This Economy Class is Sofa King Cool
Airlines increasingly try to squeeze every last dime out of us by continually dividing up the various classes of service. Where there was once “first class” and “coach class” now there are all sorts of sub-categories and divisions. Even within those subclasses, there are whole ranges of add-ons and services. Sometimes the extras are worth it and sometimes they’re not.
I’ve previously provided my thoughts on when a business class upgrade may be worthwhile on a fishing trip but I’ve yet to really investigate whether any of the lowercase-p-premium or uppercase-P-Premium economy splurges make sense. I was inspired to do so when I saw a recent New York Times article about long haul flights that allow passengers to book “sky couches.”
Personally, I’ve always referred to it as the “poor man’s first class” (hat tip to my friend Cisco Sevilla), but now rather than hoping and praying you’ll have an entire economy row to yourself, allowing you to stretch out and sleep, now you can actually reserve an entire row. Air New Zealand calls it “Economy Skycouch.” Lufthansa calls it a “Sleeper’s Row.” Several others refer to it as a “Sky Sofa.” While there may be variations in exactly what is provided, typically it costs less than a business class seat, and less than purchasing the three seats separately. Additionally, on many of them the foot rests can be raised flush with the seat to provide additional width on the “couch” or “bed.”
For those of us who are budget-conscious but also struggle to get quality sleep on a plane, this may be a happy medium. It may come with fewer amenities than the formal Premium Economy, many reviewers find the lie flat value of the couch more comfortable and valuable than the ability to recline in premium.
Sky Couch Reviews and Articles
Is Premium Economy Worth It?
Obviously, this couch/sofa service is only available on a limited number of routes on a limited number of airlines, so for many of us it’s not a choice at all (unless you want to book a trip primarily for that experience – which would be kind of weird). Nevertheless, when taking long flights and booking economy tickets, we’re often confronted with the choice of whether we want “Premium” economy. Unfortunately, this is not an easy calculation. Part of that is because there’s no formula as to how many miles or dollars the upgrade is worth. The other part of it is that there’s no uniform industry standard as to what allows them to call it “Premium.”
The one feature that seems to be near-universal is that the seats have the ability to recline further than traditional economy seats, making comfortable sleep more possible.
Some other features that might factor into your decision, include the following:
Baggage allowance
Boarding priority
Different meals
Amenity packages
Access to lounges
For me, it’s going to come down to how important a good night’s sleep will be, and what the incremental cost might be. The meals and baggage allowance might factor in slightly. The lounge might play a role if the airport/s I’m transiting do not have AmEx lounges or Priority Pass Lounges (to which I have access with my AmEx card). The amenity packages will likely factor in not at all.
Here are some others’ take on the subject:
