These Airlines Give Lounge Access in Premium Economy

12 September, 2023 By Matt Graham

Qantas/Oneworld Los Angeles Business Lounge bar — Japan Airlines Premium Economy passengers can use the Oneworld Lounge in Los Angeles. Photo: Qantas.

To get into an airline lounge, you would usually need to hold frequent flyer status, a lounge membership or be flying in Business or First Class. But a few international airlines also welcome passengers flying Premium Economy into their airport lounges.

There’s a huge amount of variation between Premium Economy products on different airlines. On some airlines, such as Qantas, Air New Zealand or Emirates, Premium Economy includes lots of extra amenities, better meals and access to extra services on the ground like priority check-in or priority boarding. On other carriers, such as Lufthansa, Premium Economy not much more than a larger seat.

Emirates Premium Economy meal — Emirates includes many bells & whistles in Premium Economy, but lounge access is not included. Photo: Emirates.

That said, it’s rare for airlines to include lounge access as a benefit with a Premium Economy ticket. Even Emirates doesn’t do this.

The few airlines that do provide a lounge for Premium Economy customers are the exception to the rule. But if you happen to be flying on one of these airlines, it’s a great perk!

These are the airlines that offer Premium Economy lounge access…

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines offers lounge access to all passengers booked in Premium Economy on international flights. Even if you redeemed Qantas points to book your ticket, you can use the lounge – regardless of your frequent flyer status!

JAL also provides lounge access to customers with “Flex Y” Economy tickets.

This benefit only applies at the international departure airport, and you must be on a flight operated by Japan Airlines. There is no guest allowance.

Lounge access is not offered to passengers who upgrade to Premium Economy at the airport on the day of the flight. (These upgrades cost $450 on flights from Sydney or Melbourne to Tokyo, and are available on request if there are still empty seats in Premium Economy on the day of the flight.)

At Japanese airports, JAL Premium Economy passengers can use the same lounges as Business Class passengers. But at some overseas airports, the lounge available to Premium Economy passengers may be different to that of Business Class or status passengers.

Here’s a selection of lounges available to Japan Airlines Premium Economy customers at different airports around the world:

Frankfurt: Sakura Lounge
Helsinki: Plaza Premium Lounge
London (Heathrow): British Airways Galleries Club Lounge
Los Angeles: Oneworld Lounge
Melbourne: Marhaba Lounge
New York (JFK): Admirals Club
Paris: Air France Lounge
San Francisco: British Airways Lounge
Singapore: Marhaba Lounge
Sydney: Qantas International Business Lounge
Tokyo (Haneda): Sakura Lounge
Tokyo (Narita): Sakura Lounge
Vancouver: Plaza Premium Lounge

See the JAL website for a full list of lounges.

Marhaba Lounge, Melbourne — JAL Premium Economy passengers can use the Marhaba Lounge in Melbourne. Photo: Antonia Strakosch.

All Nippon Airways

As the other major Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA) also offers lounge access to customers booked in Premium Economy.

The access rules are almost identical to those of Japan Airlines. For example, you must be on an ANA-operated flight and can only use the lounge prior to the departure of an international flight.

ANA Premium Economy passengers are generally welcomed into the same lounges as Business Class passengers. However, access is not provided everywhere (e.g. there is no lounge access at airports in Germany) and there is no guest allowance.

These are the lounges available at a selection of airports:

Brussels: Diamond Lounge
Honolulu: ANA LOUNGE
Houston: United Club
London (Heathrow): United Club
Mexico City: Grand Lounge Elite
Osaka (Kansai): ANA LOUNGE
Perth: Air New Zealand Lounge
Sydney: Air New Zealand Lounge
Tokyo (Haneda): ANA LOUNGE
Tokyo (Narita): ANA LOUNGE

See the ANA website for more details.

Air Astana

Air Astana, the national airline of Kazakhstan, provides the same benefits on the ground to Premium Economy passengers as it does for Business Class. This means Air Astana Premium Economy passengers can use the Business Class check-in counters, receive the Business Class luggage allowance and can also use airport lounges, where available.

However, Air Astana’s Premium Economy product is a bit different to that of other airlines. Air Astana only offers Premium Economy on its Embraer E190 aircraft, which does not have a Business Class cabin. These jets are mostly flown on regional routes between Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries.

On board the E190, there are three rows of Premium Economy seats which have more legroom but are the same physical seats as those in Economy. A full meal service including hot towels is provided on board.

Premium Economy meal on Air Astana. Photo: Matt Graham.

Air Astana also gives lounge access to passengers who book an Economy Sleeper ticket (which includes a whole row of seats to lie down on).

LATAM Airlines

LATAM passengers can use the airline’s lounges when travelling in Premium Economy on an international flight.

