We check-in to check-out Lufthansa’s new Premium Economy class, all for a mere upgrade of on average 300 Euros.

Flight: Hong Kong to Frankfurt on Lufthansa

When: Sunday 8 March 2015

Aircraft: Boeing 747-8, Flight LH797

Class: Premium Economy (32 seats in total)

Configuration: 2-4-2

Seat: 25F (middle row, middle seat, last row of Premium Economy). Fast fact: Premium Economy seats feature an additional 50% more space compared to economy class.

How long: 13 hours

Verdict: 8.5/10 

Frequency: Lufthansa flies Hong Kong to Frankfurt once daily

Frequent Flyer: Lufthansa Miles & More. Premium Economy passengers accrue more miles than compared with regular economy customers.

Lounge:

Premium Economy customers can gain free access to Lufthansa’s Business Class lounge with a valid voucher and boarding pass for flights departing on the same day. This option was not provided on my flight.

Baggage:

Premium Economy passengers are able to check in two bags weighing up to 23kg (twice as much as regular Economy class passengers). However, the airline is strict in that each piece of luggage should not exceed 23kg.I noticed the passenger checking-in in the counter beside me was told his single 25kg bag exceeded the luggage requirements and after a bit of negotiation he was let through without having to lug 2kg’s into his hand carry.

Speaking of which, the airline was also strict about having just one hand carry case, plus a backpack, purse or laptop bag. I point this out because women usually have either a combination of all three, but the airline tags each item suitable to bring onboard and two was their limit.

Checking in:

There are numerous Lufthansa counters available at the Hong Kong International Airport making check-in a speedy process. Regardless of my Premium Economy status, I am required to check-in at the economy counters.

As I was travelling as part of a larger media group and so had a brief scare when the check-in representative was inexplicably unable to find my Premium Economy reservation, and adding to the dilemma, the flight was full. As it turned out, it seemed to be a simple ‘computer glitch’ or, as I like to refer to these types of situations, “the stressful joy of travelling”.

Onboard the plane:

Premium Economy passengers were boarded alongside economy customers, but the configuration of the plane meant we were seated directly behind the Business Class cabin – however, only a curtain divided us from regular economy class. The configuration of Premium Economy on this flight was 2-4-2, but on Lufthansa’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft the 21 seats are in a dedicated cabin in-between economy and the remaining Economy seats. The airline plans to fit 52 premium economy seats on it’s a380-800.

Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Seat Map

Lufthansa Premium Economy Class A340 Cabin View 2

Staff:

Lufthansa service was top notch from the get-go. Helpful cabin crew assisted me in lifting my hand carry to overhead compartments, and their courteous service flowed throughout the flight’s 13 hours.

Food:

This is an area in which Premium Economy passengers were shown they fared better than their economy counterparts. Passengers are greeted with a non-alcoholic welcome drink, and will find a water bottle placed at their seat. Despite being served the exact same meal as economy passengers, it is the way in which it is presented which made all the difference.

One could say it was a small step for the airline meant a huge giant leap in the in-flight dining experience. Meal choices are displayed on menus and for premium passengers, served on porcelain tableware and glassware. It was a late evening flight departing from Hong Kong but my pre-ordered Asian vegetarian meal smelled quite too good to refuse so I tucked into the Aloo-Gobi and Biryani which went really well with my glass of European red wine.

While I skipped breakfast, the options were a mix of eggs or pancakes.

Entertainment:

Premium Economy passengers can navigate what to watch on an 11-inch personal touchscreen monitor – around 2 inches bigger than the screens in economy class. A wide-array of channels and choices are available and I settled in for my fourth viewing of Paddington before getting engrossed in the box set version of Sherlock or should I say, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Seats are also fitted with an electrical socket so passengers can recharge their personal devices should they prefer to watch movies on their iPads.

Lufthansa Premium Economy Double Seat rear view

Comfort:

It all comes down to the comfort factor when paying to fly in a better class than economy, so how does Lufthansa’s new premium economy fare? The airline’s executive said they wanted to create a cabin that was closer to the economy experience than the business class experience so as to not cannibalise their higher-paying customers, but after experiencing a range of airlines’ premium economy classes, I’d have to say it ranks in the top two behind Air New Zealand.

Obviously most wouldn’t doubt that premium economy would be more comfortable than economy class – but I was surprised just how much more spacious and luxurious the seats were and how the little touches made for a much more relaxed flying experience.

Seats are around 3 centimetres wider and have 10 cm more room at the side thanks to each seat having its own wide armrest and a centre console between passengers, which made quite the difference for me as I usually have to fight-off my neighbour for the armrest.

Lufthansa Premium Economy Class window view

Also, as I was in the dreaded middle-seat, it was a real surprise that the extra ‘personal’ space around made such a huge difference to the usually cramped experience.

The back rest reclines further than economy and seat pitch is 38 inches, which makes it around one and a half times as much room as economy. The adjustable headrests and side flaps are usually wasted on me, but I did welcome the additional footrest.

Lufthansa Premium Economy Double Seat with legrest

Passengers are provided with a travel accessories kit filled with the usual earplugs and eye mask, but instead of socks, are provided with slippers – a nice touch.

Lufthansa Premium Economy Class Features

Did you know?

Lufthansa has commissioned 3600 Premium Economy seats from manufacturer Zim and will be one of the only carriers to install new seats across its entire range of 106 long-haul aircraft. It plans to complete re-fitting aircraft by July and refurbishments of its economy and business class will be completed by December.

From mid-April 2015 the A380s will start flying from Frankfurt to Delhi, Houston, Johannesburg, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore and from 15 June 2015 also to Boston and Chicago. From 12 May 2015 Lufthansa’s A340-600 fleet will fly from Munich to Los Angeles, Mexico City, Newark, Beijing, San Francisco and São Paolo.

Bonus fact:

Since this is a new product for Lufthansa, cabin crew will announce availability onboard the aircraft before taking off to allow any Economy passengers to immediately upgrade to Premium Economy for around 300 Euro (the same cost difference if booking ahead).

Daisy was flying as a guest of Lufthansa