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- I secured a great deal on a premium-economy seat on a long-haul Emirates flight.
- This was my first time in premium economy, and I was surprised at how upgraded the experience felt.
- Premium economy is worth trying, especially if you can find a good deal like I did.
I had to fly from Melbourne, Australia, to Dubai with only a few weeks’ notice, and unfortunately, airfares for direct flights were expensive.
Emirates has three direct flights from Melbourne to Dubai a day at 9 p.m., 2 a.m., and 5 a.m. I wanted to get the 9 p.m. flight as it’s the most convenient time to depart, but the airfare was over $1,400. The 2 a.m. flight was a similar price.
However, the 5 a.m. flight didn’t seem very popular or full, and I found a premium-economy ticket for about $1,250, which was cheaper than economy seats on other flights that day.
Although my flight was expensive, it seemed like I got a solid deal for a premium upgrade. Rates vary, but I’ve seen many of Emirates’ premium-economy seats cost $800 to $1,500 more than ones in coach.
Plus, I was actually looking forward to my 14-hour trip since Emirates recently placed third in Skytrax’s overall world’s best airlines of 2024 awards — and its premium-economy class came in second.
Here’s what my first premium-economy flight was like.
