The $50-per-hour rule for deciding whether to upgrade your flight

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I love elevating my travel by upgrading to first or business class — but not always. In fact, I have a very specific rule to help me quickly decide whether to accept an upgrade offer or decline it because it's overpriced.

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When deciding whether to upgrade your flight, it’s important to have a benchmark in place ahead of time. I always ask about an upgrade when I check my bag, and if you have to make a quick decision, it’s much easier if you already have a rule in mind.

I fly a lot, so I always keep the same rule: I'll upgrade if it breaks down to less than $50 an hour.

There’s no rhyme or reason why I chose $50 as my benchmark, other than that I think additional comfort, amenities, and ease are worth at least $50. It also prevents me from overspending on an upgrade. The longest nonstop flight in the world is around 19 hours, so in essence, I would never pay more than $950 for an upgrade.

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Travel lighter without sacrificing the essentials

In February, I flew from Rome (FCO) to Mexico City (MEX) via Paris (CDG) on Air France. The flight from CDG to MEX is around 12 hours. I originally took advantage of a Flying Blue Promo Award, which allowed me to book a premium economy ticket for just 5,000 miles more than an economy ticket would cost. I have long legs, so any extra space helps, especially when I’ll be in the air for more than half a day.

The day before my flight, I got a notification that I could upgrade to business for just $388. As much as I love to save money, I was immediately intrigued by the offer. My flight was operated by an Airbus A350-900, which Air France refreshed within the last few years. The seats are comfortable and spacious, with plenty of storage to keep your belongings organized.

In this case, $388 for 12 hours broke down to just $32.33 per hour. I also factored in the four hours of lounge access I received before the flight, which lowered the hourly rate to just $24.25. I also figured that the fast Wi-Fi in the lounge and extra space during the flight would allow me to work so I could make up for the last-minute expense. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to work on the flight due to an unresponsive Wi-Fi system, but I was very productive in the lounge.

Apart from the lie-flat seat (complete with a mattress topper), business class offers perks like expedited check-in, priority boarding, and lounge access. My layover in Paris was almost four hours. I’ve been to Paris enough and transited through CDG enough times to know that there wouldn’t be any lounges available to me during my layover. On a long travel day, the last thing I want to do is sit at a gate for four hours hoping for reliable internet.

One of the main benefits of comfort that I often forget to calculate is rest. I’ve taken plenty of long-haul flights in economy, and no matter what I do, I’m tired when I get off the plane. However, whenever I fly in business class, I’m able to rest and arrive at my destination feeling refreshed. From the moment I touched down in Mexico City, I was able to tackle my work and responsibilities, which I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.

Ultimately, getting to fly in business class is always a dream come true. And when it costs just $388 for a relatively new, elevated hard product, I like to jump on it.

If you want to hold yourself accountable, set your own hourly rate before your next flight so it’s a clear yes-or-no when you receive an upgrade offer.

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