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I paid $400 to upgrade from KLM economy to premium economy on an 11-hour flight — was it worth it?
Matt Moffitt is a contributing editor and expert in getting the most out of credit cards and points (he carries at least 25 cards in his wallet at any given time). Originally from Sydney, Australia, he won the Green Card Lottery and lived in Austin, Texas for 10 years before relocating to Spain in 2025.
December 19, 2024 • 11 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
A traveler compared KLM's economy and premium economy cabins on a long-haul journey from San Francisco to Cape Town, highlighting differences in comfort, amenities and food.
Premium economy provided significantly more space, a larger entertainment screen, enhanced meal service and better sleep quality compared to economy.
The upgrade cost was $382 for an 11-hour segment, and the traveler valued paying up to $40 per flight hour for this level of comfort.
Compensation for an in-flight issue was offered as either cash or loyalty miles, with the miles providing greater value per TPG's December 2024 valuations.
What to consider
Upgrade offers may only be available close to departure and can vary in price or miles required.
Premium economy seats on KLM offer 38 inches of pitch and 8 inches of recline, while economy seats are more cramped with less padding.
Loyalty miles for compensation were valued at $195 for 15,000 miles as of December 2024 per TPG's valuations.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed comparisons of seat comfort, meal quality and upgrade value across different airlines and tips for deciding when a premium economy upgrade is worth the cost.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
I had to travel to South Africa for a work conference in October, and I was dreading the thought of spending 22 hours in economy to get there.
The last time I flew such a long distance in coach was three years prior when I hopped aboard Qantas for the 17-hour trek from Dallas to Sydney. The only nice thing I remembered about the experience was the Tim Tams.
Luckily, on this recent trip, I only ended up flying in economy for the first leg and was able to upgrade to premium economy for the second segment. I paid just under $400 for the upgrade — and I made about half of that amount back since there was an issue with my seat, and the airline issued me a credit by way of apology.
The price difference between KLM economy and premium economy
Six weeks before departure, I paid $1,722 for a one-way economy ticket on KLM from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) with a connection through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). That was a high price, but it was comparable to what other carriers were charging on the route. Plus, I didn't have much date flexibility.
Looking at the price of this flight on Google Flights over the next year, one-way economy tickets start at $1,160, while premium economy tickets are almost double that at $2,010.
When online check-in opened 24 hours before departure, no business class or premium economy upgrades were available on the 10-hour flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam. I was bummed about this, as I wanted to maximize sleep on the overnight flight.
MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY
However, I received an offer to upgrade to premium economy on the 11-hour flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town for $382, so I took advantage of it.
I put this charge on my Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), which I use for most of my airfare purchases because of its superior travel protections. In hindsight, I should have put it on The Platinum Card® from American Express to earn a higher 5 points per dollar spent as I already had travel protection from my original purchase.
My coworker, senior hotels reporter Cameron Sperance, was flying from Boston and joined me for the second segment. He, too, received the premium economy upgrade offer, for which he paid 25,000 Delta SkyMiles. (He booked his ticket through Delta, which means he could redeem SkyMiles for his upgrade.) According to TPG's December 2024 valuations, his 25,000 SkyMiles were worth $300, which means he paid 21% less than I did.
Check-in and boarding
My journey started at SFO, where I checked in using the Sky Priority lane; I had access since one of my two flights was in premium economy. The process was quick. It took less than five minutes to verify my passport, check my bag and receive my boarding passes.
MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY
Had I flown in economy class the whole way, I would've had to use one of the self-service kiosks if I only had a carry-on; with my checked bag, I would have had to wait in the long line you can see in the background of the photo above.
On my first flight, I boarded in Zone 5 with the other economy class passengers, and on my second flight, I boarded in Zone 2 with the premium economy cohort.
Seats in KLM economy vs. premium economy
I flew on Boeing 777s on both segments, on the -300ER variant on the first leg and then the smaller -200ER on the second leg. The two aircraft have the same seat configurations in premium economy and coach:
Economy: 10 seats across in a tight 3-4-3 layout
Premium economy: eight seats across in a more comfortable 2-4-2 layout
MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY
My economy seat on the first flight was narrow and only had thin padding. It had a 31-inch pitch — similar to what you find on domestic flights in the U.S. KLM's extra-legroom Economy Comfort seats have 35 inches of pitch.
On my second flight, I found the premium economy seat to be very comfortable. It had a generous 38 inches of pitch, which tends to be just around the standard airlines offer in this cabin.
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The 5-inch recline in economy was what I've experienced on most other carriers, but you'll get 60% more (a total of 8 inches) in premium economy. It makes a big difference, especially with the more comfortable cushioning of the premium economy seat.
