Like most travelers, I'd prefer to fly in business class or premium economy versus regular economy on long-haul flights. Although the buy-up to premium economy is often steep, whether paying with cash or redeeming miles, I've found a few cases recently where it was surprisingly affordable and well worth the extra money, points or miles.
For example, I recently took a nonstop Air Canada flight from Brussels to Toronto. Booked through Air Canada Aeroplan, I could have redeemed 30,700 points in economy or 47,500 points in premium economy (and $47 in taxes and fees in either cabin).
When I walked through the economy cabin during meal service, I noticed the economy passengers received smaller trays with plastic containers, a chocolate pudding dessert instead of an apple tart and pasta or chicken dishes that looked far less appealing.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on The Points Guy Articles.
