How to save on premium economy fares

From bidding on an upgrade to cheaper fares that include more legroom, it is possible to save on premium economy.

Many of the tips you’ll see online about premium economy class claim it is possible to get a free upgrade by wearing nice clothes and giving a gift to the cabin crew. Ignore that, it doesn’t work. 

Some airlines do give free upgrades, but it’s almost always to customers of their loyalty programmes - and even then it’s rare. In our survey, just 3% of British Airways told us they had received a free upgrade. You do have better chance with a US airline; 10% of American Airlines customers and 14% of United passengers got upgraded for free. 

Using points, like Avios (BA) or Flying Club (Virgin Atlantic) is one of the better ways to save on premium economy, or some airlines let you bid for an upgrade. 

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Use air miles to upgrade to premium economy 

Air miles can be a good way to upgrade to premium economy – and flying isn’t the only way to earn them. Some credit cards allow you to earn points every time you spend - which can then be used to upgrade your existing flight.

Here are the best credit cards for earning air miles

Schemes such as Avios (used by British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and others) and Virgin's Flying Club all accept points for upgrading your ticket to a more comfortable cabin. British Airways is restrictive, however, and won't allow you to upgrade using points from Economy Basic fares. 

Can I get a free upgrade to premium economy?

When we surveyed passengers about the best and worst airlines a very small number told us that they had got a free upgrade. Of those who'd flown Premium Economy or Business only 5% said they'd got their upgrade for free - but this was higher with some airlines than others.

Most passengers who are upgraded will likely be a member of the airline's loyalty/air miles club, which is free to join. 

Bid for an upgrade

If the price of premium economy makes you wince, some airlines will let you make a bid for a cheaper upgrade. Virgin Atlantic has a system called Your Bid - where, up to seven days before your flight, you an make an offer for remaining Premium seats (or other classes) and see if they're accepted.  

There's always a minimum price and you'll almost certainly need to pay more than that to get the seat. But if you're a regular flier and ready to splash out you'll eventually get a feel for how low you can go and still win.

Virgin says it will let you know if you have a winning bid between seven and two days before departure. Other airlines, including Air Canada, Etihad, Lufthansa, Singapore and Qantas have similar systems

Get more legroom for less

If the main reason you're considering an upgrade is because you want more space you're better off just choosing a better seat. A bulkhead or exit row spot can have up to 38 inches of legroom (compared with around 30 inches in most economy sections). When we checked a British Airways flight from London to Tenerife in summer 2023 an extra legroom seat was £24 each way - that's pricey but it's a lot cheaper than Premium Economy.

We've compared the economy seat size of popular long and short haul carriers to see which airline you can bag the most legroom with in economy.

Fly from other European cities

If you want premium economy on long-haul for less, try connecting in Europe. 

Flights to the US can be cheaper from other European cities, like Dublin, Barcelona or Amsterdam, even when you include the additional flight from the UK to reach those airports. 

So, for example, instead of booking London to Los Angeles with British Airways, try London to Dublin, then Dublin to London and finally London to Los Angeles with British Airways. Counter intuitively, the latter can be cheaper (although your carbon footprint will be much higher). 

If you time it right, the savings can be ‘astronomical’, according to Gilbert Ott of travel blog God Save the Points. 'It's not at all uncommon for the lower fares to be offered by British Airways or another UK carrier,' from airports in continental Europe. 

There are some caveats. It can be a long day travelling, once you add in your additional flight. It's also important to make sure you book a 'through' ticket - that means you'll be rebooked for free if you miss your connection - or leave lots of time to make that connection. 

Find a package holiday deal

Our research has shown that package holidays can work out cheaper than booking flights and hotels separately. Your holiday also has much more protection under the package travel regulations. 

Choosing an upgrade to Premium Economy through your package holiday provider may also be cheaper than booking it separately through the airline. 

Consider if Premium Economy is worth it on your flight

For some airlines Premium Economy is definitely worth it - especially if you can get a cheaper deal. But other airlines got very average scores for food and drink - while BA got just two stars for value for money. 

 We looked at some of the biggest carriers to fly from the UK and ranked the best and worst airlines for premium economy.