How to save on premium economy fares

Premium economy is supposed to be a more affordable way to get a more comfortable seat and better food on your flight, but our analysis found it is very expensive to upgrade from economy class. 

When we compared prices across multiple airlines we found that premium economy fares can be up to twice as expensive as economy ones.

Many of the tips you’ll see online about saving on premium economy class aren't true either. You won't get a free upgrade by wearing nice clothes or giving a gift to the cabin crew.

Free upgrades, while rare, do happen, but you would be better off using seat upgrade bidding sites or even buying a bulkhead seat if legroom is what is most important.

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Can I get a free upgrade to premium economy?

When we surveyed passengers about premium economy in 2023, a tiny number of passengers told us that they had got a free upgrade. Of those who had flown premium economy or business class, only 3% said they had got their upgrade for free, but this was higher with some airlines than others.

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

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 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. 

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 can 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 2025, an extra legroom seat was £41 each way – that's a lot more than the £24 when we checked in summer 2023 - but it's cheaper than premium economy.

Virgin Atlantic has something called Economy Delight, which is halfway between standard economy and premium economy. It gets you more legroom and priority boarding for about £150 more than the cheapest fare on the flights we looked at.

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.

Ignore Full-flex tickets

Some premium economy fares with British Airways were more than three times as expensive as economy fares. This is because the only Premium Economy seats available were 'full-flex' - allowing you to change or cancel the dates of your flight for free. Other fare types are typically non-refundable. 

However, if you have no interest in a fully flexible ticket, it's not worth paying the hundreds of pounds more for premium.

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, such as Dublin, Barcelona or Amsterdam, even when you include the extra 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

Different airlines provide different things under the banner of premium economy. The last time we surveyed passengers about premium economy in 2023, British Airways got 58% and Virgin Atlantic got 79%. It may have improved since then, but in our more recent economy survey, it was still lagging a long way behind its rivals for long-haul and short-haul.

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