You know you want a nicer flight. Maybe it's an overnight flight over to Europe. A long flight to Asia or your family's flight home from your dream vacation. Whatever the reason, you don't want to feel tired when you get there.

Great now you know what you want. 

A nicer seat. Upgrade your fare type. Preferred seat in your cabin. More bags. Lounge Access. Upgrade to a higher cabin. It all makes sense to upgrade each of these. That's why we click the upgrade button time and time again.

Upgrades are not all bad. There are many upgrades that you should pay for. Just don't assume it's better because it's called an "upgrade".

As mentioned above there are many types of business class. Your seat will vary and your benefits that come with that seat. You can be on the same flight but with different fare types and have different benefits. Business class on a short haul flight can mean a regular seat with no one in the middle. Business class on a long haul can be your full flat bed with aisle access. Different planes can offer different business class seats as well on the same airline.

So here are 5 questions to ask yourself before you decide to spend that extra money on your trip.

What am I upgrading to? 

I know you may think I'm being obvious but trust me it isn't.

Upgrading your seat could mean you are moving to a nicer seat. You could be moving to a different cabin or changing the benefits that come with your business class ticket.

These can all be different things. 

Make sure you look at what you're upgrading to. If it's an upgrade to a better business class seat, know what plane you're flying on. Is your seat fully flat? Does it have aisle access? Is it more private? Is it wider than your current seat? Longer? 

It's possible that you are flying business class but on a plane that offers smaller business class seats. Depending on the airline there could be private suites or maybe just a larger seat that reclines more on shorter routes.

Same if you're looking at upgrading to a preferred business class seat. Maybe you're upgrading to more privacy. A longer seat or maybe just a location in the cabin that you want. Some airlines are selling preferred business class seats on certain business class fare types.

You may want that preferred seat if you have a long overnight flight and want that window with privacy. It's all about what you want to spend your money on.

Does the upgrade apply to the entire flight or just one?

Another thing to remember when upgrading your flight is that it may only apply to one flight.

If you are flying to Bangkok from NY you will most likely have a connection. When the opportunity to upgrade to business class shows up on one of those flights you want to know which flight you're upgrading.

Not only will you only be on that one flight but the benefits that come with that upgrade will only apply to that one flight. When looking at upgrade info on airlines they tell you that some benefits such as more bags will only apply to the flight you're upgrading to.

Which means you could be spending that money on a shorter flight. There are many people who upgrade to business class on a short flight that is 4-5 hours. And stay on economy for their longer flight.

Usually for those flying for leisure they want to upgrade to their longest flight. That will allow you to sleep for more hours on your trip. So look at your flights and find out what flight you are upgrading to.

Next time someone asks you if an upgrade is a good deal for $500. Ask them what you are getting for that $500 and how many hours.

Are you paying for something you already have?

Now that there are different types of business class you need to know what your ticket includes. Some airlines offer a lower business class fare that will only include your carry on bag. There are higher fares that include more bags. Airport services and lounge access. You can also be charged for a preferred seat if you're flying on a certain business class fare type.

Yes, knowing what your ticket includes is helpful but do you actually need what you're trying to buy?

Do you need an additional bag? Will you be there early enough to enjoy the lounge? Will the fare type matter to you if you know when you're traveling? Do you want to pay for that specific seat or can you wait until complimentary seat selection and hope for the best.

Make sure you know what benefits you have from other aspects of your trip as well. If you already have lounge access from your airline status. Credit card or another leg of your trip then you may be double dipping on your upgrade.

Which brings us to our next point. You started your trip at $2,000 for business class. Now that you upgraded you have a $2,300 ticket. Added more benefits and now you're looking at $2,600 or $3,000 for your trip.

All of those may seem like a good deal when you buy them but when you look at the whole package maybe it isn't worth it.

Will I be able to modify my ticket?

Maybe this is the least exciting question to ask yourself when deciding to upgrade to a nicer seat. But it's the one that can help you save the most money.

Many people think when they pay to upgrade their seat to a nicer cabin that their ticket becomes a business class fare. This may not always be true. 

When upgrading your seat on some airlines you can keep the rules that come with your ticket that you bought. Meaning you could be flying business class but have some rules changed from your original ticket. 

Not only can your ticket have the original rules but the upgrade itself can have rules. If you decide to upgrade your flight there may not be a way to get that money back if you need to cancel or change your flight.

Always make sure you can modify your ticket. Change your dates. Cancel your flight and if the money you spent on that upgrade will be refunded to you. This is important if you're flying on vacation. Things change and you may need to alter your trip.

It's better to pay a bit more for your business class fare that will allow you to do these things than have all those upgrades and not be able to change anything.

Would you buy it for everyone? 

When traveling with another person or your family you want to know the price of the upgrade for all of you.

$450 to upgrade to business class sounds nice.

If you're traveling with 2 people that's $900. If your family of 4 is flying its $1,800.

Would you still want to upgrade? 

There is no dollar amount that a business class upgrade should be worth. People will always say things such as it's worth it if you're flying overnight. It's worth it if the flight is longer than x amount of hours. Know what you're paying for and how long that flight is and decide what works for you.

If you're traveling with kids you may not want to upgrade to the best seat. The business class seats that have privacy may not be best if you have a small kid that needs to reach you while the seat belt sign is on. Some airlines warn you about this if you're flying with a small child.

Make sure you look at the seat map for your family and see if you like those seats.

What else can that money buy you? 

If your family of 4 was going to pay $1,800 to upgrade your flights. What could you spend that $1,800 on? One more night at your hotel? Airport shuttle? Nicer rooms? A couple of nice meals? 

Maybe it's better to find a business class fare that gets you everything you want and need.

Finding A Business Class Fare That Works For You.

Instead of buying your flight and upgrading it to what you want. Try to find a business class fare that you like.

BCFlights can help you find a business class fare that fits your travel needs. We offer travel itineraries that will match what you're looking for. We can help you find flights to multiple destinations that will fit your budget and offer assistance throughout your trip.

If you're flying for leisure there is no reason to not look into what other business class fares are available. It may end up being cheaper to pay more for a business class fare and less for all those upgrades that you were planning to buy.

Find out how much your trip will cost once you finish your upgrade process.

Upgrade Your Trip Not Your Price. 

Always ask yourself if the upgrade is going to better your trip. Help you sleep on that long overnight flight. Get your family the seats you need or allow you to have more flexibility. Whatever it is that will make your trip. Spend that money and know that you're paying for something that will help your experience.

Before you click that upgrade button ask yourself what you are getting. If it applies to your whole flight. Are you paying for something you already have? If your plans change, will you get that money back? And will you buy it for everyone? 

If you still feel like it's a good deal then enjoy that upgrade. If you find yourself paying for all the add ons then it may be time to look for a better business class deal. BCFlights can help you find business class deals based on your needs.