Travel Blogger's Economy Flight Strategy
A travel blogger who primarily reviews premium cabins reveals he still flies economy for 20% of his flight segments, detailing the specific conditions
Travel blogger Ben Schlappig, who runs One Mile at a Time, flies in economy class for roughly 20% of his flight segments. He detailed his specific strategy for when he chooses not to book first or business class in a recent post on his site.
Schlappig explained that his tolerance for economy has changed over two decades and millions of miles flown. While he was once happy with economy, even on consecutive short redeye flights, he now values comfort more due to decreased stamina. The availability of inflight Wi-Fi means he can work just as productively in the air, but a premium cabin seat makes using a laptop far more comfortable. His financial situation also allows a greater willingness to pay for a better experience.
"I have absolutely no issues flying economy on a short or medium haul flight," Schlappig stated. He tries to avoid economy on longer flights and avoids redeye flights altogether unless he can secure a flat bed seat.
Limits to premium cabin spending
Despite valuing premium cabins, Schlappig sets strict financial limits. He stated he would never book a "full fare" long haul business class ticket, which can cost $10,000 or more, preferring to "suffer" through economy and spend the money on the ground instead. For domestic U.S. flights, he has a personal valuation: he is typically willing to pay roughly an extra $50 per hour over an economy fare for a first class seat.
His general booking strategy hinges on flexibility. For long haul travel, he almost always uses miles to redeem first and business class seats at the saver rate. He will sometimes waitlist for an upgrade, like with American Airlines' systemwide upgrades, but only if he is very confident it will clear or if his ticket is fully flexible.
For short haul travel, his approach is mixed. He may book economy and hope for a complimentary upgrade if he holds elite status, though he notes this is unreliable. If upgrade odds seem poor, he searches for decent first class cash fares or takes advantage of reasonably priced cash upgrade offers from airlines. He sometimes finds it worthwhile to redeem miles for short haul first class, citing American AAdvantage's good redemption rates.
Specific scenarios for choosing economy
Schlappig outlined several specific situations where he does not bother trying for a premium cabin. Within Europe, he is happy to fly point-to-point on ultra-low-cost carriers with good schedules, as flights are short and intra-Europe business class is not compelling. On short domestic U.S. flights, like his frequent Miami-Tampa route, he books the most convenient economy flight with no upgrade considerations. When traveling with his young children, he largely prefers economy because it is easier to be close to a toddler than in a more spaced-out first class cabin.
While economy represents 20% of his flight segments, it accounts for only 3% of his total distance flown. This is because a majority of those economy segments were on flights under 500 miles. His travel patterns show a continued reliance on miles and points to access premium cabins for the bulk of his long-haul travel.
