Is business class worth it?
“Business” can mean a private suite with a door – or an economy seat with the middle left empty. SkyBuddy's upgrade score compares economy and business on the same flights and tells you which one you're paying for.
How the upgrade score works
- What you really getFree middle seat 1 · bigger seat 2.5 · recliner 3.5 · lie-flat bed 7–9 · suite with a door 10.
- How long you get it forA bed is worth more on 12 hours overnight than on a 2-hour hop.
- What it costs extraThe premium in euros, in percent and per flight hour.
Score = seat × flight time ÷ price premium, from 0 to 10: 7+ worth it, 4.5+ maybe, below that not worth it. Only the seat counts – lounges, bags and food come on top.
Examples
| Flight | Business seat | Extra | Upgrade score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copenhagen → Barcelona SAS · 2h 50m |
An economy seat with the middle kept free | +166% | 0.4Not worth it |
| Istanbul → Copenhagen Turkish Airlines · 3h 05m |
A lie-flat bed with aisle access | +339% | 2.0Not worth it |
| Amsterdam → Dubai Emirates · 7h 00m |
A lie-flat bed with aisle access | +349% | 4.5Maybe |
| London → Singapore Singapore Airlines · 13h 55m |
A lie-flat bed with aisle access | +470% | 4.3Not worth it |
Examples from SkyBuddy's indicative timetable; open any flight in a search to see its own upgrade score.
Frequently asked questions
Is business class worth it?
It depends on what the business seat really is and how long you sit in it. A lie-flat bed on a night flight is a big upgrade; on short European flights business is usually an economy seat with the middle kept free, which is rarely worth paying double for.
What do you get in European business class?
On most European flights, business is the same seat as economy with the middle seat left empty, plus better food, bags and lounge access.
When is a business upgrade worth it?
When you get a lie-flat bed on a flight of 6+ hours and pay no more than about 2.5 times the economy fare. SkyBuddy's upgrade score shows this for every flight.