Published 23 May 2026 | Updated 29 October 2026 by Kate Acaster
A cheap business class upgrade can come from Avios on a BA cash fare, points or a seat-map price on Virgin Atlantic, or a bid on Virgin or Lufthansa. BA offers no Avios upgrades at the airport or on board, and its lowest economy fares, Q, O and G, can’t be upgraded with Avios at any time. On a peak one-way trip from London to New York, BA prices the step from World Traveller Plus to Club World at 30,000 Avios, plus taxes, fees and carrier charges.
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Which cheap business class upgrade route fits you
| Route | Where you ask | Cutoff and catch | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Avios upgrade | Manage My Booking, or the book and upgrade form | Until online check-in. Not at the airport or on board. Fares Q, O and G are excluded | Avios gap between cabins, plus cash, taxes and fees |
| Virgin points upgrade | By phone before travel, or ask at the airport | Not online in My Booking | The points difference, worked out by how you booked, plus any tax and fee difference |
| Virgin cash upgrade | Seat map in My Booking | Not every available upgrade shows here | The price on the seat |
| Virgin Your Bid | Selected flights only | Assessed 7 to 2 days before departure | Your bid, per passenger, plus taxes |
| Lufthansa offer | My bookings | Change it until 49 hours before departure | Your offer, for everyone on the ticket |
Price the gap before you pay. A step up is only cheap if it costs less than the fare difference to the next cabin, and less than the seat is worth to you on that flight.
British Airways: upgrading with Avios
BA’s upgrade page covers British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines flights, one way or return, at booking or later. The British Airways Club’s conditions of use list fare classes for British Airways-operated flights only, so check your own booking first. The next cabin needs Reward Flight availability, and requests can’t be waitlisted.
| Route | You book | You can upgrade to |
|---|---|---|
| Short-haul | Euro Traveller | Club Europe |
| Long-haul | World Traveller | World Traveller Plus |
| Long-haul | World Traveller Plus | Club World |
| Long-haul | Club World | First |
Q, O and G fares can’t be upgraded with Avios at any time. You can upgrade until online check-in at ba.com, or through a BA service centre. On ba.com, click the flight number under ‘Flight operating airline’ on the Choose your flights page to see your fare class.
| Cabin you book | Eligible fare classes |
|---|---|
| Euro Traveller and World Traveller | Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, S and V |
| World Traveller Plus | W, E and T |
| Club World and Club Europe | J, C, D, R and I |
BA’s own example is a peak one-way trip from London to New York. Club World at 90,000 Avios minus World Traveller Plus at 60,000 Avios leaves 30,000 Avios to upgrade, plus the cash fare, taxes, fees and carrier charges. You can cut the Avios by paying extra cash.
Price the 30,000 Avios against the cash gap before you buy any. Use Avios you’ve earned and can’t spend better, and compare any bought Avios with the cash price of the same step. Our guide to what Avios points are worth and our guide to when BA releases flights may help you plan the timing.
Virgin Atlantic: seat-map prices, points and vouchers
Virgin Atlantic sells upgrades through the seat map, by phone for points, and through bids. For cash, log in to My Booking, open the seat map and hover or tap a seat to see the price and pay online. If no option shows, Virgin says that doesn’t necessarily mean none is available. Points work whether you booked with points or money, but not online in My Booking. Call before you travel, or ask at the airport. Our Virgin Atlantic upgrade guide and Flying Club guide cover the airline’s own routes.
| Your original booking | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Paid with points | The points price of the new seat minus the original, plus any tax and fee difference |
| Paid with money, or Points Plus Money | The new seat’s points price minus the maximum Saver reward price for the cabin you’re leaving. The money part includes a carrier surcharge deduction at that Saver rate |
Inside 24 hours, or at the airport, Virgin quotes a points price plus taxes and fees on the spot, if a higher seat is free. BA offers no Avios step up there.
You earn no extra Virgin Points or Tier Points for a successful bid, or for a step up paid for inside 24 hours of departure, including at the airport. Points follow the cabin you originally bought. Companion and Upgrade vouchers, earned with the Virgin Atlantic credit card or Gold Flying Club status, can pay for any seat or upgrade up to their maximum points value.
