I paid $400 to upgrade to KLM premium economy on an 11 hour flight — was it worth it?

I had to go to South Africa for a work conference in October, and I dreaded the thought of spending 22 hours in economics to get there.

The last time I flew this far in coach was three years ago when I hopped on Qantas for a 17 hour flight from Dallas to Sydney. The only good thing I remembered about the experience was the Tim Tams.

Fortunately, on this recent trip, I ended up flying economy on the first leg and was able to upgrade to premium economy on the second leg. I paid just under $400 for the upgrade – and made about half of that back since there was a problem with my seat, and the airline gave me a credit as an apology.

Here’s my advice on whether it’s worth upgrading to premium economy on your next flight and how great the experience was.

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 Airport (CPT) with a connection via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). That was a high price, but it was comparable to what other carriers on the route were charging. Plus, I didn’t have much flexibility in the date.

Looking at the price of this flight on Google Flights for the next year, one-way tickets start at $1,160, while premium economy tickets are nearly 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. This upset me, as I wanted to get more sleep on the night flight.

However, I got an offer to upgrade to premium economy on an 11-hour flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town for $382, so I took a chance.

I deposit this payment into my Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which I use for my airline purchases because of its superior travel protection; plus, I earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel purchases. In retrospect, I should have included it Platinum Card® from American Express earning a maximum of 5 points per dollar spent since I already had travel protection on my original purchase.

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My colleague, luxury hotel reporter Cameron Sperance, was flying in from Boston and joined me for the second half. He, too, received a premium economy upgrade offer, where he paid 25,000 Delta SkyMiles. (He booked his ticket with Delta, which means he can redeem SkyMiles for his upgrade.) According to TPG’s calculations for December 2024, his 25,000 SkyMiles were worth $300, which means he paid 21% less than mine.

Get in and ride

My journey began at SFO, where I checked in using the Sky Priority lane; I had access as one of my two flights was at a higher level. The process was quick. It took less than five minutes to verify my passport, check my bag and get my boarding passes.

If I had flown economy class all the way, I would have had to use one of the self-service areas if I had continued; with my checked bag, I would have to wait in the long line that you can see in the background of the picture above.

On my first flight, I boarded in Zone 5 with other economy class passengers, and on my second flight, I boarded in Zone 2 with the premium economy class.

Seats in KLM economy versus premium economy

I flew Boeing 777s in both segments, in a different -300ER on the first leg and then a smaller -200ER on the second leg. The two planes have the same seat configuration in premium economy and coach:

• Economy: 10 seats horizontally in a tight 3-4-3 layout
• Premium Economy: eight seats across in a more comfortable 2-4-2

My economy seat on the first flight was small and only had small pads. It had a pitch of 31 inches – similar to what you find on domestic flights on US KLM extra-legroom Economy Comfort seats have 35 inches of pitch.

On my second flight, I found the front economy seat very comfortable. It was 38 inches long, which is usually close to what standard airlines offer for this cabin.

5 inches of recline in economy has been what I’ve seen on other carriers, but you’ll get 60% more (a total of 8 inches) in premium economy. It makes a big difference, especially with the comfortable cushion of a premium economy seat.

Related: Our full KLM premium economy review

On the other hand, I was thankful that the first flight was empty, so I was able to lie down in a row of four seats in the middle; on the other hand, there were children sitting next to me on both sides (near the windows), and I didn’t sleep very well.

I arrived in Amsterdam tired and depressed; I ran from the arrival gate to the departure gate, as my stay was just over an hour. Needless to say, even though I was assigned a middle seat on the second flight, I got three hours of sleep and was very grateful for the enhanced comfort of the premium economy seat.

KLM premium economy features standard seats in the next row. I much prefer the new generation fixed-shell seats that you can find on airlines such as Japan Airlines, Air France and China Airlines where the back of the seat slides down without entering another row.

While the KLM economy and premium economy seats have HD touchscreen entertainment systems, the premium economy one is 21% larger (13.3 vs. 11 inches).

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, while the first economy class comes with a 13-inch one.

Both seats have highly adjustable headrests, with the premium economy one offering more padding.

Dining in KLM economy versus premium economy

I’m glad I had lunch at the (recently renovated and lovely) Air France-KLM Lounge at SFO because the boarding options on my first flight were very limited. However, they included portions of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The second flight was definitely a step up, especially for the generous drink and the best meal I’ve ever had – a delicious and simple but filling salmon dish with edamame, ginger and rice. It was a nice dinner before we got to Cape Town and went to bed.

I also enjoyed the printed menu waiting for premium passengers at their seats.

In the middle of the second flight, commercial passengers and economy passengers were served the same cheese sandwich, and the main course dessert was also the same ice cream.

Facilities in KLM economy compared to premium economy

In economy, I got a thin, scratchy pillow, and in economy, it was bigger and more decorated.

The economic dress was also like a light throw. High-class passengers received a thick, comfortable blanket that was warm but breathable, making it easy to sleep under.

Economy class passengers get simple disposable earbuds, while premium economy passengers get noise canceling headphones.

It’s worth mentioning that all passengers have the same selection of inflight entertainment in terms of movies and TV shows, albeit on different sized screens.

Service in KLM economy vs. premium economy

Premium passengers receive an amenity kit in the form of a reusable tote with earplugs, an eye mask, a bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste and a pen. Economy passengers don’t get this, though, so make sure you pack your toothbrush.

There was no noticeable difference in performance between the two cabins.

I had a frustrating problem with my headphone jack not working on my second flight for 90 minutes. Finally, the buyer came to fix the problem, and first offered to exchange my seat with the non-paying passenger on my list. I refused as I didn’t want to disturb the other passenger. I could use AirPods and my iPad to enjoy content that I can download as a backup.

The purser ended up offering me 70 euros ($74) or 15,000 Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to reimburse me. I took the miles, as they were worth $195, according to TPG figures for December 2024 – almost three times the value of the offer.

The process of claiming my miles was easy, as the sponsor entered my email address. Two days later, the miles appeared in my account. I redeemed them (well, all but 500 – plus $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 American tour I’m on. to take next year.

Bottom line

After a rough night on my flight from the US to Amsterdam, I was relieved to have a comfortable seat on the second leg of my trip to South Africa.

Taking that previous flight out of the equation, though, what price would I recommend upgrading to premium economy? I’d say paying up to $40 per flight hour is worth it, at least for my budget and travel preferences. I ended up paying $35 per flight hour for this upgrade – and I’m so glad I did. If the upgrade cost more than $450, I would have started to doubt it.

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 seats than a completely different product.

That’s why it’s important to do your research as what is marketed as premium economy can vary greatly from airline to airline. For a Condor flight, my recommendation would be to pay up to $15 per flight hour to upgrade, less than half of what I would pay for KLM’s classic economy offering.

Related: How to upgrade from economy to premium economy without breaking the bank

If you want to enhance your sleep in a comfortable seat with a luxurious blanket, enjoy a premium check-in and ride, watch a movie on a larger entertainment screen and dig into the high-end dining options – at a reasonable upgrade cost – then it’s worth it.

If you find yourself with an economy class ticket on KLM and you can upgrade to premium economy for up to $40 per flight hour, I’d say go for it.