Upgrade Trends

Domestic U.S. Premium Fares

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new_york_times_testimonial.png
The best resource I know for ‘tricks’ is Matthew Bennett's First Class Flyer

The New York Times

Departures.jpg
The insider site

Departures Magazine

kiplingers.png
Mr. Upgrade shares his secrets for flying first class at economy fares

Kiplinger's

chicagoT.png
Loaded with tips on flying in comfort without paying the exorbitant fares

Chicago Tribune

Newsweek.jpg
Specializes in finding cheaper luxury flights for executives

Newsweek

Entrepreneur.jpeg
First Class Flyer is a must-read

Entrepreneur Magazine

new_york_times_testimonial.png
Bennett is an authority on premium travel ticketing strategies

New York Times

wallstreet.png
For people who fly up front

The Wall Street Journal

Traveler.png
Upgrade secrets and strategies… fly in business class for the price of coach

Condé Nast Traveler

LATimes.png
A crucial resource… packed with insider tips

Los Angeles Times

Fourseasons.png
An exclusive website… finds reduced fares and free upgrades

Four Seasons Resorts Magazine

"The airline industry’s airfare voilàtily
makes the volatility of the stock market look placid."
- Matthew Bennett

Remember, back at the turn of this millennium, those high fares? (There was no JetBlue driving them down.) Chicago-New York for $1800. That kind of thing.

Accordingly, First Class was always pretty much full.

Of empty seats. (For "elite upgrade strategy" flyers.)

But coach, business-traveler fares were sky high despite all the competition — six airlines — and those empty First Class seats allowed airlines to compete. A free upgrade to First was the way to woo a corporate customer and compete for the corporate account.

Then someone said ‘why don’t we sell what we give away?”.

Unbundling was born and everything had a price: extra baggage, meals, entertainment and of course upgrades.

First Class Experiments

Now there’s the experimental-fare fixation. Technology facilitates this.

“Let’s see what happens with a really high fare on a route we own.” Voilà, really high fare.

“Look, here’s a route owned by a competitor who’s gouging their loyal customers. How low do we have to go to poach them?” Voilà, really low fare.

Voilàtily.

It’s the order of the day. Or disorder. The airline industry’s voilàtily makes the volatility of the stock market look placid. Imagine milk suddenly at a fraction of the cost it was yesterday. Or a new car.

The airficionado thinks not just of the three dominant airlines but three kinds of passengers: the chump who pays the high experimental price, those few who pay the low experimental price and all the others who pay the “right” price.

We study the trends and report to you, so you can be… one of the few.

Thus, ‘upportunities’ abound as airlines post—but never promote—silly fares to see what happens. Or realize they have routes or flights that will put egg on their proud faces. (Passengers love seeing empty seats on an aircraft, airlines hate seeing just one empty seat.)

The resultant volatility of the airline industry these days makes the stock market seem tame. Imagine a random, desirable stock that more than halved in price for a few weeks, or days, or even hours while all around it stayed steady.

Business Class fares can be found, if you make a full-time job of looking, that are so bizarrely close to economy (sometimes) they represent an upgrade opportunity in themselves. First Class fares can be at such near parity to Business Class they make a mockery of elite status and the pick-me hopes of loyal customers.

The more attuned you are to the trends, the more you will fly First Class and Business Class for a song. Make sure you get our alerts.

Explore Domestic Micro-Trends on Your Favorite Airline...

Be in the know with exclusive FCF Domestic Fare reports...

new_york_times_testimonial.png
The best resource I know for ‘tricks’ is Matthew Bennett's First Class Flyer

The New York Times

Departures.jpg
The insider site

Departures Magazine

kiplingers.png
Mr. Upgrade shares his secrets for flying first class at economy fares

Kiplinger's

chicagoT.png
Loaded with tips on flying in comfort without paying the exorbitant fares

Chicago Tribune

Newsweek.jpg
Specializes in finding cheaper luxury flights for executives

Newsweek

Entrepreneur.jpeg
First Class Flyer is a must-read

Entrepreneur Magazine

new_york_times_testimonial.png
Bennett is an authority on premium travel ticketing strategies

New York Times

wallstreet.png
For people who fly up front

The Wall Street Journal

Traveler.png
Upgrade secrets and strategies… fly in business class for the price of coach

