On this blog, I primarily review first and business class experiences. However, that’s not to say that I always fly in a premium cabin. A reader recently asked me how often I actually end up flying in economy, so I wanted to address that in this post…
In this post:
I don’t mind flying economy, but prefer to avoid it
Over the past two decades, I’ve flown many millions of miles. Back when I was a teenager and first got into miles and points, a vast majority of my travel was in economy, and I was fine with that. For that matter, I was happy to take short redeye flights in economy. Heck, sometimes I even took them two nights in a row.
However, as I’ve gotten older, my approach to this has changed:
- I don’t have the stamina I once had when it comes to flying, and I get exhausted a bit more easily, so I value comfort more than I used to
- Thanks to inflight Wi-Fi, the reality is that I can basically be just as productive in the air as on the ground, but it’s much more comfortable to work from a first or business class seat, where you don’t have to contort your body to be able to use a laptop
- As I’ve gotten older, my willingness to pay for a better experience has also increased, and I’m in a better financial situation now than I was as a teenager
I have absolutely no issues flying economy on a short or medium haul flight. That being said, I try to avoid economy on longer flights, and for that matter, I also try to avoid redeye flights unless I’m in a flat bed, since they are otherwise just too unpleasant.
There are limits to what I’ll pay for first or business class
While I value flying in premium cabins, there are also limits to what I’m willing to pay. While we nowadays see a lot more reasonably priced premium fares than in the past, I’d never book one of those “full fare” long haul business class tickets, which can cost $10,000 or more. That’s just too much money, and even if I could afford it, I wouldn’t feel good about spending money that way. I’d rather “suffer” through economy, and do something with that money on the ground.
I’ve written in the past about the price at which I consider first class to be worth it. For example, on domestic flights, I’m typically willing to pay roughly an extra $50 per hour over economy for first class, since that’s what I value the incremental comfort at, give or take. With that in mind, let me share my general approach to booking premium cabin travel.
For long haul travel, I almost always redeem miles for first and business class travel at the saver rate. I typically have quite a bit of flexibility with my travel, so if I can get a first or business class seat at a reasonable mileage rate, why wouldn’t I fly that way? Sometimes I’ll also waitlist an upgrade (like with American systemwide upgrades), but I’ll only do it if I’m very confident that the upgrade will clear.
For short haul travel, I take more of a mixed approach, and I usually have a few different strategies I use to secure a first class seat:
- I do have American AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, and since I live in Miami, I fly American most; if I think my odds of getting a complimentary upgrade are decent, then I’ll just book economy and hope for the upgrade
- If I don’t think the odds of an upgrade are great, I’ll look if there’s any decent first class fare for cash, and I’m happy to fly just about any airline to do that
- Nowadays airlines also frequently offer reasonably priced cash upgrades, so I often take advantage of those cash upgrade offers; for example, American constantly sells these, and I find it to be worthwhile for situations where I don’t think an upgrade would clear
- I sometimes even find it to be worthwhile to outright redeem miles for first class; for example, American AAdvantage often has good first class redemption rates
The situations where I usually fly economy
While I generally do what I can to fly in a premium cabin, there are some situations where I don’t even bother, trying, so let me share those:
- Within Europe, I’m happy to fly any point-to-point flight on an ultra low cost carrier with a good schedule, since most of these flights are short, and it’s not like intra-Europe business class is much to get excited about
- On short domestic flights within the United States, I really don’t care where I sit; my most frequent route is between Miami and Tampa, so I usually just book the flight that’s most convenient in economy, with no consideration for upgrade odds
- When we travel with our two-year-old son, I largely prefer economy, since it’s much easier to be closer to a toddler in economy, rather than in first class (where there’s more distance between seats)
I just did some rough math about my travel patterns over the past couple of years. Roughly 20% of the segments I’ve flown over that period were in economy. That being said, in terms of distance flown, it only represents 3% of my total travel distance (since a majority of my economy segments were on flights of under 500 miles).
Bottom line
While I primarily cover premium cabin travel on the blog, that doesn’t mean I never fly economy. I actually fly it quite frequently, both on flights within the United States, as well as within Europe.
The reality is that I do value the comfort of premium cabin travel immensely. However, there are limits to what I’m willing to pay for it. Fortunately miles & points allow me to travel in premium cabins on most long haul flights, which I’m very grateful for. But even within the United States, I’ll gladly pay a reasonable premium for first class.
What’s your approach to flying in economy vs. in premium cabins?
The reality of booking premium cabin travel today is that it costs 4x what it did, minimum, in practical terms. Credit card earnings and bonuses have not kept pace. The problem with pushing everyone to the back is that economy class is a 1 cent per point proposition, and I'd rather have a statement credit for 1 cent per point than airline funny money that they can devalue whenever they want. The golden goose is cooked.
