It is fair to say that if the prices are the same, almost everyone may rather book first-class or business-grade seats than smaller economic seats on the next flight. Of course, for most of us always Sitting in front of the plane is not in the card… or wallet.
But, to have frequent debates in the TPG corridor and the Slack Channel: How much do you want to pay for the upgrade if you want to sit down ahead of time? Is there an hourly or minute rate that makes a top-notch upgrade worth it? Or is it determined by the length of the flight, or even by the plane itself?
Naturally, there isn’t a correct answer, i.e. the value of paying for top-class or business-grade upgrades, but many of the people at TPG have their own ideas and we’d love to share just in case it can help your calculus.
What is the first-class upgrade value for an hourly flight
We often hear (and agree) that upgrading to first class in a regular domestic first class seat is usually “worth it” around $50 per hour.
For example, on the upcoming flight from Chicago to St. Lucia, TPG employees receive a price of $269 per person, which can be upgraded to a first-class economy on a 5 1/2 hour flight, which is consistent with the equation of $50 per hour.
Over the years, TPG’s Clint Henderson has purchased cash upgrades several times, especially on an American flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), visiting his family. The flight can last up to seven hours.
American Airlines often offers business class upgrades for $291. On the longest journey, it’s only $42 per hour. Clint said he has made at least four proposals over the past few years.
For his recent purchase offer in the American Airlines app, Clint received an upgrade offer on his flight to Bozeman, Montana, and also $291 each way. It’s not a screaming deal, as it takes about four hours to fly. It breaks down to about $73 per hour, much higher than what most TPG employees are willing to pay. However, Clint decided to splurge as he would write about the upcoming story of the coach with the first class flight.
Typically, international business class calculation changes – many TPGER and readers say they may be willing to pay $100 an hour for the upgrade.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with TPG Daily Newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG experts
TPG has put together a spreadsheet with upgrade offers that have been received in the past few weeks. As you can see in the screenshot below, the cost per minute ranges from 44 cents per minute to a height of $9.41 per minute, while the United Polaris commercial-grade upgrade.
TPG’s Katie Genter is one of our most traveled journalists and she received high and low offers. What is particularly interesting is that the nearly two-hour flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is only $51. On the more extreme, Katie’s upgrade time from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Charleston International Airport (CHS) is $487, and the price is $7.73 per minute.
There seems to be no special rhyme or pricing reason, but we are sure that revenue management knows very well and tracks prices carefully.
It is best to spend cash (or mileage) to upgrade to long-distance flights
For some of us, the upgrade value equation changes when talking about long-haul flights, especially the kind of flight time that you can sleep as much as possible because it is the morning you land. In these cases, thanks to the upgraded seats, you not only want to be comfortable, but you can also invest in the value of the second day (or twice) by increasing the chance of some decent sleep on the plane.
Recently, a TPGER extinguished the opportunity to spend 20,000 miles, $425 per person, to upgrade the upcoming Fimicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to the Federation’s Fiomisino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO). It’s an 8 1/2 hour flight – so if you’re at the same 1.35 cents uniform mileage as the TPG, that’s the same as the upgrade that costs $695, up to $50 and over 50 pieces for $80 per hour.
However, this is a perfect example of the value of recliner seating and the opportunity to sleep throughout the Atlantic Ocean. The next morning, the hourly value of preparing to start an Italian adventure is higher the next morning, compared to the average three-hour domestic Oktoberfest.
TPG readers’ evaluation of upgrades
TPG readers have a lot of opinions on fair upgrades in TPG lounges.
Some readers are willing to pay up to $100 per hour, depending on the flight. “Dollar 50 an hour was my standard 10 to 15 years ago…inflation…I’m now $100 an hour, but will also consider whether to exceed that number slightly on a case-by-case basis.” Lara Cartwright-Smith said, “domestic fares are $25, international salary is $50-70, depending on the quality of flight (flatness, food, flight time, etc.)” is her rule.
