On our recent flight from London to Bangkok, James and I decided to do a little experiment.
So, instead of sitting together in the same cabin, I will be testing out Economy, whilst James will be testing out Premium Economy.
And the big question is: which was the best value for money?
In this review, we’re going to compare both cabins properly, from check-in and boarding to the seat, food, drinks, sleep, service and, most importantly, the price.
Did we pay for our flights?
Our flights were provided by EVA Air, which allowed us early access to film and take photos on board for this review which was very helpful!
We did pay for the airport taxes, and both this written review and the video we made about our experience have been created independently, with no sign off or payment from the airline.
The Flight
We flew direct from London Heathrow to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport with EVA Air on a Boeing 777-300ER.
- Route: London Heathrow to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
- Airline: EVA Air
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
- Flight number: BR68
- Date: Sun 24th May
- Departure time from London: 21:35
- Arrival time in Bangkok: 15:30
- Total flight time: 11 hours 55 mins
The aircraft had 353 seats in total, split across three cabins:
- Royal Laurel: 39 seats
- Premium Economy: 56 seats
- Economy: 258 seats
Economy vs Premium Economy: How We’re Comparing Them
To keep this fair, we’re breaking the review down into the main parts of the journey.
We’ll look at what happened at the airport, what each cabin and seat was like, what we were given onboard, how the food and drinks compared, whether we got any sleep, what the toilets and service were like, and then we’ll finish with the price.
1. Check-in, Baggage and Boarding
Economy & Premium Economy
We begin with an area that was exactly the same for both of us! We both joined the standard check-in queue at London Heathrow, but ended up using the bag check in machines.
As for baggage, EVA Air provide all passengers with 2 x 23kg bags. Pretty generous if you ask me!
After check-in, we both went through standard security before heading to the gate.
So we were on a par so far.
The first key difference is boarding as Premium Economy are invited to board before Economy. However, as we were filming on board, we were both allowed to board before first so that we wouldn’t disturb the other passengers as much!
That’s why many of our photos coming up show an empty plane – I promise we didn’t have the whole thing to ourselves!!
2. The Cabin
The Economy cabin on EVA Air’s Boeing 777-300ER has 258 seats in a 3-4-3 layout. It’s positioned towards the back of the plane, after Royal Laurel (Business Class) and Premium Economy.
There are 6 bathrooms, which works out at 43 passengers per toilet.
My first impressions were that it was a very clean and well thought out cabin. In fact, after seeing images online I had worried that the cabin would look a little dated but I now realise this has much to do with brown colour palette! Up close, I was impressed with how well kept it all looked.
I also spotted that towards the back of the cabin there were numerous seats in pairs which would be a great place to book if you were travelling in a couple.
Having said this, I lucked out as the cabin was not fully booked – I’d say it was around 65% full – and I ended up with two free seats next to me! In fact, many people had a seat or two available by them which obviously made the entire trip a lot comfier.
Premium Economy
The Premium Economy cabin on EVA Air’s Boeing 777-300ER has 56 seats in a 2-4-2 layout. It’s positioned in the middle of the plane, after Royal Laurel (Business Class).
There are only 2 bathrooms but, since there are far less passengers using them, this works out at just 28 passengers per toilet.
My first impressions were that the two fewer seats per row make a really obvious difference to space! The cabin was super clean and looked modern and fresh.
The cabin was around 80% full, and I was lucky too because I had a free seat by me as well. Perhaps the fact that I was closest to the toilets had put people off!
3. The Seat
Economy
The Economy seat is around 18.3 inches wide, with 32-33 inches of legroom.
The seat was pretty comfy – it wasn’t super flimsy which is one of my bugbears when you hear the seat creaking every time you move an inch. The space was what would I expect from a long-haul economy flight, but I was grateful the seats weren’t as cramped as some I’ve experienced on similar routes.
One thing I did notice was that the foot space changed quite dramatically depending on where you chose to sit. Perhaps fairly, the middle seats seemed to have the biggest space in front, whilst the aisle and window seats were limited due to the seat brackets. So that may be worth noting before you select.
