EVA Air, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic rank as the world's five best premium economy airlines, according to Skytrax's 2026 World Airline Awards based on passenger surveys.
EVA Air topped the rating and won best premium economy amenities. The Taiwanese carrier pioneered the cabin in 1992. On its Boeing 787-9s, premium economy offers 42 inches of seat pitch with just 28 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, compared with 31-33 inches in economy. Katy Nastro, travel expert at Flighty, describes that pitch as "like having the length of an acoustic guitar before the next seat" for taller travellers. Gary Leff, founder of View from the Wing, notes EVA's economy cabin is already generous by industry standards, with some Boeing 777s configured 9-across rather than the tighter 10-abreast layout elsewhere. Still, Leff says he would "far prefer premium economy" for its wider seats, extra legroom and footrests. Nastro points out that "the cost to try premium economy is slightly lower than upgrading fare classes on Emirates or Cathay, where the jump can cost nearly $800 per segment".
Emirates ranked second and topped the list for seats and catering. It unveiled a new premium economy seat in September 2026 for Airbus A350s, featuring electric controls, wireless charging, a 13.3-inch 4K screen and a full-height adjustable privacy divider between seats. Emirates says the privacy divider is an industry first for premium economy. The cabin has 28 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration. Leff calls the new A350 seat "could be the best premium economy in the world", though he considers Emirates' older premium economy "fairly ordinary" by this group's standards.
Singapore Airlines ranked third for premium economy but also won Skytrax's award for best economy class overall. Its premium economy offers roughly 38 inches of pitch versus around 32 inches in economy. Nastro recommends upgrading on overnight journeys and flights lasting more than eight hours. She notes that "sometimes, flights are simply too long to feel comfortable in economy despite the airline offering a solid economy product". Leff observes that Singapore's economy cabin is already among the more comfortable options for long-haul travel.
Cathay Pacific came in fourth, with its premium economy seat ranked second only to Emirates' by Skytrax. On the A350, it offers 40 inches of pitch and 9 inches of recline with full-length leg rests. On refurbished Boeing 777-300ERs, the redesigned cabin features winged headrests for privacy and 15.6-inch 4K entertainment screens. Nastro finds the winged headrests the "biggest differentiator" from competitors.
Virgin Atlantic rounded out the top five.
Sometimes upgrading after booking costs considerably less than buying premium economy outright. Nastro was offered an upgrade on a recent overnight transatlantic flight for $238, much less than the fare difference at booking.