When Harriet Sime of MailOnline Travel flew in Emirates’ A380 premium economy, she noted that “it had such a business class feel” that she was “forced to check she was in the right cabin.”
“It’s a game-changer,” she concluded, her assessment in line with the results of the ‘Oscars of Aviation’, the 2023 Skytrax World Airline Awards, in which Emirates scooped the ‘World’s Best Premium Economy Seat’ gong .
However, there is a rival for this crown: Air France’s new premium economy, which left respected YouTuber Nonstop Dan ‘blown away’. He was so impressed that he declared it was ‘on par’ with Emirates’ offering.
These striking summaries are made in a YouTube video he films during an Air France A350 flight from Abu Dhabi to Gothenburg, with a stopover in Paris.
He told MailOnline Travel that his experience in the 24-seat Air France cabin “exceeded” his expectations and that he would “absolutely” fly premium economy again.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Air France’s new premium economy, which ‘blown away’ respected YouTuber Nonstop Dan
Dan is so impressed that he has put Air France’s premium economy ‘on par’ with Emirates’ offering
The Air France video is part of Dan’s new ‘premium economy’ YouTube series
Filming the interior, Dan says the divide between economy and premium economy gives ‘a real private feeling’. And there’s “sufficient knee room” between the seats to accommodate his 6-foot frame.
However, upon closer inspection, he says the brand new A350 “needs maintenance.” He notes that his traveling companion Oscar’s footrest doesn’t extend, that the Wi-Fi “doesn’t work for 90 percent of the flight,” and that his entertainment screen, while “gigantic,” is “broken,” with huge cracks at the bottom.
And while there’s plenty of room when the seats are upright, Dan claims that when the front seat is fully reclined, the gap you have to maneuver through to reach the aisle is the height of an iPhone. Dan says, “If your legs aren’t thinner than the height of an iPhone, I have bad news for you: You won’t get out of your chair.”
Dan’s Air France flight is from Abu Dhabi to Gothenburg, with a stopover in Paris. Dan says the divide between economy and premium economy offers “a real private feeling.”
The 6-foot-2 flight expert says there is “plenty of knee room” between seats
Dan claims brand new A350 plane needs ‘maintenance’, reveals his ‘broken’ entertainment screen in video
Dan describes Air France A350’s premium economy cabin as ‘beautiful’
That said, with a “comfortable headrest and nice bedding,” Dan says there is a “real risk” of falling asleep.
And there’s an amenity package, which is “a nice gesture.”
In terms of food and drink, Dan says Air France ‘basically serves the same meals in economy and premium economy’. He adds: ‘My vegan meal is delicious, as are the four pieces of fruit the size of a star and the eighth of a kiwi.’
However, both the portion sizes and the bread are not satisfactory. He says: ‘You have to wonder how the French manage to serve this kind of bread on their national airline.’
Dan isn’t impressed with the legroom once the front passengers lean back. He says the space between the seats is “the height of an iPhone.”
In the video, Dan shows Oscar struggling to get back into his seat after the front passenger leans back
What would Dan describe as the highlights? He told MailOnline Travel: ‘The beautiful cabin, comfortable seats and excellent reclining position.’
And the lows?
He said: ‘The catering on my flight was the biggest disappointment as the portions were small. Luckily there were snacks available, which is surprisingly rare in premium economy.”
Dan claimed the catering on the Air France flight was the ‘biggest disappointment’ and described the portions as ‘tiny’
Dan wonders how the French ‘agree to serve this kind of bread on their national airline’
The in-flight snacks get a thumbs up from Dan
Would he fly back into the chair?
He said: ‘I would absolutely fly it again on flights under seven hours. If it takes longer, I prefer business class as space can still feel quite limited.’
How does it compare to other premium economy cabins like Emirates or Lufthansa?
He said: ‘Lufthansas are usually cheaper, which justifies the product being worse. Meanwhile, Emirates is generally much more expensive than Air France. While Emirates is better in some respects, especially when it comes to inflight food and service, premium economy does not justify the extra cost over Air France.”
Dan’s premium economy seat would have cost $587 (£461), but he paid 35,000 airline miles plus €99 (£85/$107.84) in taxes. The video is part of Dan’s new ‘premium economy’ YouTube series. For more information from Nonstop, visit Dan www.youtube.com/dantorp11/videos. Visit Dan’s Instagram page – www.instagram.com/thenonstopdan. Visit his website for more tips – nonstopdan.com.
In the video, Dan describes the amenity package ‘as a nice gesture’
Premium Economy passengers are provided with a remote control for a number of seat functions
Air France offers 24 premium economy seats, bridging the gap between economy and business class
Dan’s premium economy A350 seat would have cost $587 (£461), but he paid 35,000 airline miles plus €99 (£85/$107.84) in taxes