The seat had an adjustable headrest, moveable armrests, personal screen, tray table, reading light, air vent, pocket, USB charging and a power outlet. The recline was better than I expected too.
Premium Economy
The Premium Economy seat is around 19.5 inches wide, with 38 inches of legroom. It has a moveable headrest, a footrest, a personal screen, a tray table hidden in the arm rest.
The seat was comfortable and I could tell it was more padded than economy. I also loved that the seat wasn’t a leather material, as the fabric upholstery felt much comfier to me. I also really liked the little table to the side of the armrest so that I didn’t have to get my tray table out for drinks.
There were also plenty of outlets for charging, with an option for a plug and also USB.
And though the extra width didn’t feel hugely noticeable to me, I did appreciate having a bit more space to move into different positions during the flight.
The legroom was the real win. That was fantastic, I liked having the option of a footrest.
As for the recline, it was really decent – even in the back row where sometimes it’s limited.
However, I was a little concerned that when my neighbour reclined, I’d feel trapped in my seat, but actually there was more than enough space to still get up.
The only drawback of the seat was how set it is. You can’t move the armrests and your table is tucked in there too, and so even though I was lucky to have no neighbour next to me, I wasn’t able to reap the benefits!
In fact, I was a little jealous of when I visited Chelsea in the economy cabin and saw her sprawled out across three seats to sleep.
4. Welcome Service and Amenities
Economy
There wasn’t a welcome drink in Economy, but I didn’t expect one – that’s not really what you’re paying for in this cabin.
As for amenities, I had a pillow and blanket waiting at my seat, plus in-ear headphones.
For sleeping, the pillow and blanket were handy, and I’d brought my own eye mask and a few self-care bits too. I also thought the in-ear headphones were pretty good! They’d be my preference over a flimsy pair of over the ear ones!
Premium Economy
In Premium Economy, I got a welcome orange juice, plus a couple of hot towels during the flight, which is always a nice touch.
I also got a pillow, blanket and headphones, though these were higher quality than economy.
What I wasn’t expecting though, was my own amenity kit! It was a really nice Hunter branded bag with useful items like a toothbrush and an eye mask. We were given slippers too, which I think is the first I’ve used them on a flight! Perfect for trips to the toilet.
This area definitely felt like a big step up from economy.
5. Entertainment and Wi-Fi
Economy
The Economy seat had a personal touchscreen, that was 11 inches across.
The entertainment system was easy to use, with films, TV shows, music and games. I was happy to see quite a few newer releases including Wuthering Heights, which I’d been wanting to watch for ages!
I also liked that when I started a film, I could choose the language and subtitles straight away. Even better, I didn’t have to sit through 27 minutes of adverts before the film actually started.
The headphones in Economy were basic in-ear ones, which is pretty standard, but they did the job.
Wi-Fi was available and, at the time of our flight, it was on a free promotion for everyone if they signed up to the airline’s loyalty scheme for free. I tested it as a guest whilst it was a little sporadic in its service, I was able to message James a few times and even watch some Instagram videos! However, I wouldn’t say that you could depend on it during the flight.
Premium Economy
The entertainment setup in Premium Economy was pretty similar to Economy. Even the screen size looked very similar to me.
We did get better headphones in Premium Economy, which was a nice upgrade, but aside from that there wasn’t a huge difference.
The free onboard Wi-Fi for basic browsing worked better than I expected. I assumed it would just be enough for WhatsApp messages and very basic webpages, but I did manage to get some Instagram videos loading too.
I also paid extra for the Ultimate Wi-Fi package, but honestly, it didn’t seem any faster.
6. Food
Economy
I was really impressed with the food in Economy.
For the first meal, I chose the beef stroganoff, and when the tray arrived, I was immediately happy with how colourful and fresh it looked. It came with fruit salad, chicken salad, panna cotta, a bread roll and Welsh butter, which obviously made me very happy as a Welsh woman.
