a row of chairs in a plane
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Premium economy is the cabin behind business class that doesn’t have you arriving at the airport wondering if you can go through with it. It’s spacious, the legroom is great, the screens are bigger and you get a bunch more miles, so there’s a lot to love. It’s also just a few miles or a cheap offer from an upgrade to… business class.

There are amazing fares from the UK to cities all over the USA starting at just £475 all in round trip, with West Coast options under £600 as well. And yeah, that can put you just a few miles from an upgrade to business class too…

British Airways Premium EconomyPremium Economy Deals To USA

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are each in the midst of a sale, and that means slashing prices in all cabins. This time around, the particular focus is on cabins in front of the curtain, like premium and business class. Yesterday Virgin Atlantic had £1000 fares from London to Boston in Upper Class, and today both airlines still have £1100 offers in business class to quite a few cities.

But let’s stay on topic, because the real gems right now are Premium Economy. With premium flights for £475 and up, those are economy prices – but with so much more included, like checked bags. The best deals we found include…

  • £465 London to New York Round Trip
  • £536 London to Boston Round Trip
  • £540 London to Washington DC Round Trip
  • £550 London to San Francisco Round Trip
  • £584 London to Nashville Round Trip
  • £616 London to Los Angeles Round Trip

a row of chairs in a planeDates You Can Travel

The best fares are primarily available in April and May of 2020, and then return with some solid options in October and November as well. Other months like September and December are available roughly £100 higher, but that’s still about 30-40% lower than typical premium economy prices.

Most deals require at least a three night stay in the USA, while some need a 7 night stay. If two people are travelling, it’s worth looking into flight and hotel packages, since you may be able to wrangle three nights of hotel for under £600 per person, with the premium economy flights included!

How To Book These Flights

These flights are available directly with Delta, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic and you can book by clicking any of them. Booking direct typically makes it easier to process upgrades and manage your booking.

You can also find them on Skyscanner, Expedia, Kayak or your favorite online travel agency. We’ve made easy to use Skyscanner links which take you directly to the lowest prices, so you can then shop around and play with dates to find something perfect for you, like…

a bed in a planeSo how about that business class upgrade?

British Airways lets you upgrade any premium economy fare to business class, if a seat is available in business class using points. It costs about 20,000 Avios points and £150 one way from the UK to USA, and isn’t as lucrative in the other direction. Here’s a guide to getting it done.

Virgin Atlantic allows you to upgrade every premium economy fare but those that book into “K” class, which you can see under “fare rules” during booking. If there’s a seat available using points in Upper Class, you can then pay a difference (usually about £75) to book into the higher fare class that allows you to cash in your Flying Club Miles for an upgrade. Here’s a guide to upgrading on Virgin.

Basically, find seats in the next cabin by searching using points in Upper Class, then book yourself into premium on that flight and then call Virgin Atlantic to process the upgrade. It’ll be around 17,500 to 37,500 miles depending on city and dates.

You can also use points from either airline to make the fares less expensive, and premium economy for around £300 and 20,000 points in both directions sure ain’t bad! Enjoy the States.

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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2 Comments

  1. Superb deal, thanks I look forward to a clean cabin, great IFE & catering as advertised…
    Unlike the BA equivalent

  2. Because of the Coronavirus hype, why does the scene in “28 days later” with the plane contrails overhead keep coming to mind as I read airline deals from the UK? 🙂

    Seriously great post, thanks.

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