Bid upgrades: Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa
A bid lets you name a price for a higher cabin and wait. Virgin Atlantic’s Your Bid runs on selected flights, and Lufthansa takes offers through My bookings. Both ask for your card details when you bid, and neither charges you unless you win.
| Rule | Virgin Atlantic | Lufthansa |
|---|---|---|
| Who the bid covers | Everyone in the booking, priced per passenger and per sector | Everyone on the ticket, priced per route. Group bookings are excluded |
| When you find out | Bids are assessed 7 to 2 days before departure and winners are emailed in that window | By email, at the latest 48 hours before departure |
| Change or cancel | Up to 2 days before departure, if the bid isn’t yet accepted | Up to 49 hours before departure |
| If you win | Payment is non-refundable once taken, unless Virgin cancels or can’t honour the upgrade. You get lounge access at the departure airport for that sector, subject to space, and the higher cabin’s baggage allowance | Your card is debited and you get new tickets. Miles are credited for the higher class |
| If you lose | Your card isn’t charged | You fly the class you booked, at no extra cost |
Virgin’s own example: a party of four who want to bid £100 each have to bid £400. Lufthansa multiplies the same way, so a three-person ticket triples the offer. Virgin adds taxes on top of your bid. A winning bid can’t be refunded once paid, unless Virgin cancels or can’t honour it.
“Treat a bid as a bonus, not a plan. You won’t know the result until a week out at best, and with Lufthansa as late as 48 hours before departure. Book the seat you can live with, set the most you’d happily pay, and keep the rest of the trip, from lounge plans to who sits where, flexible until the answer arrives.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
On Lufthansa, long-haul economy passengers can offer for Premium Economy or Business, Premium Economy passengers for Business, and Business passengers for First. On short and medium routes, economy passengers can offer for the next cabin up.
What changes at the airport
BA won’t take Avios for a step up at the airport or on board, and Avios requests made online close at check-in. Virgin quotes a points price plus taxes and fees at the airport and inside 24 hours, if a higher seat is free. Lufthansa emails the result of an offer at the latest 48 hours before departure.
Before you pay for an upgrade
Check the fare gap to the next cabin, then the quote, then what a bought Avios top-up would cost. If the quote is close to the fare gap, price the higher cabin on sale before you pay. Our BA business class sale post and British Airways sale dates guide show when higher-cabin fares come down, and our latest UK travel deals and cheap flight deals list new fares.
Business class upgrade FAQs
What is the cheapest way to upgrade to business class?
No single route is cheapest in the pages we read. An Avios upgrade, a Virgin bid and a Lufthansa offer each need pricing against the fare gap to the next cabin.
Is it cheaper to upgrade at the airport?
The pages we read don’t say airport upgrades cost less. BA won’t sell an Avios upgrade there, while Virgin quotes a points price plus taxes and fees if a higher seat is free.
Is it cheaper to upgrade to business class after booking?
The pages we read don’t compare the cost of upgrading at booking with upgrading later. BA says you can upgrade with Avios at booking or later, Virgin shows seat-map prices in My Booking, and Lufthansa takes offers through My bookings.
Can I upgrade with Avios after booking?
Yes, on BA, up to online check-in and if the next cabin has Reward Flight availability. Fares Q, O and G can’t be upgraded with Avios.
How do I upgrade to premium economy?
On BA, Avios can upgrade long-haul World Traveller to World Traveller Plus if Reward Flight availability exists. Virgin takes points for a Premium seat by phone, and Lufthansa takes offers from long-haul economy through My bookings.
Are bid upgrades worth it?
The pages we read don’t say how often bids win. Your card is charged only if a bid is accepted, and Virgin’s winning bids are non-refundable once paid unless Virgin cancels or can’t honour them.
Can you get a free business class upgrade?
None of the BA, Virgin Atlantic or Lufthansa pages we read promises one for free. Virgin’s vouchers, earned with its credit card or Gold status, can pay for a step up to a points value.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
How Kate works
Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
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