The only thing I wasn’t completely sold on was the potato with the beef stroganoff. It was more like a dumpling, and while it was fine with the gravy, it was a little rubbery.
But overall, I thought the meal was fantastic. I’d give it 8.5 out of 10.
For breakfast, I chose the Western option with an omelette, yoghurt, fruit and bread roll. The fruit was excellent, and the rest was decent too, although I was still quite full from dinner. I’d give breakfast 7 out of 10.
Snack wise, there were crackers and nuts available at the back of the plane along with water and orange juice throughout the flight.
Premium Economy
I was really impressed with the food in Premium Economy.
For the first meal, I had a prawn and avocado salad, followed by cottage pie, and both were delicious. The menu did feel a bit more upgraded than what Chelsea had in Economy, and even though her meal was good too, this felt like one of the main areas where Premium Economy felt worth paying a bit more for.
I’d give the main meal an 8 out of 10.
For breakfast, I had the stir-fried prawn noodles, but honestly, it felt like a lot for breakfast and I wasn’t that hungry by then. I mainly stuck to the fruit, coffee and a scone, which did the job.
7. Drinks
Economy
In Economy, the first drink came with the meal. I ordered soda water and a gin and tonic, and WOW – they did not hold back on the measures for the gin!! I’m not going to complain about that.
There was also tea and coffee after the meal, plus the usual wine, beer, soft drinks, juice and hot drinks.
It was a simple Economy drinks service, but it had everything I wanted. You could also ask for more drinks at the back of the plane.
Premium Economy
I also lived in the strong gin and tonic world, so no complaints from me there either!
The drinks service felt pretty good. They came round a couple of times, and you could ask for more if you wanted something in between.
To be honest, I think Economy already had a really good drinks offering, so this was one area where Chelsea and I felt quite aligned. Premium Economy was good, but the gap between the cabins didn’t feel huge here.
8. Toilets
Economy
I went to the Economy toilet quite early in the flight, so it hadn’t been used much yet. It was clean, fully stocked and actually more spacious than I expected.
There was toilet roll, tissues, paper hand towels, soap and lotion. I was also surprised to see a few extra amenities, including face mist, which felt like a really nice Economy perk.
I also checked the hidden drawers and found sick bags and sanitary products, which was good to see.
I used the toilet a few times during the flight and it was always clean and restocked. That said, our flight wasn’t full, so I don’t know if it would be quite as good on a packed flight!
Premium Economy
There’s not loads to add here, as I think the toilets in Premium were pretty similar to Economy.
Every time I used it, the area was clean and whilst there were only 2 toilets for the whole cabin, I didn’t have to queue at any point which was great.
9. Service
Economy
You can call for assistance through the entertainment screen, so I wanted to test how responsive the crew were.
Well, after tapping the button, someone was at my seat in just 15 seconds. It was so quick I hadn’t managed to even start the timer properly!
Very impressed!
And overall, I thought that the crew were efficient, polite and always busy!
They weren’t over-the-top chatty, but they smiled, helped when needed and kept everything moving. It felt like they were properly grafting, especially the crew member working my section.
Premium Economy
I tested the call button in Premium Economy and, in short, they were rapid.
A crew member was at my seat in around 20 seconds, which really impressed me. I just asked for water, and they were friendly and helpful.
There was a bit less walking through the cabin than I expected during the flight, but honestly, if they come that quickly when you actually need something, that’ll do me.
10. Sleep
Economy
This was a red-eye flight, so sleep really mattered.
After dinner, the crew cleared everything away quickly and dimmed the cabin lights. At that point it was around 11:30pm in London, but Bangkok was already six hours ahead, so everyone was clearly trying to get into sleep mode.
The recline was better than I expected, but I still find it hard to sleep upright. Fortunately, my three seats meant that I got to experience ‘poor man’s business class’ by stretching out. It’s not quite enough to lie flat, but it’s certainly quite the luxury in economy!