I have travelled business and premium economy but someone else was paying! When it comes to paying for myself, like you, there is a price I am willing to pay for the extra comfort and I completely agree that there is a balance to be had about the value of this extra spending. My other option is simply to take shorter flights and hop to a longer haul destination, either by having a stopover or...
I have travelled business and premium economy but someone else was paying! When it comes to paying for myself, like you, there is a price I am willing to pay for the extra comfort and I completely agree that there is a balance to be had about the value of this extra spending. My other option is simply to take shorter flights and hop to a longer haul destination, either by having a stopover or by doing a 2 destination trip. This means I am not so affected by any jet lag, so I can keep on working, and it means economy flights are easier to deal with because I don't generally travel more than 6 hours or so in one go.
I've always flown exclusively in regular Economy until few years ago. Although it doesn't have the same cachet as First Class or Business classes, I've become a fan of the Premium Economy/Even More Legroom classes as of late.
When flying Alaska, I've noticed that even after booking the regular Economy seats, the prices of the add-on Premium Economy fluctuates between the time I originally book the flight and when I fly. If I find a...
I've always flown exclusively in regular Economy until few years ago. Although it doesn't have the same cachet as First Class or Business classes, I've become a fan of the Premium Economy/Even More Legroom classes as of late.
When flying Alaska, I've noticed that even after booking the regular Economy seats, the prices of the add-on Premium Economy fluctuates between the time I originally book the flight and when I fly. If I find a price that seems reasonable, I'll pay extra for the Premium Economy. And I factor in the cost of the complimentary spirits.
Another factor: If I have a connecting flight to catch with a tight buffer, I'll definitely pay for the upgraded class. I want to optimize my chance of boarding early (so my carry-on bag and I won't be separated far from each other), and I can GTFO the plane in time to catch the next flight.
I think you should post some economy reviews, as well. It could be interesting to see your experiences about economy class on various airlines.
You fly economy twenty percent of the time? We're not mad... just disappointed! :)
It's even less, it's 3% of the travel distance. It basically means he doesn't fly economy longhaul ever.
Seems perfectly logical
Ben - I'd say my approach is largely similar to yours, with the exception/addition that I will also reasonably pay up (via either cash or points) for intra-Europe biz, as I value the priority ground services in crowded hub airports. And unlike US F, these tickets include lounge access, whereas a lounge accessed via credit card / Priority Pass may not (in some cases) be convenient to our departure gate.
How much do you value per hour international business class ?
Came to ask Ben what apps or tools do you use to track your flight history etc?
How do you manage to have American AAdvantage Executive Platinum status if you mostly redeem miles for long-haul flights and fly economy short haul?
Interesting question.
I am with you when it comes to main cabin with a baby on domestic flights. Our daughter is a little younger than yours (18 months), but we’ve found a full row of AA MCE with her car seat is better than 2 FC seats and her on a lap. More room to wiggle around means she’s less cranky overall
You need to be honest and not omit the fact that your flights are/can be a tax write off.
Not like he's lying about it? Everything he does is business travel so that piece is implicit.
As I've gotten older I want to be more comfortable and let's just say when I look at the number of seemingly unbathed and unlaundered people getting on a flight today I'd rather not be rubbing up against them. I usually take advantage of the cash upgrades on AA, if you check your reservation regularly they normally come down to a generous offer. If I'm flying in PE sold as coach normally no and maybe...
As I've gotten older I want to be more comfortable and let's just say when I look at the number of seemingly unbathed and unlaundered people getting on a flight today I'd rather not be rubbing up against them. I usually take advantage of the cash upgrades on AA, if you check your reservation regularly they normally come down to a generous offer. If I'm flying in PE sold as coach normally no and maybe row 11 on the 321ceo if it's a relatively short flight. In both situations I just play the upgrade lottery and about 50% of the time it works out.
Instead of doing rough math about your travel patterns, you should use https://my.flightradar24.com to track your flights.
Ben has plenty of miles so what if there were a progressive bent to awards. In other words, make those people pay their fair share?
For example, if you were Platinum elite, tax miles such that you would only earn 4 miles per dollar while the slightly frequent flyer would earn 7 miles per dollar? When it came to awards, Platinum members would pay an extra 25% for awards, gold members 10% more.
Wait, you're actually suggesting loyalty programs penalize customers for loyalty and incentivize people to spend less money on the airline? That's a great way to go bankrupt…
This would never fly ;-). Not only penalizing loyalty for those that do fly and have status, but also makes it more beneficial to those that earn miles through transferrable programs (amex etc) but who don't have status. And everyone would game the system by removing their FF# or using a partner airline one instead.
