How a Travel Expert Makes an Economy Flight Feel Like an Upgrade

Economy seats may be smaller than those in upgraded classes, but that doesn’t mean you have to be cramped between passengers.

Economy tickets may not include a meal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a fine-dining experience.

The economy cabin will never be as comfortable as first classbut that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it.

Enter Zach Griff, travel expert and author of the travel newsletter From the Tray Table. Griff estimates he’s spent 3,500 hours flying more than 1.8 million miles in business and first-class cabins. He flies 150,000 miles a year on average, including roughly 50,000 in economy.

With so much experience in premium cabinsGriff has a few tips that make his economy flights feel like an upgrade.

Start by booking a flight during an unpopular travel time.

Early morning flights may be less crowded.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

One of the big perks of premium cabins is having more personal space. If you can avoid flying in a crowded economy cabin, you may be more likely to end up with an empty seat next to you, which can feel like an upgrade, Griff told Business Insider.

According to Griff, the earliest and latest departures of the day tend to have the most empty seats. Aim for a Saturday or midweek booking, he added.

Try to find a flight with two-seater rows.

Economy-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane cabin with rows of seatback screens, overhead bins, and a central aisle. — A wide-body plane with two-seater rows.

Chris Cooper/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Griff said sitting in a row without a middle seat can make economy feel like an upgrade, too. There are rows like this on some wide-body planes, which have two aisles and are typically used for long-distance travel. So while you’re searching for flights for your next international trip, take a look at the seat map before you book.

Keep checking for open seats until boarding and move to the row with the most space.

Passenger's feet in beige clogs rest on a blue airplane seat beside visible seat belts in the cabin. — An empty row of seats can make economy feel like an upgrade.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When Griff flies economy, he starts checking the seat map for his trip two days before departure to see how full it is.

“If it’s looking like maybe another row has more space, I’d always move to that row to see if that may end up open,” he said. “Monitor the seat map until the minute before boarding starts and move around to optimize your chances of finding an empty seat.”

You may even end up with your own row.

Treat yourself to a nice meal.

Passenger seated in a private aircraft suite with a tray table meal and drinks beside cabin windows. — Griff enjoys a premium class meal on a flight.

Courtesy of Zach Griff

In many cases, business and first-class tickets come with the added perk of an in-flight meal. If you’re in economy, Griff recommends bringing your own dish or getting some takeout on your way to the gate.

“Treat yourself to something a little bit nicer because you’re sitting in economy,” he added.

Make sure you’re not missing out on any perks from airline status or credit cards.

A hand holds several overlapping Visa and Mastercard payment cards, including Lufthansa Miles & More and Deutsche Bahn cards. — Airline status and credit cards may come with perks for economy travelers.

Lino Mirgeler/picture alliance via Getty Images

Even if you’re flying economy, having a credit card or elite status with the airline may make you eligible for free checked bags, earlier boarding, or possibly better seats, Griff said.

Finally, pack your own amenities to stay comfortable.

Passenger wearing a black sleep mask sits in a dimly lit airplane cabin with overhead lights. — Griff wears a sleep mask in a premium class.

Courtesy of Zach Griff

To make flying economy more comfortable, dress in athleisure and pack a sleep mask and noise-canceling headphones, Griff said. If you have a small massage gun, toss that in your carry-on, too, he added.

With your mask on, earbuds in, a full belly, and an empty seat next to you, you may feel like you’re on the other side of the cabin curtain.

Source: www.businessinsider.com