LATAM offers Premium Economy on its international Airbus A320 family aircraft, which do not have a Business Class cabin. This product is similar to intra-Europe Business Class.

LATAM Airlines planes at Santiago airport, Chile — LATAM Airlines planes in Santiago. Photo: Matt Graham.

Lounge access when flying Premium Economy on other airlines

If you have the equivalent of Gold or higher status with the airline you’re flying – or one of its partners – you can generally access the lounge regardless of your cabin class. For example, Qantas Gold and Platinum frequent flyers could use the lounge when flying Premium Economy on Qantas, Emirates, British Airways, American Airlines, Finnair or Iberia.

Even if you don’t have status and you’re flying in Economy or Premium Economy, you may still be able to access airport lounges with Priority Pass. You can purchase a Priority Pass membership or gain access with the right credit card. That could be a good fallback option if you’re flying Premium Economy and your airline doesn’t provide lounge access.

Do you know of any other airlines that invite Premium Economy passengers into their lounges? Let us know on the AFF forum!

Leave a comment or discuss this topic on the AFF forum

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CaptJCool Aug 13, 2023 #1

So what do Japanese airlines know the others don’t ?

Well they all know Lounge access delivers loyalty

Only some are smarter than the others and thus “gift” it as part of the extra price of Premium economy - it’s a small cost perk potentially to deliver an ongoing customer ….

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M MEL_Traveller Aug 13, 2023 #2

A bit of an odd one perhaps… SAS Plus class, which for intra-Scandinavia and Europe comes with lounge access. But does not for international. ‘Plus’ is not marketed as premium economy… except the product is what we except of premium economy internationally. And it’s not marketed as Eurobusiness either, given no seat blocking.

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h hwy Aug 18, 2023 #3

Taiwanese airlines cut it out over covid. Ouch- wont be flying them again to get to long-haul destinations

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L LoaderTosh Sep 15, 2023 #4

That’s certainly a “spiffy” looking One World lounge at LAX, clean … no food all over the floor, sensible “customer” density … no having to hang from the rafters, good staff to customer ratio.

“Ok staff, thanks for coming in early for the publicity shots. Doors open in fifteen minutes so hurry off now and put your uniforms on. Remember, staff safety is paramount so don’t forget your nunchucks … you’ll probably need them today, looking at the length of the queue outside.”

Seriously? PremEcon? Further crowding your (already crowded with “Economy travelling” but with “status”) favourite local lounge thanks to foreign airline “reciprocal” lounge rights. Economy next week? Casual motorists driving past the airport the week after?

This may well “curry favour” with “budget Business Class” (PremEcon) travellers … but I suspect it will equally encourage “paid” Business and First customers to look elsewhere.

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M MEL_Traveller Sep 15, 2023 #5

But the same argument could apply to pax buying annual lounge memberships!

Or credit card invites.

Just has to be managed, capacity wise. Or provide access to third party lounges outside the one world network.

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L LoaderTosh Sep 15, 2023 #6

So what do Japanese airlines know the others don’t ?

Well they all know Lounge access delivers loyalty

Only some are smarter than the others and thus “gift” it as part of the extra price of Premium economy - it’s a small cost perk potentially to deliver an ongoing customer ….

… and drive “paid” Business and First customers to look for carriers who don’t open their lounges to “wannabe’s” (and you can add Economy travelling points/miles and status collecting customers to the “wannabe” category).

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t tdimdad Sep 17, 2023 #7

… and drive “paid” Business and First customers to look for carriers who don’t open their lounges to “wannabe’s” (and you can add Economy travelling points/miles and status collecting customers to the “wannabe” category).

Adding PE to the lounge crowd is a blip in the ocean compared to the other groups. Given that not all airlines even have PE and often it's more like 28 pax, or nearby, the resulting volumes are still pretty low.

F & OWE pax already have their separate lounges in the OW alliance (in most airports though not all). If you wanted to separate paid (and "paid") J somewhere more peaceful and quiet, would that call for a new mid-tier lounge in between? Or would you rather limit the OWS/Gold pax out of the lounges?

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M MEL_Traveller Sep 21, 2023 #8

Adding PE to the lounge crowd is a blip in the ocean compared to the other groups. Given that not all airlines even have PE and often it's more like 28 pax, or nearby, the resulting volumes are still pretty low.

F & OWE pax already have their separate lounges in the OW alliance (in most airports though not all). If you wanted to separate paid (and "paid") J somewhere more peaceful and quiet, would that call for a new mid-tier lounge in between? Or would you rather limit the OWS/Gold pax out of the lounges?

My personal preference would be a first class lounge… access for F and J class pax. A business class lounge for access by all status and membership holders. Current business class lounges are more aimed at economy with status, whereas business class fares are very high and the service offering in lounges often doesn’t reflect the fare being paid.

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