In today’s world each airline has so many choices when you buy a ticket. Personally, I like to be able to carry-on a bag and choose my seat. Those are no-negotiables for me. I won’t fly if I can’t do those things. Driving can be your friend, as can Amtrak.
When to Buy That Business/First Class Seat
I will look at the cheapest seat I can pick and also look at the first or business class ticket price. I subtract the coach ticket pick a seat price from the business ticket price. Then, I will employ my formula.
- I look at the total flight time, and factor in how long I’ll be sitting on the plane before takeoff and after landing.
- Then I subtract out the price of drinks or food I’d have on the plane or any baggage fees I’d be paying.
- Then I divide to see how much I’d be spending per hour in the nicer class.
It’s not a hard and fast rule, but my rule of thumb is if it will cost me less than $35 an hour to upgrade class I will do it.
When to Abort Mission, In My Opinion
Now – how do you afford that, Heidi?
Well, first of all, I usually use credit card awards / credits for hotels, so I am only paying for the airfare.
Secondly, unless I can get a deal, I’m only flying domestic. If all I can afford is a coach seat on a 7-hour flight; I don’t take the 7-hour flight. I am a firm believer that there are many great places in the US left to explore!
What happens if the formula does not work out to tell you to buy that business class seat? That my friend is when I put my miles to good use. Usually at that point I’ll upgrade to an exit row with miles.
United Explorer Card by Chase
I obviously earn miles by flying, but I also have the United Explorer Credit Card by Chase. It is not my primary card but it lives in my wallet. Not only does it give me free checked bags, but also if you continue earning United miles via the credit card, they never expire.
United Explorer Card Complimentary Lounge Passes
Now don’t you also get free entry once a year into the United Club? In theory yes I do, but I will not use it unless push comes to shove. I have Priority Pass and therefore usually have a better lounge option. The United Club one-time pass can only be used when the lounge isn’t full, which, in my experience, is not very often. If and only if Priority Pass doesn’t have better options do I use my once a year United Club pass.
Now Heidi, Didn’t They Raise the Price of the United Explorer Card?
Why yes, they did. And I considered doing a product switch. And then I did some reading and was encouraged to do the math. I realized, for now, I fly United enough that with the waived baggage fees alone I come out ahead with the card.
