Premium economy

A class between economy and business with wider seats and an enhanced service. It's often positioned in travel policy as an acceptable upgrade for longer flights, offering meaningfully more comfort than economy without the cost of a full business-class fare. Not all airlines offer this cabin, so its availability varies by route and carrier.

Premium economy is typically a separate cabin with its own seats and service. Seat pitch is typically around 35–38 inches (89–97 cm), compared with 30–32 inches in standard economy, and seats are wider with more recline. Passengers often receive upgraded meals, amenity kits, extra baggage allowance and priority check-in or boarding. The price usually sits between economy and business, although the exact product differs considerably between airlines.

Many companies use premium economy as a policy compromise for long-haul travel. It allows employees to arrive more rested — particularly after overnight flights — without paying the much higher cost of business class. A common approach is to allow premium economy for flights above a certain duration, while keeping business class for exceptional cases or senior roles. Because the product varies so much, it is worth checking what a specific airline offers before setting rules.

Tumodo makes this kind of rule easy to set up. In the travel policy, companies can define allowed cabin classes based on flight duration and destination — for example, economy for short flights and premium economy on longer routes. If a traveller chooses a cabin outside the policy, the option is flagged, and it can be booked through the company's approval workflow if needed. Rules can apply to the whole company, specific departments or individual employees.