In order to alleviate the cumbersomeness and discomfort of long-distance flights, many passengers will consider the choice of "first class" or "business class" flights. This article will discuss how to weigh options and how to reduce costs.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/OpenSkies_Prem_Plus_cabin.jpg/220px-OpenSkies_Prem_Plus_cabin.jpg)
What can you get by choosing an upgrade
The facilities of First Class and Business Class (also known as Premium Class) vary greatly depending on the airline and even the type of aircraft, and must be carefully studied before choosing.
The following overview discusses the facilities you can expect on a long-haul flight (usually defined as a flight longer than six hours). Except for some high-profile Asian routes (such as Hong Kong-Singapore), general short-haul routes usually do not provide business class and first class. Except few airlines will set up premium cabins on short-haul routes. Short-haul business class is increasingly tending to provide the same limited flight facilities as economy class. The main selling points are flexibility and opportunity lounges and other benefits.
If you are flying in North America, the extra features that most passengers must now pay for (such as food, entertainment and checked luggage) are already included in the ticket price of premium passengers.
Premium Economy
Certain airlines provide "premium economy class" or "super value economy class" on certain aircraft. It provides a larger and more comfortable seat than the standard economy, and is cheaper than business class. On international flights, premium economy seats can be equal to business class in the 1980s. The extra fee may double the cost of your ticket, especially if you are traveling to and from Asia. Sometimes, when there are no passengers in the high-end economy class, the airline is in a load balance arrangement. It may provide upgrade opportunities for the high-end economy class at about 10% of the fare before departure, or directly arrange for a higher class in economy class. High passengers are directly upgraded. You can check whether you have a chance to upgrade before buying a ticket.