“$100 an hour is the maximum value for my international flights. If I don’t upgrade for free based on my identity, I don’t even have to bother trying to upgrade domestic flights. Not worth it,” Greg said.
Marc Cassuto said it depends on where he is going and whether he needs to reach his destination freshly. “For me, I need to think about where to go and why I want to go [and] What was my plan when I got there. ” he wrote.
Other readers say it depends on whether the flight is overnight, transcontinental or long international flights. Jesse Albright said: “If it’s one of them, then … $100-500 is good for me / First of all. Most of the fees I pay for are $500 for overnight flights to London at UA.”
“I look at the cost per hour, and the calculations when traveling alone are different from those when I travel with my family because the hourly cost-benefit analysis of multiple parties makes the hourly cost-benefit analysis of multiple parties making it harder to swallow up the upgrade cost unless it’s a super steal.”
“My decision has a lot of factors,” said Jennifer Steckloff Yellin. “I don’t pay anything for domestic flights during the day. For overnight off-road flights, it guarantees my sleep better at night, and I might pay $100, but not much – I can usually sleep anywhere.”
Maryann Eda Miller said she usually takes 10 to 12 international flights a year. “Go, I want to rest as much as possible, so I’m paying up to $1,000 for lay seats. Going home, I’ll stay in comfort + or quality + or quality (Delta and Virgin Atlantic) because I can collect at home for a few days, even if it’s over the jet delay.
“I think if the flights are uninterrupted and there are lie board seats, the flights across the sea are worth up to $1,000,” said Stacy Antoniadis.
Jamie Larounis agreed, “I’d love to do $1k, but it depends on the flight. Knox (Syd) lax? Sure!”
Finally, Amanda Buchan completely disagrees with our recipe. “I never understand why people base on an hourly basis rather than how much money they make. For different people, these amounts are so different. I think about two days of pre-tax salary makes sense for long-distance lie flat seats.”
Not all upgraded seats are created equally
As our readers have pointed out so eloquently, not all upgraded seats are equal. Are the seats flat? This is the first thing we need to consider when considering upgrading offers.
Apparently, if this is an overnight flight on a recliner at a decent price in a Lie-Fat seat, it will become even more attractive. But also consider the commercial-grade seats you will get. Is it an older recliner style? Are the seats close in front? Is the extra legroom really worth paying for the highest dollar?
Some top-notch cabins are very narrow and have little tilt. Maybe those are not worth it. Perhaps this is the business-grade part of European airlines, which consists of a row of blocked middle seats for formal economy seats.
Many decisions.
Cash and points upgrade
Many airlines actually offer ways to upgrade points. Delta was the first to think of it. You can usually find quotes for points upgrades or cash upgrades in the Fly Delta app. Sometimes it’s worth it, but you rarely get more than a cent worth point. That makes sense, but you are not getting a huge value in this way.
Here is a quote for a Delta Airlines flight from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York to Miami International Airport (MIA), which is too expensive for cash or mileage. As you can see, the value of upgrades with 72,900 Delta Skymiles is worth only over 1 cent per mile.
Sometimes it may make more sense to upgrade using cash and points or miles combinations. American Airlines offers very reasonable cash and mile upgrades; for example, an international business class upgrade to Europe will bring you back $350, while American Airlines Aadvantage Miles only has $25,000. That could be a real bargain.
Finally, some airlines will be able to upgrade you with just miles. Clint uses only 30,000 Air France-klm to fly blue mileage (no taxes and fees, either), allowing upgrades from a premium economy to business class in France. Please contact your airline to see if it is right for you.
Bottom line
Of course, everyone is different, and many factors determine the “value” of first-class or business-level upgrades. Nevertheless, we believe that the fair value of purchasing upgrades is about $50 per hour and $100 per hour for international business classes.
Hopefully you see offers prices that are much lower than those and can fly in the “tips of the plane.”
Related readings:
