Singapore Airlines (SIA) is phasing out premium economy class on its non-stop flights to the United States but other airlines are getting into the business.

Premium economy, as the name implies, is better than coach but not as luxurious as business or first class. Passengers get more leg-room, wider seats and better amenities than those in cattle class.

Some airlines call this class of seat "economy plus" or "executive economy" but they all mean the same thing. Premium economy seats cost about 30 to 40 per cent more than economy class but are significantly cheaper than business class tickets.

Australian airline Qantas, which introduced a premium economy class on its flight from Sydney to Hong Kong earlier this month, will be phasing in premium economy seats on flights from Singapore to Sydney, Melbourne, London and back.

Such seats will also be offered on flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Bangkok and Johannesburg.

NO PLASTIC, PLEASE: Food represented on proper plates counts with customers.

Thai Airways International has also introduced premium economy seating on its Airbus A340-500 aircraft which flies to New York, Los Angeles, Stockholm and Copenhagen. But passengers who want to fly from Singapore have to factor in a Bangkok stopover.

Japan Airlines has introduced a premium economy service on its B777 aircraft flying the Tokyo-London and Tokyo- Paris sectors.

Singapore has a high demand for premium economy seats, say travel agents.

Ms Jane Chang, 26, who handles marketing communications for Chan Brothers, says many premium economy passengers are business travellers whose budgets, or corporate travel policies, do not allow them to fly business class.

Other travel agents such as JP International and Dynasty Travel say they are also seeing more leisure travellers, usually older people, asking for premium economy seats.

Apart from more leg-room and wider seats, premium class passengers usually get more inflight entertainment choices, electrical points for powering laptop computers as well as a higher crew-to-passenger ratio.

FINAL LEG: Singapore Airlines will discontinue its executive economy class in mid-May.

Qantas' new premium economy cabin has 32 seats in a two-four-two configuration; and a 19.5-inch-wide (49.5cm) seat compared to economy's 18.5-inch seat. There is more space for reclining, in-arm touchscreen video monitors and a menu inspired by top Australian chef Neil Perry.

Thai Airways' premium economy offers 19-inch-wide seats compared with economy's 17.4-inch seats and in-seat power points.

Long-haul travellers love the perks of flying premium economy. On a 14- to 16-hour flight, they say a few extra inches of leg-room make all the difference.

Mr Miguel Bernas, 39, chief marketing officer of Internet travel portal Bezurk, has flown premium economy from Singapore to Los Angeles and New York on SIA. He admits: "There's nothing like getting extra room to stretch your legs. The seats are wider, there are definitely more entertainment choices and the service is better."

Mr Adrian Ruzsicska, 42, a business development manager with Nokia, is a frequent flyer who averages anything between 50 and 60 work-related flights a year, many of which are long-distance. Standing at 1.85m, he says that "most economy class seats are a really tight squeeze" for him. He adds: "I really value the extra leg-room, the larger seat size and the space that premium economy offers."

He also catches up with work on the plane and appreciates the electrical power points. "I can tell you there's nothing more frustrating than the laptop battery dying on you."

AIRLINE	BUSINESS CLASS	PREMIUM ECONOMY	ECONOMY
QANTAS www.qantas.com.au (From April)	- 23.5-inch-wide seat - 12.1-inch LCD TV screens - Priority check-in - Extra baggage allowance PRICE (Singapore-London-Singapore) $8,310 (excluding taxes)	- 19.5-inch-wide seat - 10.6-inch LCD TV screen - 9 inch recline - Seat pitch is 38 to 42 inches - 32 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration - Dedicated check-in PRICE $4,000 (excluding taxes)	- 18.5 inch wide screen - 10.6 inch LCD TC screen - Seat pitch is 31-32 inches PRICE $998 (excluding taxes)
BRITISH AIRWAYS www.britishairways.com	- 20 to 25-inch-wide seat (depending on aircraft type) - Maximum recline of 180 degrees - Priority check-in - Extra baggage allowance PRICE (Singapore-London-Singapore) $8,595 (excluding taxes)	- 18.5-inch-wide seat - 7-inch recline - 6.9 inches more legroom than economy - Laptop powerpoint and individual telephone - Seat configuration is 2-4-2 (Boeing 777) and 2-2-2 (Boeing 767) PRICE $2,898 (excluding taxes)	- 17.5-inch-wide seat - 5-inch recline - Seat configuration is 3-4-3 PRICE $1,318 (excluding taxes)
UNITED AIRLINES www.united.com	- 23.5-inch-wide seat - 15.4-inch TV screen - Priority check-in - Extra baggage allowance PRICE (Singapore-New York-Singapore with a stopover) $12,490 (including taxes)	- 18-inch-wide seat - 5 inches more legroom than economy - Seat pitch is 35 inches - 7-inch TV screen PRICE Same price as Economy, but these are only released to Premium or Elite membership card holders	- 17 inch wide seat - 5 inch TV screen PRICE $2,008 (including taxes)
THAI AIRWAYS www.thaiair.com	- 23.5-inch-wide seat - 15.4-inch TV screen Priority check-in - Extra baggage allowance PRICE (Singapore-New York- Singapore with Bangkok stopover) $5,304 (excluding taxes)	- 19-inch-wide seats - 42-inch seat pitch - 122 degrees of recline - Seat configuration is 2-3-2 PRICE Same price as economy in web search	- 17.4 inch wide seats - Seat configuration is 2-4-2 PRICE $1,736 (excluding taxes)

With SIA discontinuing its executive economy class, travellers like them will now have to consider premium economy travel on other airlines.

"It's a shame really," says Mr Ruzsicska, who says SIA has always been his preferred carrier. He will now look at other options such as British Airways and Qantas.

Other travellers are happy to look at airlines such as Taiwan's EVA Air, which was one of the earliest airlines to offer premium economy class. It introduced its Evergreen Deluxe seats in 1992 and now calls it Elite Class.

EVA Air serves premium economy meals on porcelain, not plastic, plates. Mr Roland Quah, 49, sales and marketing director of cargo services firm ECS Asia, says: "I've flown on EVA Air's Evergreen Deluxe from Taipei to Los Angeles. While the food may be the same as economy, the presentation makes all the difference."

A premium economy seat costs him around $2,000 compared to $1,600 (without taxes) for an economy flight.

On board United Airlines, premium economy passengers get Starbucks coffee and a free flow of alcoholic beverages on Pacific routes.

Mr Quah, who flies to Taipei to catch the premium economy flight to Los Angeles, says: "Paying a little extra is worth it. My job demands extensive travel and it's nice to get something that offers comfort without straining the wallet too much."