“Overall, you pay less than last year, but how much less and when is still to be seen,” Ms. Berg said.
First class does not necessarily guarantee space
Recently flying back from his second home in Tucson, Ariz., To Chicago, George Fink, who works in finance, upgraded to first class at American, with 55,000 miles for the one-way ticket in hopes of more space. Instead, he found himself wearing a seatmate with a mask that did not cover his nose. He asked his colleague, who ignored him, to cover up. He tried next to the pilot, who would not help. The back of the plane was also full, making it impossible to move. Then the attendees served a meal.
“That meant everyone in first class hung up their masks and ate for half an hour, that all the masking and space was for nothing,” he said.
Only Delta and Alaska have promised to reduce the density in the forward cabin to 50 percent. (Southwest has no first or business class; JetBlue blocks six of 16 seats in its forward-class Mint cabins.) Floors that opt for the upgrade for other carriers – sometimes at very attractive prices – can find their wider, more spacious seats just inches from the passengers next to them.
Experts advise looking for aircraft configurations that include single-seat configurations. For example, on the Dreamliner that Mr. Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, booked from Los Angeles to Newark, the seating configuration was business-class 1-2-1. (Keep in mind that carriers have the right to change aircraft per their transport contracts.)
“It’s a good way to fly if you do not want someone next to you,” Mr Hobica said.
Megan Solis, a Chicago teacher, bought three $ 450 business-class return tickets to United in early September so she and her husband could take their oldest child to college in Boston, with credits from a previously canceled trip. At the moment, the last seat in the row with four seats of the family is empty and they hope it stays that way.
The relatively low fare was secondary in her decision. “I was more comfortable with the space upstairs, even before I saw the price,” she said.
