September 19, 2025 — 3:00am
Is business class on planes really worth paying at least four times the price of an economy ticket? Is premium economy an excellent compromise or merely a more expensive way of sitting upright for a long-haul journey? Or is economy always the much more sensible way to go, even all the way to Europe?
In the endless search for a definitive answer, I made the ultimate sacrifice and travelled from Sydney to Frankfurt, then back again, using all three classes on the same airline: Vietnam Airways. I flew Sydney to Frankfurt via Saigon (and vice versa) all on Airbus 350-900s, with different sectors in different classes, and what I discovered surprised me.
The Seats: Comfort and Space
On this airline, business class provides a lie-flat seat on a thin quilted mattress in a little cocoon with your tray table, TV screen, and ample storage space for all your travel accoutrements, with sockets for powering up equipment. You either have one seat/bed on your own at either side of the aircraft, or you’re in one of two, side-by-side in the middle of the aisle, for those travelling together, with a total of 29 seats.
In premium economy, the cabin is set up 2-4-2 and only five rows deep, with a total of 36 seats, so it is a much more intimate space than economy’s two large cabins of 12 or 15 rows of 3-3-3 seats. The premium seats also have more legroom with a 38-inch (97-centimetre) seat pitch, compared with economy’s 32 inches (81 centimetres), and a recline of seven inches, compared with economy’s five to six inches. The leg rest also comes up to enable a better stretch.
The Service: Attention to Detail
In business class, service is attentive, with airline staff constantly pacing by to check there’s nothing you need, and anything you don’t, even through the night. They hand you your sparkling wine in a real glass upon boarding, as well as snacks, warm towels, handy slippers, and a kit containing an eye mask, ear plugs, flight socks, and various toiletries.
In premium economy, staff come to your side as soon as you buzz, but it often takes that to attract their attention. When you board, there’s a selection of juices and water served in paper cups and a warm towel. There’s no utility kit but you’re given slippers, and there are toothbrushes and combs in the bathrooms.
In economy, there’s the towel, water, and juice, but there are no slippers and no utility pouch. Service is brisk and efficient, but with so many passengers, there’s little time for personal attention.
The Food: Dining at Altitude
In business class, there’s a printed menu for meal choices, and each chosen course is brought to you one at a time, with a selection of wines, and a linen napkin with a buttonhole to attach to a shirt. It’s top-notch. I had a pumpkin soup to start, then prawns and rice, then roasted salmon with tomatoes and potatoes, a fresh fruit tart for dessert, and, finally, an assortment of cheeses.
In premium economy, there’s no printed dinner menu but the steward tells you there are two options: chicken or fish. Then you’re given a single tray with everything – crackers, white fish with rice and bok choi, a separate carton of mashed potato, a bread roll, a crème caramel dessert, and some fruit segments. It’s all perfectly edible, but nothing to write home about. For breakfast, there’s a sheet with photos of the two alternatives to choose from.
In economy, there are similar choices, but fewer dishes on your tray for each meal.
The Cost: Evaluating Value
Vietnam Airlines offers one of the more affordable business class return tickets to Europe, for about $8300, depending on the time of year and date of flight. That’s more than four times the cost of an economy ticket at about $1800 and nearly 2½ times the cost of a seat in premium economy, at $3400.
“With Vietnam Airlines ranked number 62 (just behind Ryanair) on the World’s Best Airlines list this year, the difference may be more – or less – stark with other carriers.”
The Verdict: What’s the Best Deal?
There’s no doubt that the business class experience, if you have the money and the appetite for spending it, is a far superior experience. Nothing beats a lie-down bed, and the privacy of a cubicle. In addition, the priority boarding and fast passage through immigration is an absolute joy and massive time-saver.
The premium economy decision is much trickier. Yes, it is comfortable being in a smaller cabin with fewer people using the same toilets, the extra space is welcome, and the atmosphere does make you feel a touch superior to everyone in cattle class, but is it really worth the extra money? In my opinion, not really.
On one sector in premium, I actually moved to economy as that cabin was half-empty, so it was possible to lie down on three vacant seats – never an option in premium with their fixed armrests. Bliss.
Unless you’re particularly tall, economy is perfectly comfortable and the difference in the food and drinks offering with premium is barely discernible. There’s also a “sky sofa” option in economy, if there’s enough room, of reserving three seats – for a fee of $US100 to $600 – which can be, quite possibly, the best deal of all.
The writer travelled at her own expense.
Correction: An earlier version of the story showed a photo of Vietnam Airlines premium economy on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner instead of the Airbus A350 discussed in the story. The image has been replaced.