Thanks to this, I got around 4 hours though I think without this, I would have been lucky to manage half of that. However, if you are able to sleep upright, then I’m sure you’d fare much better!
Premium Economy
I managed around four to four-and-a-half hours of sleep, which for me is actually pretty good as I don’t often sleep much on planes.
The recline definitely helped, and the cabin was quiet, which made a big difference on a red-eye flight.
If I was choosing again, I’d probably try to get row 1 in Premium Economy, mainly for the proper leg rest that folds up from the seat. I think that would have made sleeping even easier.
I did have the seat next to me free, which obviously helped, but I still think I would have slept well with someone there. It might have made getting out a bit more awkward, but the seat itself was comfortable enough for sleep.
11. Final Hours & Landing
Economy
After breakfast, I freshened up, watched a film and spent the rest of the flight relaxing before we came into land.
The cabin stayed calm and quiet, and I was pleased to see the toilets were still clean towards the end of the flight. One of the bathrooms had clearly just been cleaned and restocked, which was a good sign.
Overall, it felt like a smooth and organised end to the flight.
Premium Economy
Landing felt very similar to Economy, but the main bonus of Premium Economy here is simply that you’re closer to the front of the plane, so you get off to try to get through border control before anyone else!
12. Prices
And now for the big question: how much more did Premium Economy cost and was it worth it?
Before I reveal all, I should confirm that this is not a set price and will change based on many other factors but for our flights, Premium Economy was £487 more than Economy.
On our return flight – which was in the daytime – this would have been just £340 more.
13. Final Thoughts: Is EVA Air Premium Economy Worth It?
Chelsea’s verdict
I came away really impressed with EVA Air Economy.
The seat was comfortable, the recline was better than I expected, the food was genuinely good, the toilets stayed clean and the crew were efficient throughout.
I was also incredibly lucky to have three seats to myself, and that massively changed the experience. And for those cynical people out there who think I just bagged this because I was filming on board, our social media manager Anna flew EVA a couple of weeks after us and also got a full row to herself!
But the truth is, we both got lucky and if I’d had people next to me on a full red-eye flight, I’m sure sleep would have been trickier, but that’s Economy travel rather than anything specific to EVA Air.
But time for the big question – do I wish I had paid £487 more to fly Premium Economy?
Absolutely not!
Whilst I was definitely jealous of James’ comfy looking seat, it wouldn’t be worth me paying more for a night flight.
Ultimately, I think that unless you’re lying flat, your sleep is always going to be impeded and so I’d rather save the money than go for an inbetween product.
However – and I know some people will really disagree with me on this – I could be tempted to upgrade on the inbound flight! Firstly because it’s often cheaper, and secondly because the thought of sitting for 12 hours in the daytime in a comfier seat with all the extra amenities sounds like my perfect day!!
But I think for me to hit ‘book’, the cost would need to be less than £250 – which I have been told some people have nabbed by upgrading on the day.
James' verdict
For me, I do think Premium Economy was worth the extra money.
On a flight this long, I want as much space as I can realistically get, and the legroom and recline were the best parts of the whole experience.
Chelsea did really well in Economy because she ended up with a full row to herself, which is obviously brilliant, but you are taking a big risk if you’re relying on that happening. If Economy had been full, I think the difference between the two cabins would have felt much bigger.
The food was good, and it did feel a bit more upgraded, but I wouldn’t say that that alone is a reason to pay for Premium Economy. For me, it’s all about the extra space.
I would definitely do it again, but next time I’d try to get row 1 of Premium Economy so I had the proper leg rest. I think that would make it even better, especially on a night flight.
Final Thoughts
If you’re choosing between EVA Air Economy and Premium Economy from London to Bangkok, the decision probably comes down to how much you care about space and sleep.
Economy is already a really strong long-haul product, especially if you care about food, service and value for money. Premium Economy then adds a smaller cabin, wider seat, more legroom, better recline, extra amenities and, hopefully, a better chance of sleeping.
