Premium Economy or Economy on Long Haul?

Australia sits a long way from most places worth flying to. A Sydney to London trip runs past 20 hours in the air, and Qantas A380 routes regularly run 13 to 15 hours in a single leg.

That distance is why premium economy sells better out of Australia than out of most markets, and why the question of whether it is worth the money comes up on every long-haul booking.

Seven inches of pitch changes what the seat in front of you does when it reclines. Two inches of width changes whether your shoulders touch the person beside you for the whole flight.

The recline figure matters more than it looks. Nine inches gets you to an angle where sleep is possible for most people. Six does not.

Expect to pay 60 to 100 per cent more than the economy fare on a long haul route, which on a major intercontinental booking means roughly $400 to $800 extra per person each way.

On a return trip for two that is $1,600 to $3,200. Set against the cost of the whole holiday, it is often the largest single upgrade decision in the booking.

Flight length decides it. On legs beyond about 12 hours, and especially past 15, the improvement in sleep changes what you can do on the day you arrive. On a 7 hour flight to Asia the same money buys several nights of better accommodation.

Arrival timing matters as much as duration. A flight landing in the morning with a full day ahead of it rewards the upgrade. One landing at night before a hotel and a sleep does not.

Often yes. Premium cabin redemptions return 3 to 7 cents per point against 1.1 to 2.2 in economy, so points stretch furthest exactly where cash hurts most. Our guide to what a Qantas point is worth runs those numbers. The constraint is availability: upgrade and reward seats in premium cabins release in small numbers and go early.

Booking economy and requesting an upgrade with points is the common approach, and it leaves you in economy when the upgrade does not clear. Treat it as a possibility rather than a plan.

Exit row and extra legroom seats cost a fraction of a premium economy fare and give you the pitch without the width, the recline or the service. On a flight where legroom is the only complaint, they solve most of the problem for a fifth of the price.

They do not help with sleep. The seat still reclines six inches and the person beside you is still at your shoulder.

Long flights that land in the morning justify premium economy. Shorter flights and overnight arrivals rarely do, and the same money spent on the ground buys more of the holiday.

Price the upgrade per hour of flight rather than per booking. Split across a 15 hour leg it reads differently than it does as a lump sum at checkout.

Baggage rules differ by cabin too. Our guide to Qantas and Virgin baggage allowances covers what each fare includes, and our frequent flyer guides cover using points to reach the front of the aircraft.