Sky high: Premium airfares rising much faster than economy class

The ‘premium economy’ class on Indian domestic flights has been transformed over the past five years, from an overlooked option to a sought-after service. Once a little-known cabin with prices only marginally higher than standard ‘economy’, this intermediate offering has now become a major revenue generator for airlines.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, premium economy fares have increased by 128.6 percent since 2019 on key domestic routes such as Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Bengaluru. This increase fares fares on the same routes have increased by 41.3 percent, marking a remarkable turnaround for a