Premium economy has become extremely popular in recent years because it offers a much more comfortable experience than economy without costing an entire summer’s worth of pay like business class. Except this isn’t always the case, because premium economy prices have become extremely high in some markets. It’s a simple supply and demand situation, because the product is in high demand while most airlines generally install small premium economy cabins.

There are some airlines, however, that have another solution for those who want more space without going over budget. While carriers have long sold exit row seats in economy with extra legroom, some airlines have now created designated sections of economy seats with added legroom. Legroom is where most people find discomfort in economy, and these carriers allow you to enjoy added legroom for a much smaller upcharge than premium economy.

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JetBlue Airways

Excellent legroom, limited scale

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One of the defining features of JetBlue’s onboard experience is the added legroom. Its classic layout on the Airbus A320 offered a seat pitch of 34 inches (86.4 cm) in standard economy, while the extra legroom section offered a pitch of 37 inches (93.9 cm). Since then, JetBlue has cut down on legroom, but it remains an industry leader in this aspect. Of course, the airline has traditionally only operated short-haul flights within North America, but this is no longer the case.

JetBlue operates 11 Airbus A321LRs on transatlantic routes, competing against established carriers that offer a full portfolio of cabin products that include economy, premium economy, business class, and sometimes first class. JetBlue doesn’t offer premium economy, but when cross-shopping against other airlines that do offer the cabin, JetBlue’s EvenMore is surprisingly compelling.

It doesn’t offer the full experience, but these seats are more spacious than economy, and prices are usually well below premium economy fares on competitors. Seat pitch is set at 35 inches (88.9 cm), which is among the best for this type of product.

Because it’s an Airbus A321, the seats are fairly wide at 18 inches (45.7 cm), wider than on a Boeing or an Airbus A350 (most of which feature economy seats that are actually narrower than 18 inches). What’s more, JetBlue offers excellent service and free Wi-Fi on its flights. The airline gets fifth place only because its transatlantic network is so small, but if you are cross-shopping JetBlue with premium economy on a rival, EvenMore is attractive.

4

Air New Zealand

Available on some of the world’s longest routes

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Air New Zealand is an interesting airline because it has innovated in economy more than most other airlines, first with its SkyCouch, and it will be introducing the SkyNest (essentially a large capsule with bunk beds) later in 2026. It also offers extra legroom seats on much of its widebody fleet. These seats are available on the airline’s 777-300ERs that aren’t former Cathay Pacific aircraft, as well as three of the carrier’s five layouts for the Boeing 787-9.

On the 787-9, Economy Stretch seats are only sold on aircraft with its updated interiors. These seats feature a pitch of 35 inches (88.9 cm), which is slightly more than what most airlines offer for extra legroom economy. Air New Zealand also offers premium economy on all of its widebodies, and while the product is good, the carrier also operates several ultra-long-haul routes, serving destinations like Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York.

Flying in economy on a six or eight-hour flight isn’t a big deal, but on these transpacific flights, the lack of legroom and narrow seats can be very uncomfortable. Premium economy therefore becomes a more desirable option, but these seats can also become extremely expensive. Instead, you have the Economy Stretch seats, which still give you a good experience since legroom is typically what causes discomfort more than a lack of seat width for most people, and it costs significantly less.

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United Airlines

Available on all aircraft

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On the surface, the Economy Plus seats sold by United Airlines aren’t particularly noteworthy. On widebodies, the pitch is similar to what Delta or American offer. In addition, American’s premium economy seats are a little less equipped compared to rivals, with no legrest and smaller screens, so you’d think that it would be the contender in this list.

However, what earns United the spot here is the availability of its Economy Plus. United, like the other two, offers Economy Plus on every one of its aircraft, but it has a larger mainline fleet and a significantly larger widebody fleet, where you might be cross-shopping Economy Plus and Premium Plus.

In addition, it generally offers more Economy Plus seats on its planes than Delta or American: Delta installs 28 Comfort seats on its 767-400ERs, whereas United installs 48 on the same type. American installs 28 Main Cabin Extra seats on its 777-300ERs, whereas United has 62 Economy Plus seats on the same aircraft.

In addition to the availability of Economy Plus, United actually installs fairly small Premium Plus cabins. Its 767s feature either 22 or 24 seats, while all 777s feature 24 seats. Until recently, all 787s had 21 seats, although it is now taking delivery of 787-9s with 21 Premium Plus seats. However, this still makes up a tiny portion of its fleet. As such, this means that Premium Plus pricing is generally quite high given the lack of supply. In comparison, Economy Plus is a good deal.

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Etihad Airways

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Etihad Airways is typically thought of as a competitor to Emirates and Qatar Airways, but it’s much smaller and has been pursuing a slightly different commercial strategy. One product that has become common within Etihad’s fleet is extra legroom economy seats, which are available on the carrier’s Airbus A321LRs, A350-1000s, and select Boeing 787s.

Seat pitch is set at 35 inches (88.9 cm), above the industry standard, and Etihad is generally regarded as offering one of the world’s best economy experiences. There’s a roughly four-inch (10.2 cm) difference between the legroom in economy and Economy Space, which is a major difference.

Etihad’s economy seats are known for the single headrest ‘wing’, which allows passengers a large surface to rest their heads on for sleeping, and it provides some privacy. In addition, the screen is large, and Etihad offers fairly generous recline. Altogether, Etihad offers passengers one of the better economy seats in the world. Etihad offers an excellent in-flight entertainment system and high-quality meals, while also providing excellent in-flight service.

This, combined with the seat and extra legroom in the Economy Space seats, makes for a very comfortable mid-range product. While Etihad doesn’t offer its own premium economy cabin, its Economy Space seats aren’t a bad deal against competitors in foreign markets that sell premium economy, considering the substantial price premium that you’ll pay for premium economy.

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Qatar Airways

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Qatar Airways generally has never sold extra legroom seats or premium economy, with passengers either needing to select an exit-row seat or to buy up to business class for added comfort. However, this changed after COVID-19, because Qatar Airways acquired several used aircraft that formerly flew for other airlines. This included six Boeing 777-300ERs originally operated by Cathay Pacific and three 777-300ERs that flew for Virgin Australia.

Unlike Qatar Airways, both of these airlines installed premium economy on their 777-300ERs. Qatar Airways kept the original interiors, which means nine aircraft in its fleet have premium economy seats. However, Qatar Airways does not sell premium economy, so the seats are instead branded as Comfort+, sold for an additional fee over standard economy seats.

The service and food are the same as standard economy, so it is positioned as equivalent to extra legroom economy seats. However, the seats themselves are proper premium economy seats, meaning that you get much more with your ticket. Whereas economy on a 777 is configured ten-abreast, premium economy usually only features eight seats per row.

This allows for a seat width of 19.5 inches (49.5 cm), while the seat is set at either 40 inches (101.6 cm) or 41 inches (104.1 cm). What’s more, the screen is larger, and the recline is significantly better than in any economy seat. While it’s only available on nine aircraft, these seats offer the best ‘extra legroom’ economy experience since the relatively low price gets you a true premium economy seat.