Flight Upgrades – are the worth the extra cost?

Many people who choose to holiday in Orlando will have to endure a long-haul flight. While airlines today are considerably more comfortable than in the past, you will always have the option of upgrading to make your time in the air that bit more enjoyable.

However, with long-haul flight prices never being lower, upgrade prices have not seen the same fall in cost. This can mean choosing to upgrade you seats can cost considerably more than a standard ticket. But are flight upgrades worth the money?

There are many different options if you decide to upgrade your flight from the standard ticket offered. From paying a small amount to reserve and bulk-head to paying a lot for a bed in 1st class, and each airline will have different upgrade options and prices. This can sometimes make it confusing in trying to decide if it is worthwhile to pay for an upgrade.

If you’re travelling from the UK, many of the airlines will offer the same standard service in economy – a seat pitch of around 31-33 inches, meals included and free soft drinks throughout your flight. However, some tour-operated airlines will offer some extras to this in their economy. This can include personal TVs in the back of each headrest, a choice of movies, and even entertainment backpacks to keep kids occupied. Operators such a Virgin Atlantic, First Choice, and Thomas Cook all operate their own airline, and although is may sometimes cost slightly more compared to stand-alone airlines, it can be worth the extra cost for the extra comfort that small bit extra to give you a bit more entertainment in-flight.

Most airlines will now charge a small fee for you to reserve a bulk-head, or emergncy exit seat. Although these are still economy cabin seats, they do afford you more legroom than the standard seat-pitch. For anyone with long legs, this extra room is invaluable on a long flight, and so an upgrade to one of these seats is well worth the cost. Airlines generally charge between £30-£60 for these seats, although some will not let you pre-book, and so it can mean having to be at the airport very early to try and reserve one if it’s what you’re after.

With the introduction of the 6foot bed in first class, many operators have turned the old first class into a “premium” or “plus” seat. This upgrade will give you a much larger seat pitch, wider seats, complementary in-flight toiletries and even a choice of meal. However not all airlines will offer this option, and in some cases, this can be some operators version of 1st class. An upgrade to this can be quite costly, generally a couple of hundred pounds each way. If you don’t like the confined spaces of economy, it is worthwhile to consider this upgrade, but it can work out very expensive, especially if you’re a family and are having to pay the upgrades for 4 or 5 seats.

To really travel in style, an upgrade to 1st/Upper class on the larger international airlines is definitely in order. As mentioned before, your seats turn into 6 foot beds, but you are also given other luxuries, such as silverware instead of plastic cutlery, a free drink at the beginning of the flight, a choice of food from a menu, and even the ability to choose when you want to eat, instead of being served on timetable. However, with these upgrades costing around to £1000 each way, you really do need to pay for the extra luxuries.

Many carriers also offer other benefits to those choosing to pay for an upgraded seat. These include dedicated airport lounges with complimentary food and drink, to chauffeur services. It is worthwhile taking these pre-and post-flight extras into account when deciding whether or not to take an upgrade.

In reality, as much as everyone would love to travel in as high a class as possible, the choice to upgrade will come down to the cost and whether or not you can afford it. With every airline offering different upgrade options, make sure you do your homework to find out how paying for an upgrade will benefit you – there is no point in paying for an upgrade if all it means is a larger seat, for example, if you are small and won’t feel the advantage of the extra room!

Remember that all upgrades will cost, and even if you do have the money available to pay for an upgrade, think about how that will affect the rest of your trip too – is a flight upgrade really worth it if it means a reduction in spending money, or if it limits your accommodation options?

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