Flying business class is often the goal, but more often than not, it doesn’t make financial sense. I fly internationally frequently, and on almost every flight I have the opportunity to pay for an economy class upgrade with cash or airline miles. It always makes my brain spin.
When it comes to paying for a business class upgrade, especially on international flights, lie-flat seats are the biggest reason I spend money on higher fares.
Before paying for an upgrade, I tend to follow a simple rule of thumb: Pay no more than $100 per hour of flying time, but I try to stay in the range of around $60 per hour. For example, if I’m on a 10-hour flight, I’m willing to pay no more than $1,000 for a business class upgrade.
Price wasn’t the only factor in my decision to upgrade, though. Whether you’re willing to pay more or less for an upgrade, there are five factors to consider beyond price when deciding whether it makes sense to click the “Buy Upgrade” button.
How long is the flight?
The first thing I ask myself when considering an upgrade is: How long will the flight be? If it’s less than seven hours, I tend not to bother upgrading unless it’s a good deal.
I’m 6’4″ so as long as I have a seat with more legroom I’m usually happy with it most of the time.
However, for anything longer than seven hours, I’d rather consider an upgrade. I usually avoid upgrading to premium economy because in my experience it’s usually not much cheaper than business class. Additionally, it makes more sense to choose a cabin with lie-flat seats.
I fly most frequently to Europe, with flights from the East Coast taking less than eight hours. Once takeoff, taxi, and landing times were factored in, I could only sleep a maximum of four to five hours—basically a long nap—and that’s assuming it was a night flight. In most cases, it’s not worth spending the money to upgrade.
On the other hand, if I’m departing from the West Coast, where flights to Europe can be as long as 13 hours, I’m more likely to ask at check-in if I can upgrade.
Reward your inbox with the TPG daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers and get breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive offers from TPG experts
A no-brainer upgrade for me came last month when I flew from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Johannesburg’s Oliver Reginald Tambo International Airport (JNB), a nearly 16-hour overnight flight. This business class upgrade cost me 84,700 United MileagePlus miles and was worth every mile.
This also leads me to my next factor.
Related: How to get the most value from United’s MileagePlus program
time of day
The time my flight takes off plays a big role in my decision to upgrade. I find that more and more international routes are daytime flights. During the day, you’re less likely to sleep, so my thought process was: why spend money on an upgrade that I won’t be able to take full advantage of?
I’m not a digital nomad, but I travel a lot and often work on flights. If it’s a daytime flight, or even a flight where two-thirds of the flight occurs during the day, I usually stay in economy, open my laptop and get some work done.
However, if it’s a long-haul red-eye flight arriving at my destination in the morning, I’m more likely to upgrade. Being able to get a good night’s sleep before landing is a game changer.
Related: Why the best points redemptions are sometimes the most practical
What type of seat and aircraft is it?
Not all business class seats are created equal. For example, the three major airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, all have multiple business class products. Some seats are newer than others, some have wider footwells, and some are narrower than others. I’ve flown United’s Polaris business class several times this year, and each time the experience has been vastly different, largely due to the in-flight service. I prefer the Boeing 777 Business product to the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner or 767 products because the 777’s seats are slightly roomier.
Additionally, aircraft type is particularly important due to space constraints. A lie-flat seat on a narrow-body aircraft is likely to be narrower than a flat-bed seat on a wide-body aircraft.
Another thing I considered before upgrading was whether each seat had direct aisle access. If I had to interrupt someone to get out of my seat, that would seriously discourage me from getting an upgrade.
I use a tool called AeroLopa which provides detailed seat maps and seat descriptions for most airlines and their aircraft types. I always check the plane I’m flying on ahead of time and determine if I think it’s worth purchasing an upgraded seat.
RELATED: Delta Air Lines Says ‘No’ to Growing Air Travel Trend, Will Keep Large Planes for Long-Distance Flights
flight load
I always check the occupancy of a flight before considering an upgrade. I’m like a hawk when it comes to looking at seating charts. If the airline gods decided to favor me and make an empty seat next to me, or better yet, an empty row, I would be content to stay in economy rather than upgrade.
Now, if the flight is full and the price is right, I’ll take the upgrade offer every time.
For example, on a flight from Dublin Airport (DUB) to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) earlier this year, I debated the issue of escalation. The flight departed Dublin at 3pm local time and arrived in Las Vegas at 5pm local time, a long daytime flight. The upgrade cost $400, but I had a full row of four seats to myself. In the end, I stayed in economy, got a lot of work done, and even stretched out between rows and slept for a few hours.
You can use tools such as TPG’s ExpertFlyer to help estimate flight load factors.
Related: How to Use ExpertFlyer Alerts to Get a Better Seat
What is the purpose of flying?
Finally, before upgrading my flight, I also ask myself what the purpose of the trip is. Are you traveling for business or pleasure? If it’s for work, you might be more inclined to upgrade so you can sleep peacefully and show up to meetings with energy. In some cases, comfort can become an investment in productivity.
If I’m going on a vacation or leisure trip, I usually skip the upgrade and put that money or those miles toward an experience once I arrive, unless it’s an irresistible deal.
If it was both, I would weigh whether resting on the plane or saving up to travel would have a greater impact.
Overall, I usually weigh these five factors before deciding whether I should pay for an upgrade.
RELATED: “Bleisure” Travel: How I Used Points and Miles to Turn a Business Trip into an (Almost) Free Vacation
