I’ve recently flown on United several times in the last few months, primarily for long-haul flights but also a few short ones. Of the six classes of seating the airline offers, I’ve been on all but business (offered on North American flights), first (flights to Latin America), and Polaris (Europe, Asia, and other areas of the world). Like frequent travelers, I would love to experience this elevated service someday while flying. Alas, it’s still an elusive goal.

Because one of my travel wish list items is to visit Australia and New Zealand, I’ll probably wait until that happens to explore booking a Polaris flight (or something similar). I mainly go with United, because Denver is one of their main hubs. Many travelers criticize the airline, but I haven’t had many problems with them. It’s helped to have their Explorer card, because it’s allowed me to earn points, have two annual passes to the lounge (which has exceeded my expectations compared to American Express’ Centurion Lounge), and have two free checked bags with every flight.

Until that day when I can enjoy a business/first/Polaris flight, I will travel in economy. However, premium economy (or Premium Plus, as United calls it) might be my option if those other classes are out of reach.

Premium economy (Premium Plus)

On my recent trip to Italy, I sat in United’s small premium economy section, which has about two dozen seats. After being in the economy section for several flights to Europe and getting persistent lower body aches, I splurged and went for this upgrade. I liked how the seats were much broader, more comfortable, and had a generous amount of legroom. The seats also recline back and at the bottom, so I could recline and not feel guilty about bumping the passenger behind me. I also appreciated the fluffier blanket and pillow for sleeping and the folding trays built into the armrests.

As it’s still technically an economy seat, the meals and beverage offerings are not different from those of the regular economy. I don’t get the best food with United, but they at least serve all drinks for international flights. You won’t have to pay extra, as you do for their dull snack boxes (more about that later). I recommend paying more for this class, especially if you are on a long-haul flight and can’t quite get to business/first.

Economy Plus

Sitting in this middle category of the United States economy is worth the extra cost of a longer, shorter flight (3+ hours). It also works for an international flight where you can’t reasonably afford premium economy or business/first, or you must get multiple tickets, as I did on my recent flight to Tokyo. The biggest perk here is an extra five inches of legroom, which makes a difference when you’re not too tall or long-legged.

There are only a few rows of economy plus seats, and the number depends on the size of the plane. Another variable is the extra cost—the upgrade can be anywhere from $30 to $250 or more per seat, depending on the supply and demand of the flight. There aren’t any special amenities with economy plus, just that welcome space.

Economy

Truthfully, there’s nothing that distinguishes United’s economy. The seats are standard size with standard legroom, which means it’s not that much. The only positive thing about these seats is that most planes have a personal screen on the back to watch whatever movie you choose or an on-demand TV show. The selection is better than Southwest (the other airline I fly often and will review in the future).

I will note that when you are on a short-haul flight in economy, you will sometimes get a selection of snacks or just one, which is often a mix of pretzels and crackers. But one positive: you’ll usually get a whole can of a beverage, which is pretty generous. You can also buy one of the three airline snack boxes, which haven’t changed in at least ten years. I’ve purchased them a few times when I was starving. They included crackers, processed cheese and meat, dried fruit, and cookies. I recommend you get something before your flight.