Economy seat width on Air Premia is better than every other airline except JAL. Depending on the configuration of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, leg room (pitch) is also among the best. Wide Economy just about beats all other Premium Economy class seats on the market.
Air Premia overview
"Essentials meet premium" is how Air Premia sees itself. A hybrid airline with both high-quality service and reasonably priced airfare. This means there are only 2 seat classes of Economy and Wide Economy. No Business nor First class.
The Economy 3-3-3 seat configuration is already a good sign the seats are less crammed than other airlines. Wide Economy is obviously wider and offers Premium Economy type of services like priority check-in and boarding.
| Seat | Economy | Wide Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Seat configuration | 3-3-3 | 2-3-2 |
| Ground perks | - | Priority check-in and boarding |
Seat Details
So how good are the Economy seats? See the table below which lists the dimensions in cm.
- If you prioritize width, Economy is wider than almost any other airline except JAL which is about 47cm. Wide Economy is up there in width along with the best Premium Economy seats of other airlines.
- While there is a large range in pitch for Economy, most of the long-haul flights lean towards the higher end of the range. Even the low end of the range, the pitch is not bad for someone about 178cm tall for short to medium-haul flights. Wide Economy again is as good as the best Premium Economy seats of other airlines.
| Seat | Economy | Wide Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 45 | 49-50 |
| Pitch | 78-88 | 106-116 |
| Recline | 5 | 8 |
For those of you that think in inches, here is the same information:
| Seat | Economy | Wide Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 18 | 19-20 |
| Pitch | 31-35 | 42 |
| Recline | 5 | 8 |
Which seat to pick?
For short to medium-haul (6 hours or less), Economy on Air Premia is more than good enough. For long-haul, unless you're on a tight budget, the obvious choice is Wide Economy. Air Premia pricing is very competitive for Wide Economy compared to Premium Economy on other airlines.
Is Air Premia the best airline to fly to North America?
From Seoul, I would argue yes for Premium Economy (Wide Economy budgets). To fly to North America, maybe. Air Premia only flies to:
- Los Angeles and San Francisco on the West Coast
- New York and Washington Dulles on the East Coast
- Hawaii/Honolulu
If your goal is to go to Canada, and you don't want to or cannot transit through the US, then perhaps no to Air Premia.
Korean Air has expanded its Premium Economy to North America in 2026, but seat pitch is 96cm or 38 inches, so not quite as competitive as Air Premia. Unless you're a die-hard SkyTeam fan and are shooting for lifetime status, I would pay same or less for Air Premia Wide Economy versus Korean Air Premium Economy.
How about Delta Airlines Premium Economy? Give me a break, Delta can't even compete with Korean Air.
Does Air Premia have a loyalty program?
Yes. There are 3 tiers. You earn more points per 1000 KRW spent as you move up the tiers, as well as get some extra baggage allowance.
As Wide Economy typically costs about 20% more than Economy, but already includes additional baggage allowance in weight, priority boarding and baggage handling, I would say the primary benefit of the loyalty program is earning points quicker. There are other benefits, but they are rather small, with the exception of a seat upgrade.
4000 points gets you to the 2nd tier, which is USD 2700 spend (rounded up at today's exchange rate). You can achieve that with 3 1-way Wide Economy flights between Asia and North America.
9000 points gets you to the 3rd and top tier. This is about USD 6K spend if you start from no status. You can earn this with as few as 3 round-trips from Asia to North America.
Judge for yourself at https://www.airpremia.com/a/en/members/grade
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