What Is Economy Plus Compared To Economy and First Class?

If you are booking a seat on a plane, you have more choices available to you than you ever had in the past. As a result, you may not be entirely sure of what you would like to do. One option that you may see now that you did not see in the past is called economy plus. Is this something you want? Do you want to book a seat in the economy plus section? We have flown in every area of the plane, including economy plus. In this section, we are going to cover:

• What is meant by economy plus and how you get a seat in this area
• The benefits that come with flying economy plus
• How you might be able to upgrade into economy class or first class for free

By the end of this post, you should know if flying economy plus is for you.

What Is Economy Plus?

First, it is important to get the terminology correct. Depending on the airline you're flying, it could be called economy plus or premium economy. Furthermore, not every plane is going to have access to this section. The longer the flight is, the more likely it is this will be a flying option for you.

Most domestic airline carriers usually offer economy plus on planes that travel across the country or overseas. If you would like to book a seat in the economy plus section, all you have to do is select this option when you are buying your plane ticket. This section of the plane is actually a separate area of the economy seating location. Unlike first class, which is walled off from the rest of the plane, economy plus is usually located at the front of the economy area. If you are interested in giving this area a try, you simply need to select one of these seats at checkout. Usually, you are going to have to pay more money in order to fly in this area; however, there are a few benefits that you could enjoy.

What Are the Benefits of Flying Economy Plus? 

The benefits of flying economy plus are going to vary from airline to airline. Depending on the exact airline chosen, the benefits could be different. One of the most common benefits of flying economy plus is at the seats are going to be a bit larger. This means you will have more room to spread out. Furthermore, you should also have access to additional legroom as well.

Because you are seated at the front of the plane, you will be able to get off the plane faster. Therefore, you will be able to save a little bit of time. In contrast, you will actually board before the rest of the plane. Even though you might not have access to your own designated overhead bin area, you are virtually guaranteed overhead bin storage space because you are boarding first.

Depending on the exact airline, you may also get one free checked bag for free. This could also be something that is included with your credit card reward. Make sure you read carefully if you are planning on checking a bag.

Finally, depending on the airline you are flying, you could have access to free alcoholic beverages and a free meal service. Not every plane is going to offer these amenities; however, the longer the plane flight is, the more likely it is you are going to enjoy this benefit.

It is true that a ticket in this area of the plane is going to be more expensive. In order to figure out if this is worth it to you, you should take a look at the specific benefit of flying economy plus with that airline before you make a decision.

Is There Any Way To Upgrade for Free?

Of course, nobody wants to spend more money than they have to. If you are thinking about flying in this section of the plan, you may be curious about whether you can upgrade for free. The answer is that there are certain situations where you may be able to do exactly that. First, if you have a rewards account would that specific airline, you may build up a certain number of points you can redeem. In this case, you may be able to get a seat in economy plus or first class by redeeming your points.

If you fly with a specific airline on a regular basis, they may also upgrade you for free from time to time. For example, the airline wants to sell as many seats as possible. If they are unable to sell a certain seat in economy plus, they may be able to sell another coach seat. If that is the case, they may move you out of your coach seat to economy plus so they can sell your seat a second time.

Finally, if you have had a bad experience flying with that airline in the past, they may be willing to offer you a free seat upgrade as a form of compensation. If this is something you would like to explore, you should speak to the customer service agent and explain your situation to him or her.

Consider Flying Economy Plus

Ultimately, you have a lot of options in front of you if you are planning on flying in the near future. Today, a lot of airlines have additional flying classes that they did not offer before. If you cannot afford to seat in first class but do not want to sit in economy, then you may want to check out economy plus. Some airlines call this premium economy. If you decide to sit in this area, you should have access to guaranteed overhead bin space, a larger seat, and additional legroom. Depending on how far you are flying, you may also have access to free alcoholic beverages and better meal service. Consider giving economy plus a try.