Earlier this year, China Airlines introduced its new Premium Economy. When I was deciding how to fly to Japan in May, it was practically a done deal. I'm going to try China Airlines' PE for myself on a long-haul flight from Prague to Taipei. Since the fare was only slightly higher than standard economy class, there wasn't much to hesitate over. So the only question was - is this really a bargain upgrade or just a better packaged compromise?

I buy tickets on sale

I buy my tickets about six months in advance, at a price of 1315 eur apiece - we wrote about them here China Airlines to SE Asia in Premium Economy. For a long haul flight of 13 hours, the price is almost unbeatable.

Classic economy class is sold for 781 eur, not just on China Airlines. Other airlines offering Premium Economy include KLM / Air France for 1850 eur.

The itinerary includes Prague - Taipei - Osaka and back Okinawa - Taipei - Prague, always with a convenient 3 hour stopover in Taipei. Premium Economy itself is only available on the main long-haul flights from Prague to Taipei and back, the connections to Japan are in Classic Economy class.

Benefits before the actual journey include 2 checked bags of 28kg each, as well as 100% of miles credited to the Flyingblue frequent flyer program.

Check-in and boarding

At the airport, China Airlines already confirms that it takes Premium Economy seriously, so a separate check-in counter is set up at check-in. With a maximum capacity of 32 people, a brisk check-in is guaranteed.

The boarding process itself is standard. A box with headphones is available in the boarding bridge for economy class passengers. Premium Economy and Business Class passengers will receive higher quality headphones on board.

Premium Economy cabin and first impressions

After boarding the Airbus A350-900, we first walk through business class, which is a bit of a double-edged sword - on the one hand it feels premium, on the other it inevitably tunes you in to an even higher standard. But today we're heading further into the Premium Economy cabin.

This is located behind the physical bulkhead and is separated from economy class by curtains during the flight, which is when the feeling of greater privacy sets in.

The 2-4-2 seating configuration is a noticeable difference from the regular economy class in a 3-3-3 layout. One "saved" seat in each row translates into more width in each seat, which is immediately noticeable once seated. The seats feel more spacious, more comfortable and overall give the feeling that you've actually paid for more than just a few extra inches of space.

Already on the ground, I'm already thinking that it was definitely worth paying extra for Premium Economy here.

A seat under scrutiny

Aside from the seat size itself, you can't help but notice the slight upgrade over the conventional seats - you've got an extra reclining footrest, an extendable and lockable headrest, as well as dual armrests to give each passenger a bit of their own.

The armrests are firmly fixed. We first thought they would be a hindrance to getting the kids to sleep lying down. In the end, the seats were big enough that everyone made do with their space.

There's a miniature storage compartment in the armrests - perfect for keeping your phone close at hand. Then there's an electrical socket, light controls and seat reclining - these are mechanical, not electrical.

The main storage space is, of course, in front of you. Since we sit in the front row immediately behind the bulkhead, our storage space is on top of it. The other passengers have it in the seat in front of them, as does the monitor.

Our monitor is part of the armrest. Ejection and stabilization are seamless, as is the resulting response of the IFE itself.

What bothered me, however, was the headrest cover. Along with the cushion cover, it is made of a strange material that "rustles". I found it quite annoying while falling asleep.

Otherwise, I have nothing to complain about the seats. For the fact that we are still talking about an "economy" class, albeit premium, this is a really great product.

Catering and in-flight service

I would start with a complaint right away, namely the lack of a welcome drink before takeoff. Given the limited cabin capacity and the "premium" nature of the flight, I would have expected a toast on the ground.

At least the crew gave us water bottles, wet wipes and a China Airlines bag for the kids.

All passengers in their seats had a pillow, blanket and amenity kit including everything - eye scraper, slippers, earplugs, hand cream, lip gloss and toothbrush with toothpaste.

The main service starts one hour after take-off. Before that, we get saltine crackers and a selection of drinks.

Lunch

Lunch comes with a great combination - beef tataki on lettuce with ponzu dressing for starters, accompanied by a smoked salmon sandwich. The main course is pork teriyaki with rice, edamame and glazed carrots, followed by a cheese plate (brie, eidam, grapes, nuts and fig bread) and a Magnum Mini ice cream for dessert.

Everything tasted delicious. Only the ice cream was incomprehensibly served straight with the whole platter - so you either had to eat it right away or eat it already melted. Logically, I would have expected ice cream service a few minutes later.

The uniqueness of the in-flight snacks is complemented by the service on china and metal cutlery. Just what you're used to in business class but not in economy. Thumbs up for me.

The kids had a pre-ordered children's menu (Child Meal). Unfortunately, the pasta arrangement chosen didn't suit them, so they ended up enjoying our portions more.

The rest period follows, with the next service taking place about 3 hours before landing. The cabin crew is still in the dark distributing toasted buns with onion chutney, ham and cheese. Something I'm going to start making at home regularly for snacks - great again.

Breakfast

We receive breakfast with the lights already on about two hours before landing.

There is again an Asian version of the seafood breakfast on offer, or the classic Western breakfast, which I also opt for.

Taste-wise again, everything is top notch. Sure, I don't expect French form eggs, but they certainly didn't offend.

However, when looking at the kids menu, the roles are reversed and I would most like to switch dishes. Their fritters with custard and cherries were brilliant.

By then, however, our time on board is slowly coming to an end and I realise that the whole flight has gone by incredibly quickly.

The kids may have fallen asleep for a few hours, but I didn't sleep a wink. Finally, I could have some time to myself and enjoy the movies on board. They weren't great, but they kept you entertained for those few hours.

The conclusion? Thumbs up for me.

Would I pay extra and fly to Japan again with China Airlines in Premium Economy? Absolutely yes - if the prices stayed in a similar split: 781 eur for economy, 1315 eur for premium economy and 2672 eur for business class.

For a trip to Thailand, I'd opt for economy, or straight business class, which isn't as bouncy in price. I'd be hesitant with Bali, though.

The product itself undoubtedly has its pluses, and at a reasonable price, there's no point even looking for minuses.

I'm looking forward to the return trip, which will be in night mode - there we'll see if it's possible to sleep better in these seats than in classic economy.