We all dream of traveling in business or first class, however, it is a luxury that most travelers cannot afford.
Airline industry experts have analyzed Google Flights data to determine the airlines with the smallest difference in prices between economy and business or first class and reveal the most affordable airlines to upgrade with.
Top 5 cheapest airlines to upgrade to first class with
Rank | Airline | Economy | First class | Difference |
1 | All Nippon Airways | $5,010 | $14,260 | 185% |
2 | Thai Airways | $1,587 | $6,562 | 313% |
3 | Korean Air | $990 | $5,041 | 409% |
4 | Lufthansa | $1,260 | $7,260 | 477% |
5 | Garuda Indonesia | $640 | $4,016 | 527% |
The airline where the difference between economy and first-class tickets is smallest is All Nippon Airways. However, this is partially because ANA tickets are so expensive to begin with, with the average economy ANA ticket from Tokyo is $5,010.
In second is Thai Airways, where a first-class ticket is 313% more expensive than an economy one (on average). The majority of services on Thai Airways are between Asia and Europe, including a direct route from Thailand to London Heathrow.
All three of the airlines with the smallest price differences are based in Asia, with Korean Air coming third. With Korean Air, average first-class tickets cost over 400% more than economy, but that’s still one of the most affordable first-class prices ($5,041).
Top 5 cheapest airlines to upgrade to business class with
Rank | Airline | Economy | Business class | Difference |
1 | Vietnam Airlines | $579 | $1,217 | 110% |
2 | Asiana Airlines | $544 | $1,182 | 117% |
3 | EVA Air | $633 | $1,474 | 133% |
4 | Fiji Airways | $447 | $1,146 | 156% |
5 | Finnair | $337 | $914 | 172% |
Vietnam Airlines is the best airline to upgrade to business class with. The difference between the average fare for this airline is around double, with the average business class flight being $1,217, compared to $579 for economy.
The second cheapest airline to upgrade to business class with is Asiana. Asiana is based in South Korea and its business class is split into two options: standard business and a more premium ‘business smartium’ class.
EVA, another Asian airline, is the third cheapest airline to upgrade to business class with. EVA Air’s business offering is known as “Royal Laurel”, or “Premium Laurel” and it also offers these on its short-haul services.