hotel by a complimentary (high-end) taxi (if you fly Etihad, Emirates, or Turkish Airlines, that is)!  
• Etihad and Emirates also have onboard showers. The others don’t, but the bathrooms are WAY nicer than for the folks back in cattle class

You name it, flying first class will probably get it for you.

Extreme first-class experiences

Let’s talk about extreme first-class experiences that can be found on a handful of airlines. They are the ones that I think exist purely to give the airline clout and those chasing their egos something to chase, because why else would they put actual apartments on their airplanes?! These aren’t airplane seats for real people.

One is Singapore Airlines First Class Suites. If you still think lie-flat seats are the bees' knees, think again. This suite has a real bed. Or even a double bed if you’re flying with a loved one. If you’re not in bed, you can relax in your recliner chair. Heck, you can play floor is lava in this room! Look at this:

Of course you get a set of PJs when you fly in Singapore Airlines First Class Suite
 

And then there’s Etihad’s Residence, which is nothing less than a 3-room suite. Yeah, you get a bedroom, living room, and ensuite bathroom. All that for a mere USD 20–50k! Needless to say, I haven’t tried it out myself.

It almost looks like a hotel website until you realize that this is what your first class “seat” will look like. More on Etihad’s website

9. Do all airplanes and all airlines offer all 4 cabin classes?

Not all airlines, all routes, and all airplane types include every cabin class. These days, many airlines just fly with economy and business classes, because the business class is already so good there’s basically nothing left to upgrade.

The shorter the flight, the less cabin classes it tends to have, but some airlines are perfectly happy to have just an economy class and a business class on even the largest airplanes out there. Qatar operates most of its flights on the Boeing 777-300ER with just economy and business classes, and Emirates has a 2-class seat configuration even on its double decker Airbus A380-800.

10. Are cabin classes the same on domestic and international flights?

Checking out condors flying over Colca Canyon in Peru
 

The four cabin classes that are standard on many international flights –economy, premium economy, business and first class—rarely make an appearance on domestic US flights and many short international flights as well. A lot of the time all you’ll get is economy and business. Basically, one cheaper and one expensive option. It’s not unheard of to get only 2 classes on international flights either, even if it’s a big airplane with plenty of room to play around with cabin classes. For example, Emirates chooses to have a very large economy class on the Airbus A380-800 with part of the upper floor reserved for business class seats, while British Airways fits all 4 cabin classes onto the same airplane.

On smaller planes, short or domestic flights, you’ll sometimes notice that the seats in economy and business/premium economy are the same, just instead of having 3 people in a 3-seat row, the middle one of those 3 seats will be blocked off to give the 2 passengers on either side more elbow room. Or something along similar lines where you’re paying for just a little more comfort, but not an entirely separate cabin or realistically better seats.

11. Do all airlines have the same seat configurations?

Good seats are important! This is on one of our premium economy flights
 

Seat maps vary by airline, so don’t make the mistake of thinking you can just look at any seat map you find online for your airplane type. You could end up very disappointed! Make sure you’re looking at the correct airline and also the correct route.

There are websites out there that dedicate their lives to just seat maps, for example: SeatGuru shows you every seat configuration of every airline imaginable, complete with color-coded maps helping you choose the best seats and avoid the bad ones. They include photos and passenger comments too, so you can do research before you book your flight (if that’s your jam).

Tip: Another thing you will want to research before booking your next trip are travel documents. I have an article explaining anything and everything you could possibly need to know about travel documents: which ones you need, how to get them, what to look out for, etc. etc.

How each airline decides to configure its seats is entirely up to them. Of course, in economy, every airline on the planet will be trying to cram in as many paying souls as possible, so the difference there won’t be ginormous, but it’s still there. And you’ll want to pay attention to those differences if you don’t want to be sitting not only in cattle class, but in a sucky seat in cattle class—think windowless rows, seats not reclining, seats next to lavatories where you’ll have people standing around for the better part of the flight, and so on.  

Cabin classes FAQs lightning round!

Now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about each airplane cabin class, it’s time for the lightning round! Ready, set, ask!

12. What is the lowest cabin class?

Economy is the cheapest and least comfortable cabin class. Take a look at premium economy if you think you can do better than that.

13. Is business class better than economy?

Do I look like I fly economy?
 

Yes, by several light years. Unless you’re on a domestic or short international or low-cost flight, in which case, it may be almost the same bar some priority bonuses.

14. Is main cabin better than economy?

Main cabin is the same thing as economy.

15. Is main cabin better than premium economy?

No, premium economy got its name for being better. Duh.

16. Are children allowed in business class?

Yes, if they can afford it.

17. Why do airlines offer different cabin classes?

Because they want to cater to all types of passengers—those that want to travel in comfort and those that want to travel, period.

18. Can I expect lie-flat seats in business class on all airlines?

On long-haul international flights, you can pretty much bet that you’ll be able to lie down in your seat. On shorter flights, your chances are much slimmer.

19. Can I self-upgrade?

No, are you nuts? You can’t just get up from your little economy seat and walk to look around for an empty seat in business or first class. In fact, I’d love to see you try. If you have lots of frequent flyer miles and it’s your 50th birthday, you could try to ask the crew nicely, but there are no guarantees.
 

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