Is United Airlines premium economy worth it on long flights?

How to book premium economy on United Airlines

Checking in to premium economy on United Airlines

When I arrived at the airport in Newark, I made my way to the Premier Access check-in area on the third level at Terminal C, which Premium Plus tickets allow passengers to access. I had already checked in via the airline’s app, but a United agent quickly tagged my bag (Premium Plus confers two free checked bags of up to 50 pounds each) and sent me on my way to my gate. My flight was set to depart at 11 p.m., so there were no lines either at the economy counters or at the security checkpoints, meaning that the priority check-in really didn’t do much for me. However, it would absolutely be useful to someone who’s checking in at a peak time.

How comfortable was premium economy on United Airlines?

The Newark-London leg of my trip was on a Boeing 767-300ER with Premium Plus seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, with four rows of six seats across for a total of 24. Here’s how they stack up against the economy- and business-class cabins on the aircraft.

The Athens-Newark flight was on a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, where the 21 seats were arranged in a 2-3-2 layout in three rows. Here’s how they compare to seats in the other sections.

Amenities in United Airlines premium economy

All Premium Plus seats on both my flights were stocked with a Saks Fifth Avenue pillow and lightweight blanket. There were also Away amenity kits, including Sunday Riley hand lotion and lip balm (score!), an eye mask, socks, earplugs, a toothbrush with toothpaste and a cloth Away bag with a zip closure. Passengers also received headphones to use with the entertainment systems.

Premium Plus seats have entertainment screens that are about 3-4 inches larger than in economy, and which you can control with a retractable remote (though retracting it was difficult on both flights). The United-branded headphones for inflight use worked fine but did not have great sound quality.

The seats’ wonderfully oversized tray tables were difficult for a newbie like me to locate initially, but I found mine in my aisle-side armrest and figured out how to deploy it with the press of a button with utensils on it. It measured 17 inches wide and 10.5 inches long, and it folded in half in case I didn’t need the full amount of space.

On my outbound flight, my TV screen was on the back of the seat in front of me. Entertainment selections included a list of movies — both newer releases and older favorites — TV shows, music and games, as well as a real-time flight tracker.

On the return flight, when I was in the front row behind the bulkhead, my seatmate and I had to ask the flight attendant how to pop the screens out from below the seats, where they were located in a center console between us.

Each seat had its own USB port and universal electrical outlet. However, you practically have to be a contortionist to plug anything in, as the ports are located near passengers’ elbows and semi-enclosed by the armrest console. Plus, the power to both was nonfunctional on my outbound flight. A kind flight attendant allowed me to borrow her charging brick, which was a lifesaver.

On the return flight, the seatback pocket space — or, in my case, the wall-mounted pocket — was minuscule. I was barely able to fit a bottle of water and my book, let alone all of the other stuff I usually cram in there.

How was the food in United Airlines premium economy?

Premium Plus is supposed to include elevated meal options compared to coach, but the only thing that seemed higher-end was the fact that food was served on actual plates with metal silverware, as opposed to the flimsy trays with plastic cutlery found in economy.

The food itself was edible but unmemorable. I didn’t receive a menu on either flight. Instead, passengers were verbally told what was available, but it wasn’t always clear what, exactly, the options were.

On my outbound flight, there were two meals. For the first, which began shortly after takeoff and ended about half an hour later, I was offered a choice of beef or vegetarian entree. I went with the latter, and it featured couscous and chickpeas in a savory red sauce. There was a side of cold noodles with peppers, a roll with butter and a small birthday cake-flavored cookie for dessert.

An hour or two after our first meal, a snack was offered; I chose a small bag of almonds.

For the second meal, which was served about an hour before landing, I had a choice of eggs with some sort of red sauce or waffles with berry syrup. I went with the waffles, which were the tastiest thing I ate on any of my flights on this trip. Included were a croissant with butter and jelly, orange juice and plain yogurt with oranges and grapes.

On the return trip, roughly over an hour in, flight attendants began meal service, offering passengers a choice of chicken or a vegetarian option for the first meal. I avoided meat again, but the joke was on me, as the airline served some sort of faux mystery meat with vegetables.

When I asked what it was, the answer was, “I’m not sure. There was no description.” I suspect it was some sort of undercooked white root vegetable. The flavor was surprisingly good, with a consistency like pineapple but less stringy. It came with carrots, mashed potatoes, a side salad, a roll with butter and some of the most delicious chocolate truffles I’ve ever tasted, from Mathez’s The French Taste snack line.

For the subsequent snack and lighter meal, which was served shortly before landing, I chose a bag of chips and a cucumber-and-cheese sandwich on a roll with a side of fruit — orange and pineapple slices with some grapes. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the sandwich, despite its simplicity.

In premium economy, beer, wine and spirits are free, while only beer and wine are free for passengers in standard economy on long-haul international flights with United. The flight attendants handling meal service on the outbound flight asked if I wanted wine (red or white). I declined. However, I never saw a regular drinks cart come by to ask if I’d like something else. I brought a bottle of water with me, so I didn’t bother to ask for anything else. Drinks were served twice on the return flight.

Is United Airlines premium economy worth it?

There’s no question that United’s premium economy product is better than the experience in economy. However, for me, the minor upgrades in terms of space and slightly more polished meal service aren’t worth the extra amount United charges for Premium Plus. Although I enjoyed the larger tray table and the extra legroom, I’m fine with the extra few inches I get in Economy Plus, which I can select for free with my elite status when flying in coach.

My answer would be different if it were one of the rare, but not unheard of, situations where the Premium Plus seat was less expensive than or negligibly more expensive than regular economy. But in this case, the additional cost wasn’t worth the extra recline, the cumbersome footrest, the uncomfortable leg rest and the unwieldy swivel entertainment screen on my return flight.