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One of the best ways to redeem points and miles is for international business-class award tickets. Unfortunately, awards in some of the most premium cabins come at…well, a premium. But you also can access business and first class by purchasing a cash fare and upgrading with miles. And sometimes, it can make a lot of sense.
Here's a look at when it does and how you can upgrade your ticket with points and miles.
Ways To Upgrade Your Paid Airline Ticket
While every air carrier is different in what it allows, there are generally three primary ways to upgrade your economy or premium economy seat to a business- or first-class one:
- Earn elite status: Depending on the program and route you're flying, most carriers offer space-available complimentary upgrades to elite members.
- Pay cash to upgrade: Sometimes, you can buy an upgrade when you purchase the ticket or at check-in for your flight. Select carriers also let you bid for upgrades.
- Redeem points and miles to upgrade: You can upgrade using your airline miles if you've purchased a paid ticket in an eligible fare class.
In this post, we're taking a detailed look at the third option: upgrading with miles.
When It Makes Sense To Upgrade With Miles
For points and miles nerds, it's easy to get into the technical details of comparing price differences between cheap upgradable fares, what your miles are worth towards an upgrade, and coming to a mathematical conclusion about when it is and isn't a good time to upgrade. And while we'll inevitably get into that, keep in mind that the math isn't always necessary to determine when it does or doesn't make sense to upgrade.
Sometimes, all you need to do is ask yourself, “Is the cost to upgrade reasonable?” If so, it's likely worth it. If not, then it's worth passing on and redeeming your miles another day. Ultimately, relying on your gut instinct will guide you to the right conclusion on most occasions.
And before we get further into the details, we'd be remiss not to mention that each airline has unique rules about how to upgrade with miles, when you can upgrade, and what it costs. If you intend to upgrade with miles, ensure you understand each program's rules before you pull out your travel rewards credit card to book a ticket.
A Look at a Few Airlines That Offer Mileage Upgrades
Here's a look at three airlines that offer opportunities to upgrade with miles and some examples of when upgrades may or may not make sense.
American Airlines upgrade with miles
American Airlines AAdvantage miles are good for a lot of things, and upgrading to a better class of travel is one of them. Even better, American publishes a handy chart that shows how much you'll pay for an upgrade to the next class of travel on its flights. Plus, it shows the copay you'll be on the hook for — if one exists.
To emphasize that some upgrades present better value than others, we'll compare two examples, starting with a non-basic economy domestic ticket. The cost for jumping from the back of the plane to the front, space permitting, is 15,000 miles plus $75. If you think about where 15,000 AAdvantage miles can get you, plus $75 for that matter, this is an easy offer to pass on — especially because most domestic flights are only a couple of hours long.
However, there's one true use case for domestic mileage upgrades on American Airlines. If you can book a cheap Main Cabin fare and upgrade to a lie-flat seat on an internationally configured plane operating a domestic route, then maybe it's worth the splurge. We'll admit, that's pretty sweet.
On the other hand, upgrades on long-haul flights begin to make more sense. For example, if you book an economy ticket, you could upgrade to premium economy for 25,000 miles plus $350. If you booked yourself in premium economy with cash, you could move to international business class for the same amount.
Upgrading could be well worth the cost if you're traveling from the U.S. to Asia, the Middle East, or Oceania. Enjoying extra comfort for a reasonable outlay of miles plus a moderate copay can be a great alternative to paying 60,000+ AAdvantage miles for one-way awards on some of the carrier's longest routes. Even better, you don't have to spend your time looking for premium cabin award availability.
Singapore Airlines upgrade with miles
There exist many reasons to rave about Singapore Airlines' premium cabins. The carrier offers a stellar premium economy and business class product, and you can easily use KrisFlyer miles to jump to better classes of service. And the upgrade prices are compelling — especially on the carrier's fifth-freedom routes.
However, some KrisFlyer miles upgrades make more sense than others. For example, let's compare the costs of booking a business-class ticket on Singapore's route from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA). You can access business class in one of three ways:
- Book a standard economy ticket in fare classes M, H, or W and upgrade to business for 55,000 miles: You'll pay $650 on average for a one-way ticket.
- Book a premium economy ticket in fare classes P or L and upgrade to business for 31,000 miles: You'll pay $1,076 on average for a one-way ticket.
- Book a business-class award outright for 81,000 miles: Pay just $5.60 out of pocket for the taxes and fees.
On average, AwardWallet users redeem Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles for 2.38¢ apiece. After accounting for what Singapore miles are typically worth and adding the out-of-pocket expenses, here's the “cost” of each option:
- Upgrade from economy to business: $2,014.00
- Upgrade from premium economy to business: $1,844.80
- Book a business class award outright: $2,014.40
While the middle option offers the best value, it's not for everyone. Spending $1,000 out of pocket only to redeem an additional 31,000 miles is an expensive proposition. But as we mentioned at the outset, upgrading only makes sense if it's reasonable for you.
Emirates upgrade with miles
Emirates also offers plenty to rave about, courtesy of its incredible business and first-class cabins. And like most premium products, booking yourself into one of the carrier's posh seats requires a massive outlay of cash or miles — or maybe both for First Class. But if you have some Skywards miles lying around, you can upgrade to Emirates first class without breaking a sweat.
As an example, we'll take a look at upgrading to business class on Emirates' fifth-freedom route between Newark (EWR) and Athens (ATH). And as the story goes, some upgrades make more sense than others. You can access business class in one of two ways.
The first is booking an economy flex plus award. You'll pay 38,750 Skywards miles for the ticket, plus $53.30 out of pocket. Per Emirates' calculator, you'll redeem a flat 39,000 miles to upgrade — no copay required. The second way is more straightforward. Simply book a business class award outright costs 87,000 Skywards miles, plus $105.30 in taxes and fees.
So, which option makes more sense? Let's check the math.
On average, AwardWallet users redeem Emirates Skywards for 1.55¢ apiece. With that value and the out-of-pocket expenses in mind, each option “costs” the following:
- Upgrade to business: $1,289.53
- Book a business class award outright: $1,488.60
As the numbers show, it's worth upgrading Emirates flex plus economy awards to business class. You'll redeem fewer miles and pay less out of pocket. It's a good deal, plain and simple.
Final Thoughts
Getting up to the front of the plane to enjoy business or first class is the name of the game for many points and miles fans. But if you don't have the miles for a premium cabin award flight, purchasing an inexpensive economy or premium economy seat and upgrading with miles can be the perfect solution. It also can help you get around limited seat inventory for premium redemptions with some airlines.
Under the right circumstances, upgrading a paid flight to a higher class with miles can make a lot of sense. Sometimes, upgrading can offer better value than booking a premium cabin award outright. But remember, mileage redemptions won't always present the best deal. Treating every opportunity to upgrade on a case-by-case basis is worth the time and effort. Don't redeem more miles and pay more out of pocket than you should.
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