Should I Upgrade To Business Class? The Pros & Cons

‘Should I upgrade to business class?’ - the number 1 question people ask themselves before a 10-hour-plus flight. To help you make your mind up, here are some pros & cons:

The Pros

One of the best perks of business class is often getting priority check-in, boarding, getting off the plane, and luggage collection—making it a huge timesaver! Business class often comes with other perks as well, such as access to a business lounge, nicer headphones, better selection on the TV screen in the backs of the seats, and better food options. If you generally have body pain, then the comfier seat could make a huge difference to your mobility after sitting there for such a long journey, especially if you have an extra hour trip to your accommodation.

The Cons

For a short flight, choosing business class can make the flight cost 5X as much! While the extra cost might be more worth it on a 13-hour flight, it’s simply a waste of money on a 2-hour flight. It’s obviously not the best option if your business’s travel is on a tight budget as it’s not the most cost-effective way to travel.

While certainly more comfortable and roomy than flying economy, it’s still a seat on a plane, so if you’re expecting to be sat in an armchair, I’m sorry to disappoint you. You need to decide if it’s worth the extra cost for what is still a relatively small amount of space. If you aren’t the sort of person who can sleep anywhere, it’s still unlikely that you’ll be able to get any rest in business class either, so if falling asleep was the main draw, it might not be worth it to upgrade.

Depending on the airline, it might not be all that much better. Some airlines go all out to make business class a luxury, while others give you some extra room and call it a day. It’s worth checking which your airline is before deciding. However, this difference in level of luxury will likely also be reflected in the cost. Flights that don’t leave Europe also often make their business class almost the same as economy, with just some extra leg room and bigger seats—arguably not worth the extra cost.

The Cost

The price for each flight will be different as the airline, country of origin, distance of the flight, and potentially the model of plane all make a difference. Here are some example business return prices:

*Price per person at time of writing, for specific dates. Prices will change.

• London - Seoul with Lufthansa £2,581
• London - Faro with TAP Portugal £364
• London - Sydney with Air India £4,476
• London - Reykjavik with Lufthansa £520
• London - Geneva with British Airways £296
• London - Brisbane with Korean Air £5,250

About Our Flights Booking Service

Compare Seats in Different Cabins on Virgin Atlantic Flights