It’s a significant achievement when an airline is named ‘the best’ of something. This is usually related to a cabin class, and it’s a highly public event when a carrier receives one of these awards. Naturally, different sources will give awards to different airlines within the same category, but for each carrier that receives the number one ranking, it’s still extremely prestigious to receive an award from even one source.

With that, Emirates received a new award from The Points Guy for 2026, and it’s for the carrier’s newest travel product. The Points Guy ranked Air France La Première as the world’s best first class product, and Qatar Airways QSuite as the world’s best business class, essentially placing them as the benchmark products for their markets.

Meanwhile, Emirates’ premium economy has been ranked as the world’s best in this segment by The Points Guy for 2026. It’s routinely ranked as being, if not the best, then one of the top five premium economy products in the world, and it’s especially striking because the carrier only introduced premium economy in 2021.

Looking At The Seat

Credit: Photofex_AUT I Shutterstock

Although Emirates is considered to offer an industry-leading premium economy experience, it’s difficult to say that the seat is even all that extraordinary, because it isn’t. Emirates uses the Recaro PL3530, a popular premium economy seat model, but beyond the stunning colors, materials, and finishes, there’s nothing unique about Emirates’ version of the seat.

The seats lack privacy dividers and wireless charging, while the screen size is the exact same as in economy on many of Emirates’ aircraft, at 13.3 inches (33.8 cm). However, while the seat itself doesn’t appear extraordinary, where Emirates shines is with the pitch, at 40 inches (101.6 cm). Most airlines generally configure premium economy with 38 inches (96.5 cm) of pitch, and the difference is noticeable on longer flights.

The recline is unusually generous, at around eight inches (20.3 cm), and while the seat width is about standard on the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, Emirates’ seats on the Airbus A350 are wider than most because the carrier installs seven seats per row on the A350, as opposed to eight. The seat doesn’t knock anyone’s socks off in terms of new features, but it’s more spacious and comfortable in ways that make a much larger difference than the numbers suggest.

While the screen isn’t the largest in the segment, it’s still more than competitive (the screen size in Emirates’ economy seats is segment-leading), and it includes most of the features that you’d expect from a modern seat. Ultimately, the biggest issue with the Emirates seat is that it debuted just before modern features like privacy wings became expected, but it remains extremely comfortable.

Where Emirates’ Premium Economy Shines

Credit: Captured Blinks I Shutterstock

Emirates is already known for providing excellent service, and this is especially impactful in premium economy. On Emirates’ aircraft, premium economy is usually the second-smallest cabin (behind first class), and it’s the smallest cabin on planes without first class. This means quicker, more attentive service than what you get even in business class, and Emirates assigns dedicated flight attendants to the premium economy cabin, which is unusual in this segment.

Emirates has invested heavily in its catering for the cabin, offering rotating seasonal menus inspired by regional themes. Meals are plated in high-quality china and served with metal cutlery, and are renowned for their quality and size within the segment. In addition, Emirates offers an extensive beverage menu for premium economy passengers, which includes a wide variety of alcoholic options, including select options from the business class menu.

The seat itself isn’t particularly innovative, but it does come with more space and better comfort than what you usually find in premium economy. However, it’s the service and catering that truly elevate Emirates’ premium economy offering. In addition, the carrier offers collectible amenity kits for premium economy passengers, while its ICE in-flight entertainment system is widely considered to be the best in the world. All of this combined makes for an experience that sets the standard in the segment.

Emirates’ Roll-Out Of Premium Economy

Credit: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock

Emirates fully revealed its premium economy cabins in January 2021, and the first aircraft equipped with the new cabin (an Airbus A380-800) began carrying passengers in August 2022. The A380 fleet was the first to receive premium economy, while Emirates began flying retrofitted Boeing 777s with the cabin in 2024.

All of Emirates’ Airbus A350-900s, the first of which began arriving later in 2024, feature premium economy, while the future 777-9 fleet will also include the cabin. Currently, the Airbus A350-900 fleet (which numbers 27 aircraft) and the Boeing 777-200LR fleet (which numbers ten aircraft) are the only fleets where all aircraft are equipped with premium economy.

Meanwhile, Emirates is actively retrofitting its A380 and 777-300ER fleets, which have not yet been fully completed. In total, Emirates plans to refurbish the majority of its 777-300ERs, of which 43 have already been done. The carrier also intends to retrofit 110 A380s with premium economy, while six examples will be retired. Emirates configured premium economy seven-abreast on the A350, and installs either 21 or 28 of these seats on this aircraft.

All of the carrier’s 777s feature an eight-abreast layout with 24 seats. Meanwhile, all A380s offer 56 premium economy seats, although the exact configuration differs. The majority of the double-deckers feature premium economy on the main deck ahead of the economy cabin. However, the airline is also retrofitting its high-density A380s with premium economy, which will feature the cabin on the upper deck ahead of the business class cabin.

The New Emirates Premium Economy Seat

Credit: Emirates

Unexpectedly, on September 3, 2026, Emirates unveiled a new premium economy seat. This was a surprise because the current seat has been flying with the airline for only about four years, but the new seat promises to be a significant improvement over the current model, and likely the best seat in the world from what’s been revealed.

It’ll be electrically powered, and the upcoming premium economy seat will also offer a full-height retractable privacy divider, a feature offered by very few products in the segment today. Emirates’ new premium economy seat will include its new ‘U-Dream’ headrest, which offers adjustable headrest wings that can be set into multiple positions for better comfort and is also being rolled out in economy.

The seat retains the same 4K UHD touchscreen display as before, but now includes wireless charging and a smartphone holder integrated into the tray table. It will be slightly wider than before, but it will lose about an inch of pitch (still slightly more than the industry standard). Emirates will introduce this product on new Airbus A350 deliveries, while still retrofitting A380s and 777s with the old product. It’s unknown whether initial Boeing 777-9 deliveries will include the new seats.

As a whole, this seat moves the game forward in multiple areas through small innovations that combine to create an experience that undoubtedly paints the picture of what the future is for products in this segment. As such, it will likely cement Emirates as the undisputed leader in premium economy.

The Increasing Popularity Of Premium Economy

Credit: Minh Tuan Pham I Shutterstock

Premium economy has been around since the early 1990s (introduced by EVA Air) but really became mainstream in the 2010s. All three US legacy carriers offer it today, as do most large European legacy carriers, most large Asian airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand, RwandAir, and more. The product brings in significantly more revenue than economy, while the seats take up less space than business class seats, resulting in excellent per-seat margins.

What’s more, premium economy is hitting the sweet spot of what customers want, resulting in record-high demand. Strikingly, despite the excellent economics associated with premium economy and the strong demand for a ‘middle-market’ cabin class, Emirates is the only one of its peers to offer premium economy.

Etihad Airways does offer ‘Economy Space’ on some of its widebodies, while Qatar Airways sells former premium economy seats at a premium on some of its used airliners. However, Emirates is the only one of the three to fully commit to the cabin, and is investing heavily in retrofitting its fleet while also introducing a new, innovative seat. Globally, an increasing number of airlines have recently introduced premium economy or have plans to, such as LATAM and Turkish Airlines.

Meanwhile, the airlines that have already entered this market are increasing their cabin sizes to meet the strong demand. With customers now booking premium seats at generally high rates, business class demand has become extremely high. Meanwhile, premium economy is extremely popular because it offers much of the added comfort that people want at a more attractive price point. As such, it’s here to stay worldwide.