Condé Nast Traveler

LATimes.png
A crucial resource… packed with insider tips

Los Angeles Times

Fourseasons.png
An exclusive website… finds reduced fares and free upgrades

Four Seasons Resorts Magazine

Cohen.png
Bennett is top-of-mind when thinking about upgrading

Tod Cohen

General Counsel and Vice President at StubHub
new_york_times_testimonial.png
The best resource I know for ‘tricks’ is Matthew Bennett's First Class Flyer

The New York Times

Pass.png
I jumped on Bennett's Biz Class alert to Europe starting at $1,450 r/t

Lawrence Pass, MD

Heart Surgeon Nashville, TN
Beckerman.png
Bennett's FCF is not only the most informative newsletter of its kind, but it's a genuinely fun and interesting read

Prof. Michael Beckerman

New York University
Departures.jpg
The insider site

Departures Magazine

kiplingers.png
Mr. Upgrade shares his secrets for flying first class at economy fares

Kiplinger's

chicagoT.png
Loaded with tips on flying in comfort without paying the exorbitant fares

Chicago Tribune

Newsweek.jpg
Specializes in finding cheaper luxury flights for executives

Newsweek

Entrepreneur.jpeg
First Class Flyer is a must-read

Entrepreneur Magazine

Thomas.png
FCF is invariably creative and often ingenious

Prof. Thomas Y. Levin

Princeton University
new_york_times_testimonial.png
Bennett is an authority on premium travel ticketing strategies

New York Times

Collins.png
I trust Bennett

Bud Collins

International Tennis Hall of Fame
wallstreet.png
For people who fly up front

The Wall Street Journal

Haggis-v2.png
I can't say enough about Matthew

Paul Haggis

Two-Time Academy Award Winner, Best Pictures
Traveler.png
Upgrade secrets and strategies … fly in business class for the price of coach

Condé Nast Traveler

LATimes.png
A crucial resource … packed with insider tips

Los Angeles Times

Ari.png
Matthew is outstanding at what he does

Ari Fleischer

Former White House
Press Secretary;
Fleischer Sports CEO
Fourseasons.png
An exclusive website … finds reduced fares and free upgrades

Four Seasons Resorts Magazine

Haggis-v2.png
I can't say enough about Matthew

Paul Haggis

Two-Time Academy Award Winner, Best Pictures
Thomas.png
FCF is invariably creative and often ingenious

Prof. Thomas Y. Levin

Princeton University
Collins.png
I trust Bennett

Bud Collins

International Tennis Hall of Fame
Pass.png
I jumped on Bennett's Biz Class alert to Europe starting at $1,450 r/t

Lawrence Pass, MD

Heart Surgeon Nashville, TN
wallstreet.png
For people who fly up front

The Wall Street Journal

new_york_times_testimonial.png
Bennett is an authority on premium travel ticketing strategies

New York Times

Traveler.png
Upgrade secrets and strategies… fly in business class for the price of coach

Condé Nast Traveler

LATimes.png
A crucial resource… packed with insider tips

Los Angeles Times

Ari.png
Matthew is outstanding at what he does

Ari Fleischer

Former White House
Press Secretary;
Fleischer Sports CEO
Fourseasons.png
An exclusive website… finds reduced fares and free upgrades

Four Seasons Resorts Magazine

Cohen.png
Bennett is top-of-mind when thinking about upgrading

Tod Cohen

General Counsel and Vice President at StubHub
new_york_times_testimonial.png
The best resource I know for ‘tricks’ is Matthew Bennett's First Class Flyer

The New York Times

Departures.jpg
The insider site

Departures Magazine

Beckerman.png
Bennett's FCF is not only the most informative newsletter of its kind, but it's a genuinely fun and interesting read

Prof. Michael Beckerman

New York University
kiplingers.png
Mr. Upgrade shares his secrets for flying first class at economy fares

Kiplinger's

chicagoT.png
Loaded with tips on flying in comfort without paying the exorbitant fares

Chicago Tribune

Newsweek.jpg
Specializes in finding cheaper luxury flights for executives

Newsweek

Entrepreneur.jpeg
First Class Flyer is a must-read

Entrepreneur Magazine