Routes that net free upgrades; fallback upgrades; and other ways to get the most for your PE penny.
In the past few years, East Coast Premium Economy fares could be found starting at about $900 to Europe (about 14 hours non-stop round-trip) on the New York-London route for example. So recently, FCF has been looking for good fare deals along these lines, but fares on this route have been $1,100 to $1,200. Meanwhile, Los Angeles-London has been $1,200, for about 22 hours of flying round-trip on non-stop flights (and to Dublin as low as $1,100).
Great Fallback Upgrade
Not all airlines allow mileage upgrades to Business Class. Only British Airways (T class) and Air France (A class) allow with the lowest Premium Economy fares to Europe.
Lowest Upgradable Fares
British Airways Los Angeles-London example: The lowest published Business Class fare is $3,610. The upgradeable Premium Economy fare is $1,299 plus 30,000 miles round-trip (off-peak) and 50,000 (peak). BA does not charge a co-pay, per se, for upgrades—it costs $700 on American and $1,100 on United—but BA does impose a “tax difference fee” between Premium Economy and Business Class taxes, which runs about $600 to $700 per ticket, depending on the route. So the total cost is about $1,955, a savings of $1,655 (46%). See link for more on upgrading PE fares with BA.
Air France Chicago-Paris example: The lowest published Business Class fare is $2,810. The upgradeable Premium Economy fare is $1,174 plus 30,000 miles one-way. Air France does not charge a co-pay, so the total cost is about $1,174, a savings of $1,636 (58%).
Best Time to Think /Buy Premium Economy
In general, Premium Economy fares behave in a similar way to economy fares, in that most often the lowest fares are offered in the winter. Summer fares tend to be higher to Europe.
Endless Itinerary Options
Premium Economy fares can be purchased to destinations beyond a hub city (London, Paris, etc.), but in Europe the onward service is in economy, which is no big deal as many flights are only an hour or so.
Business Class One Way,
Premium Economy the Other
You might plan to work or watch movies for the most part on one flight. If that’s the case, why buy Business Class round-trip, as you won’t be using the benefits of a Business Class seat (sleep)? In this case, PE might suffice. For example, the lowest Business Class fare on Air France from Detroit to Paris is $3,360 round-trip. Compare that to buying a mixed-class ticket, that is, flying to Paris in Business Class—the flight leaves at 9:05pm (so use the flat-bed seat to sleep)—and return from Paris in Premium Economy. The flight leaves at 3:10pm, so you’re not thinking of sleep, and arrives in Detroit at 7:10pm. The difference: $903.
How to Calculate Free and Low-Cost Upgrades
Boston-London on Virgin Atlantic takes almost 14 hours non-stop, round-trip. Virgin’s Premium Economy fare is $939 round-trip. That’s just about $190 more to fly Premium Economy than coach each way—only about $27.14 per-flight-hour to upgrade. See Virgin screenshots below.