But it works for politicians.....make the rich pay their fair share...no tax increase for those making less than 40,000 miles per year
@derek your incentive structure is wrong. Airlines run their loyalty programs in order to drive customer spending. Why would they "tax" their best customers? Makes no sense. Or are you saying the government should tax passengers even more, therefore driving airlines bankrupt and forcing bailouts and ultimately more government spending?
Great take comrade!
I wouldn't be surprised to see Comrade Kamala Harris mandate this kind of policy.
Work policy is anything up to 6 hours is Economy, but I sometimes upgrade with miles/points. On personal travel I hardly ever travel in Y.
Our travel from the East Coast to Europe is a mix of business and main cabin. Flights to Europe tend to be overnight so we redeem miles for business class to get the lie flat seats. The sleep quality is decent enough to have a good first day in Europe.
For returns, we don't want to burn miles for business class since flights tend to be mid day and it would be hard to sleep...
Our travel from the East Coast to Europe is a mix of business and main cabin. Flights to Europe tend to be overnight so we redeem miles for business class to get the lie flat seats. The sleep quality is decent enough to have a good first day in Europe.
For returns, we don't want to burn miles for business class since flights tend to be mid day and it would be hard to sleep anyway. Because we are awake, we usually binge on movies. From my experience, being upright in a main cabin seat is not significantly worse than being upright in main cabin. Because we fly Air France when we can, the main cabin experience is not horrendous.
Should have said, being upright in main cabin is not significantly worse than being upright in a biz seat (at least for someone my size)
Tend to follow my works policy on air travel, upto 3 hours economy anything over J or if there’s not much difference in cost or I can upgrade with miles F.
@Ben Do you fly in premium economy? How many flights have been in premium economy? Also, which is a better choice for you? Around $1600 for a paid premium economy transpacific flight with CI or around $2800 for a business cabin transpacific flight with KE? You mentioned about $50 per hour extra for a premium cabin for a domestic flight but what about an international flight that is across the Pacific?Though, the flight is still...
@Ben Do you fly in premium economy? How many flights have been in premium economy? Also, which is a better choice for you? Around $1600 for a paid premium economy transpacific flight with CI or around $2800 for a business cabin transpacific flight with KE? You mentioned about $50 per hour extra for a premium cabin for a domestic flight but what about an international flight that is across the Pacific?Though, the flight is still many months away but I would value your opinion.
@ Stanley C -- That's an interesting question. For long haul flights, I'm usually just able to confirm into first or business class using miles, so I don't even consider cash fares.
That being said, as our son gets older and we travel more with him internationally, I'm definitely going to be flying premium economy more, as I think it's a nice middle ground option. The reality is that with many programs, premium economy redemptions...
@ Stanley C -- That's an interesting question. For long haul flights, I'm usually just able to confirm into first or business class using miles, so I don't even consider cash fares.
That being said, as our son gets older and we travel more with him internationally, I'm definitely going to be flying premium economy more, as I think it's a nice middle ground option. The reality is that with many programs, premium economy redemptions just don't represent a great value, unlike first or business class redemptions. For that matter, they're often not bookable through partner programs.
Regarding the above situation, I tend to think it's probably worth paying $600 per direction to upgrade from premium economy to business class, depending on what the final destination is. $2,800 isn't a bad fare for business class to Asia. Then again, it depends on one's financial situation, how much you'd value the incremental miles being credited, how important it is to arrive well rested, etc.
I would definitely look forward to your premium economy cabin review. Has Miles got a chance to be spoiled in business or first class yet? Hehe.
I should mentioned that the price of the transpacific flight is for one way and it is between NY and HK.
Yes, agreed with @Ben here. I am in the same situation with a 1.5 year old and have been thinking about my strategy to fly internationally. So far, we have done great with just adding her as an infant on lap, but now as she is growing in size and the need for independence we have been looking into options such as Flying Blue where there is a 25% discount for kids on mile redemptions...
Yes, agreed with @Ben here. I am in the same situation with a 1.5 year old and have been thinking about my strategy to fly internationally. So far, we have done great with just adding her as an infant on lap, but now as she is growing in size and the need for independence we have been looking into options such as Flying Blue where there is a 25% discount for kids on mile redemptions or options such as confirmed eupgrades with Air Canada. Overall, do agree that Premium Economy if resonably priced would be the best middle ground option but you hardly see any value on those through mile redemptions or they are not a good value even when considering cash fares.
I agree airlines have gotten so much better at competitively pricing first class domestically that it is often worth the premium if you have a little flexibility on day-of schedule and/or book early. So while complimentary upgrades are harder to come by, I actually appreciate being 'confirmed' in first class for a slight premium.
@ JustinB -- Yeah, booking premium cabins with cash has become so much better of a value compared to a decade ago, and that definitely makes a big difference.