Is British Airways Premium Economy worth the extrta money to upgrade?
I hate flying. I always have.
Unfortunately, if I want to visit all the places on my ever-growing travel list, it’s something I’m just going to have to deal with.
When it comes to a long-haul flight to Las Vegas, though, I want to make those 10 hours in the air as comfortable as I possibly can. Sitting cramped on a plane for that length of time isn’t exactly my idea of a good start to a holiday.
So, on our last trip to Las Vegas, we decided to upgrade to British Airways Premium Economy — or World Traveller Plus as BA calls it — to find out whether spending the extra money could actually make that horrific 10-hour flight a little more bearable.
Here’s how we got on, what you actually get for the upgrade, and whether I think British Airways Premium Economy is worth paying extra for when flying to Las Vegas.
British Airways premium economy is also known as world traveller plus
Things got off to a decent start with a glass of Prosecco on arrival. It’s not something I’d normally drink, but if it’s getting dished out, I’m certainly not going to say no!
We were also given a drinks and dinner menu for the flight. I’m not actually sure whether this was something provided throughout the plane or specifically for the upgraded cabins, so I won’t pretend it was an exclusive Premium Economy perk.
As for the legroom, we absolutely struck gold.
We managed to get seats in the front row of the Premium Economy cabin, where the baby bassinets are located, which meant the amount of space in front of us was crazy. For a 10-hour flight, especially as someone who already hates flying, having that extra room made a massive difference.
The only problem is that it makes it difficult for me to give you a fair assessment of the standard Premium Economy legroom. Our seats were definitely an outlier, and I wouldn’t expect this amount of space if I booked a normal World Traveller Plus seat.
So while I can say our seats were incredibly comfortable in terms of space, just bear in mind that we got very lucky with where we were sitting.
How was the food?
There are two main things I want to point out when it comes to the food and service on this flight.
First, I had what I can comfortably say was the best meal I’ve ever had on a plane.
I went for the braised lamb and, by in-flight meal standards, I thought it was absolutely magnificent. Plane food doesn’t exactly have the greatest reputation, so I certainly wasn’t expecting to enjoy my dinner as much as I did.
There are a couple of things worth keeping in mind, though. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not sure whether this particular meal was exclusive to the upgraded cabins or available elsewhere on the flight. Airline menus also change regularly, so there’s every chance you’ll be offered something completely different if you fly the same route today.
The second thing is that, despite how much I enjoyed the food, I didn’t find the overall service noticeably better than what I’ve experienced on other long-haul flights.
In fact, when it came to the second meal service, they had already run out of the option I wanted by the time they got to me.
It really wasn’t a big deal and certainly didn’t ruin the flight, but I do think it’s worth mentioning in a Premium Economy review. When you’ve paid extra for an upgraded cabin, I would have expected there to be some sort of priority when it came to meal choices.
So, the best meal I’ve personally had on a plane? Absolutely.
A noticeably more premium level of service throughout the flight? Not really.
We did receive an amenity kit as part of the Premium Economy experience, but if I’m being truthful, it didn’t really add much to the flight for me personally.
It’s a nice little extra to have and I’m sure some passengers will get more use out of it than I did, but it certainly wouldn’t be something that would influence my decision to upgrade again.
For me, the extra comfort and space are far more important on a 10-hour flight than the little extras you get along the way.
British Airways Premium Economy Baggage Allowance
One of the practical benefits of flying British Airways World Traveller Plus is the increased baggage allowance.
On most routes, Premium Economy passengers can check in two bags weighing up to 23kg each, compared with the standard allowance of one 23kg checked bag on many Economy fares.
You can also bring a cabin bag and a smaller handbag or laptop-sized bag onboard, subject to British Airways’ current size and weight restrictions.
That extra checked bag could be particularly useful on a trip to Las Vegas — especially if, like me, you have a habit of coming home with considerably more than you arrived with!
It’s always worth checking the allowance shown on your individual booking before travelling, as baggage entitlements can vary depending on the route, ticket and passenger status.
Is it worth it?
For me, the biggest benefit of flying British Airways Premium Economy was simply the extra space.
The additional legroom and wider seats made a noticeable difference on such a long flight. When you’re going to be sitting there for around 10 hours, having a little more room to get comfortable is definitely something I appreciate.
The increased luggage allowance is another obvious bonus, particularly if you actually need that second suitcase.
Outside of those benefits, though, I didn’t personally find there was much else about the experience that felt like a significant upgrade over other long-haul flights I’ve taken.
So, would I book British Airways Premium Economy to Las Vegas again?
Absolutely — but it would depend entirely on the price.
If I could upgrade for somewhere around £100–£200, I’d certainly consider paying the extra for the additional comfort, especially on a flight as long as the one to Las Vegas.
Once the upgrade starts creeping into the £300+ range, however, I’d probably be more inclined to put up with Economy for 10 hours and keep that money to spend when I actually get to Vegas.
Ultimately, Premium Economy made the journey more comfortable for me, but I wouldn’t consider it an upgrade worth paying any price for. At the right price, I’d happily do it again. At the wrong price, I’ll take the cramped seat and an extra few hundred quid in my Vegas spending money.
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