Air Premia's wide premium class outpaces economy on US West Coast routes

Air Premia's wide premium class recorded higher load factors than economy class on its US West Coast routes, the airline said Thursday, crediting the cabin's combination of spacious seating and differentiated service at a lower price point than business class for attracting long-haul travelers and corporate passengers.

Analyzing its own boarding data from January through September, Air Premia said the wide premium load factor on the Incheon–Los Angeles route reached 83.2 percent, outpacing economy class at 80.1 percent by 3.1 percentage points. On the San Francisco route, wide premium came in at 81.2 percent, ahead of economy's 78.2 percent by 3.0 percentage points.

The airline attributed the strong performance to the nature of both destinations. As major US industrial and economic hubs, Los Angeles and San Francisco generate consistent long-haul business travel demand, and that demand — combined with passengers seeking more comfortable seating on extended flights — drove wide premium's elevated load factors, Air Premia said.

Wide premium is a cabin class that offers broader seating and enhanced service compared with economy. Seat pitch ranges from 42 to 46 inches, width measures 20 inches, and passengers have access to a 13-inch personal monitor for in-flight entertainment.

The product also comes with airport conveniences: wide premium passengers receive a dedicated check-in counter, priority boarding and priority baggage delivery. On US routes, each passenger may check two bags of up to 32 kilograms each.

Air Premia operates long-haul international routes exclusively with the Boeing 787-9 and has been building its product competitiveness around the elements that matter most on long-distance travel — seat space and airport service. Those efforts earned the carrier a place in Skytrax's top 10 best long-haul low-cost carriers in the world for 2026.

The airline has also crossed the 20 percent market share threshold among Korean carriers on the LA route, just four years after launching the service. On a route long dominated by the two major Korean airlines, Air Premia has consistently expanded its share and broadened options for travelers. Its share of Korean-carrier passengers on the Incheon–LA route stood at 12.9 percent in its first year of operation in 2022, rose to 14 percent in year two and 15.3 percent in year three, before reaching 20.8 percent in its fourth year.

Meanwhile, Air Premia is marking the fourth anniversary of its LA launch with a discount promotion on its US routes. Through Monday, travelers who enter the promo code "LAX4YEAR" can receive discounted fares on flights to Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Honolulu. Route-specific discount rates, terms and travel periods are available on the Air Premia website.