Upgrading to First Class Becomes More Affordable
airfare, airplanes, Coach Class, First Class, flying, luxury, tricks and tips, Upgrading
We all know what it’s like to be herded onto the cattle cars of the skies; coach class. The seats are smaller, leg room is a joke, and you’re always stuck next to somebody else’s screaming kid or by that one guy who hasn’t showered in a while. Unless you’re a frequent traveler, your only option is to dig deep to afford those coveted first class tickets.
The good news for the not-so-frequent flyers is that airline nickel and diming is coming to your rescue! Scott McCartney wrote about this in the Wall Street Journal’s Personal Journal, on May 28, 2015. “A Rare Deal? Airlines Lower Many Fares for First Class” is a must-read if you’ve got tickets to purchase in your future!
Why are prices dropping? To squeeze even more revenue out of the flying public, the airlines are offering fewer free first class seats to their frequent flyers. Instead, more seats are being sold with discounted upgrade fees of $100-$200 each. Further, airlines are dropping the price of “full fare” first class seats. They’ve done the math and found that selling three seats at $500 each nets more than two seats at $600 each.
What’s a good financial rule of thumb for deciding whether to go first class? McCartney notes that many online forums recommend a dollar a minute threshold. A three-hour flight is 180 minutes; therefore, pay no more than $180.00 for the first class upgrade or for the difference between a coach and first class ticket. Of course, there’s also the comfort standard. Sometimes it’s worth it to pay more than the $1/minute rule for extremely long flights or for overseas journeys.
Happy traveling!