Originally Posted by
Unimatrix One
Same here. When I was young I flew long haul Y all the time. Now my goal is never to fly long haul Y again. I do agree, however, that Premium Economy is a terrible value. I feel like business, as expensive as it is, provides much more value, as you get 3 times more space than Premium Economy and a soft product (food etc) that is in a whole different universe (at least on the Japanese carriers).
Standing alone, PE is indeed a terrible value. Which is why I now buy J when flying long haul. But if the choice is sitting in a cramped, poorly padded seat in a 10 wide E seat (or 9 wide on a smaller WB) and the overpriced PE seat, I'm taking the latter. I still remember my first long haul on a AF 777 with 10 wide E seats - it was a terrible experience and vowed I would never sit in that kind of seat for that duration ever again.