Buying a business class ticket outright does not come cheap. It’s often estimated a full fare ticket can be between $1,500 – $5,000 each way depending on where and when you are flying. It’s not surprise we have rated Air France as the best option to fly to Paris but it’s also offers some of the best airline food in the sky.
However, the good news for Air France customers is that there are multiple ways to upgrade from a lower class ticket at a fraction of the price.
We’ve found deals in the range of $250 – $500 to upgrade from Economy prior to departure. Compared to the full price ticket that is a steal. If you are flying in Premium Economy the upgrade cost can even be cheaper.
Even though Air France moved to a revenue based model in 2017 we often still find people getting deals after they book.
We will break down how you can go about requesting and upgrade on your next flight.
Once you have a your reservation ticketed there are a few ways you can apply for an upgrade. The easiest will be online but don’t rule out checking once you arrive at the airport.
Here is how you can go about upgrading:
Air France makes it easy to apply for an upgrade on their website. This is how you can apply:
It’s possible you may see a high fee to upgrade, which is due to the revenue based system that is actually just charging you the fair difference. If this happens to you don’t give up and try another way of calling the airline or checking at the airport.
Another option is to call the airline directly and ask for a price. Air France reservation number is 1 (800) 237-2747. If you are having trouble getting through to them try calling an office in another country, as recommend in our best way to reach an airline agent.
You can also upgrade when you are checking in at the airport and see if there are any last minute seats available. This is the way we scored our $300 upgrade from Paris to New York on Air France, when originally booked in Premium Economy.
Although this is last minute, if you are not expecting an upgrade then getting one at the airport is one of the most satisfying feelings. Make sure to be polite to your check in agent as they will be more inclined to help you score the better seat.
There are two ways you can pay for an upgrade, either with cash or with miles. Both options are good, especially if you have miles to spare. Here is how you can go about it and how much you can expect to pay.
We have seen that it costs between $250 and $500 to upgrade to Air France business class. This was always the range for tickets until Air France moved to a revenue based system in 2017.
The possibilities now are much higher with some users seeing over $1,000 just to upgrade. Of course this depends on the flight and how much space is available so we recommend asking to see if you can get lucky for a cheap ticket.
If you have Air France miles to spare then this is a great time to use them for an upgrade. The ranges are rather large but it’ll save you some money when looking to upgrade.
Here are the miles you can expect to pay if you are flying Economy:
| Routes | To Premium Economy (miles) | To Business Class (miles) |
|---|---|---|
| North America – Europe | 7,500 – 47,500 | 15,000 – 60,000 |
| North America – India | 10,000 – 78,000 | 25,000 – 96,000 |
| North America – Middle East | 10,000 – 76,000 | 25,000 – 95,000 |
| North America – Southeast Asia | 10,000 – 75,000 | 25,000 – 95,000 |
If you are already booked in Premium Economy it becomes cheaper to move to business class. Here are the rates we observed:
| Routes | To Business Class (miles) |
|---|---|
| North America – Europe | 10,000 – 30,000 |
| North America – India | 15,000 – 50,000 |
| North America – Middle East | 15,000 – 60,000 |
| North America – Southeast Asia | 15,000 – 50,000 |
In order to actually upgrade your flight with miles here are the steps you’ll need to follow on Air France website
Paying to upgrade to business class after you purchase a ticket is often a significantly cheaper alternative than buying a business class ticket outright. Note in recent years Air France has moved to a dynamical pricing model that can sometimes charge the actual fare difference making it not worth the upgrade.
We have still seen many travelers still score deals between $250 – $500 to upgrade to business class so we would say it’s still worth a shot. Keep your travel plans flexible and don’t bank on getting a reasonable upgrade offer but it’s always worth a shot in our opinion.
View Comments
is it possible to upgrade for miles or cash if my original flight is booked for miles? Or should the original ticket must be for cash? Thanks.
Yes, it is possible to upgrade with cash on an award ticket however they might only offer this at check in. It's typically around €800 from Economy to Business and €350 from Premium Economy to Business.
Hey,
I'm going from Toronto to Paris but the business class was 7k CAD. How much on average do you think they might ask at the airport? Also, you mentioned cash but they don't take credit/debit card?
It should be the same price last I tried about a month ago - around €800 from Economy to Business and €350 from Premium Economy to Business. Of course only if there are seats open. Also to clarify they do take credit/debit at the check in counter.
Please report back if you were successful and how much it cost
If you want to earn Skymiles on the trip, will you be required to earn Bluepoints if you use Bluepoints to upgrade the itinerary??
Kann man das Upgrade auch beim online check-in buchen oder muss man das am Flughafen machen?
Möglicherweise können Sie beim Check-in online buchen, aber meiner Erfahrung nach bieten sie Ihnen die Preisdifferenz an. Wenn Sie die günstigere Upgrade-Option wünschen, habe ich sie nur beim Einchecken am Flughafen angeboten gesehen.
Tried to upgrade a flight between Detroit and Paris that was purchased with Flying Blue points. Agent confirmed I wasn't eligible for any paid upgrade until check-in opens 24 hours before the flight.
Got it, that makes sense. Let us know if you were able to pull off an upgrade and how much it was. If your in economy I'm still estimating about 800 euros or 350 from premium economy.