On one hand, I was grateful the first flight was pretty empty, so I was able to lie across a row of four seats in the center; on the other hand, there were babies seated close to me on either side (closer to the windows), and I did not sleep very well.
I arrived in Amsterdam exhausted and stressed; I ran from my arrival gate to the departure gate, as my layover was only just over an hour. Needless to say, even though I was assigned a middle seat for the second flight, I got a good three hours of sleep and was extremely grateful for the enhanced comfort of the premium economy seat.
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KLM premium economy features standard seats that recline into the following row. I much prefer the newer-generation fixed-shell seats that you can find on airlines like Japan Airlines, Air France and China Airlines where the seatback sort of just slides down without encroaching on another row.
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Japan Airlines. ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
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Air France. CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
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China Airlines. NICK ELLIS/THE POINTS GUY
While KLM's economy and premium economy seats have HD touchscreen entertainment systems, the premium economy one is 21% larger (13.3 versus 11 inches).
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There is also a noticeable difference in the size and stability of the tray tables. The premium economy table can fit a 16-inch laptop, whereas the economy class one maxes out with a 13-inch one.
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Both seats had highly adjustable headrests, with the premium economy one offering more padding.
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The food in KLM economy vs. premium economy
I'm glad I ate lunch in the (recently renovated and impressive) Air France-KLM Lounge at SFO because the onboard options on my first flight were pretty meager. They did include portions of fresh fruits and vegetables, though.
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The second flight was certainly a step up, mainly for the generous drink servings and one of the best meals I've had inflight — a delicious and light but filling salmon poke bowl with edamame, ginger and rice. It was a good dinner to have before landing in Cape Town and heading to bed.
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I also appreciated the printed menu waiting for premium economy passengers at their seats.
MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY
Halfway through the second flight, premium economy and economy passengers were served the same cheese sandwich, and the main meal's dessert was also the same ice cream.
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Amenities in KLM economy vs. premium economy
In economy, I got a thin, scratchy pillow, whereas in premium economy, it was larger and more plush.
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BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY
The blanket in economy was also more like a lightweight throw. Premium economy passengers got a thick, comfortable blanket that was warm but breathable, making it easy to sleep under.
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Economy class passengers get flimsy disposable earbuds, whereas premium economy passengers receive decent noise-canceling headphones.
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It's worth mentioning that all passengers have the same inflight entertainment selections in terms of movies and TV shows, albeit on different-size screens.
MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY
Service in KLM economy vs. premium economy
Premium economy passengers get an amenity kit in the form of a reusable tote with earplugs, an eye mask, a bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste tablets and a pen. Economy passengers do not receive these, though, so be sure to pack your toothbrush.
MATT MOFFITT/THE POINTS GUY
There was no noticeable difference in service between the two cabins.
I did have a frustrating issue with my headphone jack not working on my second flight for 90 minutes. Eventually, the purser came to address the issue, first offering to switch my seat with that of a non-revenue passenger in my row. I refused as I didn't want to disturb the other passenger. I could use my AirPods and iPad to enjoy the content I'd downloaded as a backup.
The purser ended up offering me 70 euros ($74) or 15,000 Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to make up for it. I took the miles, as they were worth $195, according to TPG's December 2024 valuations — nearly triple the cash amount offered.
The process of claiming my miles was easy, as the purser noted down my email address. Two days later, the miles appeared in my account. I redeemed them (well, all but 500 of them — along with $76 in taxes) for a one-way economy-class award ticket on Aerolineas Argentinas from Buenos Aires to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, as part of a South America trip I'm taking next year.
Bottom line
After a poor night's sleep on my flight from the U.S. to Amsterdam, I was relieved to have a more comfortable seat for the second leg of my trip to South Africa.
Taking that previous flight out of the equation, though, at what price would I recommend upgrading to premium economy? I'd say that paying up to $40 per flight hour is reasonable, at least for my budget and travel preferences. I ended up paying $35 per flight hour for this upgrade — and I was so thankful I did. If the upgrade cost over $450, I would have started to hesitate.
As a point of comparison, I flew Condor premium economy back from South Africa. This is more like an extra-legroom economy seat with more recline rather than an entirely separate product.
That's why it's important to do your research since what's marketed as premium economy can vary so much from airline to airline. For the Condor flight, my recommendation would be to pay up to $15 per flight hour to upgrade, less than half of what I'd pay for KLM's more classic premium economy offering.
If you want to maximize your sleep in a comfortable seat with a plush blanket, enjoy priority check-in and boarding, watch a movie on a larger entertainment screen and dig into superior food options — for a reasonable upgrade cost — then it's worth it.
If you find yourself with an economy class ticket on KLM and can upgrade to premium economy for up to $40 per flight hour, I'd say go for it.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
