The Upgraded Points Team’s Best Flights in 2025

When you fly a lot, it can take a truly special trip to stand out as the best of the year.

Was it the most luxurious in-air experience? Was it the excitement of where you’re heading, or maybe who you were flying with?

Our team members had varying reasons for selecting their favorite flights this year, and the flights they chose were just as diverse as the reasons each made it to the top of the list.

Read on to learn about our favorite flights of 2025.

Alex Miller, Founder and CEO

I was lucky enough to fly Etihad’s “The Residence” in 2024, and it was so epic that I made it my mission to fly it again in 2025!

My friend and I flew the (very) long way to Singapore (SIN) from Toronto (YYZ) via Abu Dhabi (AUH), all on Etihad’s beautiful A380. We booked The Residence and one of The Apartment seats.

The Residence, in my opinion, boasts an unbeatable 3-room setup, featuring a living room (see below), your own private bathroom and shower, and a double bed!

To minimize the damage and pull this off, I maximized a hefty 40% transfer bonus from Capital One to Etihad in March, in combination with a cash upgrade for The Residence. It was without doubt worth every mile and every penny!

Ryan Smith, News Managing Editor

No question about it: My favorite flight this year was Finnair business class from Los Angeles (LAX) to Helsinki (HEL).

When these “they don’t recline” seats first came out, I definitely thought they sounded stupid. Allow me to say I was wrong.

These pods offer a lie-flat seat and the ability to lounge around in 360 degrees — like the way you can get comfy on your couch at home.

Beyond just a comfy space, the service was friendly and efficient, Wi-Fi worked well, and the food and beverage offerings were solid.

I think what really made this flight stand out was the unique seat offering that I had thought would be bad but turned out to be great.

Lori Zaino, Senior Content Contributor

My best flight of the year took place in early January when I flew from Dallas (DFW) back home to Madrid (MAD). My husband had torn his ACL and meniscus in November 2024, and our flight from Madrid to the U.S. in December of 2024 was extremely uncomfortable for him — and challenging for the whole family, as we had to get wheelchair service for him in the airport.

Even worse, we were traveling on crowded, peak holiday dates. Since we flew back on January 7 (off-peak), I was able to upgrade our economy seats to business class on the nearly 10-hour American Airlines flight for less than $500 a person, which was a great deal.

My husband was able to stretch out his legs and ice his knee. My 3-year-old, still in Christmas mode, was thrilled to watch Rudolph repeatedly in his huge seat, dressed as Santa. And I was so happy that everyone else was comfortable and happy. My husband and son slept most of the flight, leaving me to enjoy watching movies, snacking, and reading, all from my comfortable and large seat.

For me, this flight wasn’t about experiencing the best product, service, or meal; it was about transforming a stressful travel situation into a much happier one.

Tiffany Eastham, Director of Compliance

My best flight of 2025 was a close toss-up between my 2 longest flights of the year: 13 hours from Istanbul (IST) to Vancouver (YVR) on Turkish Airlines and 12 hours from Hong Kong (HKG) to Vancouver on Air Canada. Although the Turkish hospitality (and onboard chef interactions) were stellar, my route was on the Boeing 777 with its outdated 2-3-2 business-class configuration, so the actual seats were less than stellar.

When I think about Air Canada, I don’t immediately envision bougie, over-the-top luxury (and that’s very much true). But I do believe its Signature Class is quite nice, equipped with spacious, private, and modern suites. And my plane was super new — as noted by the lack of scuffs, crumbs, and general wear and tear of my seat.

The crew, the food, and my ability to sleep 6 hours (!!) were all superb. And the best part? I originally booked an economy flight for just around 38,000 Aeroplan points, but a few days before my flight, I was given the option to bid for an upgrade — which I successfully did for around $500.

Juan Ruiz, Senior Editor and Content Contributor

I’ve always wanted to fly Lufthansa first class. It didn’t matter whether it was in the nose of the 747-8 or on the Airbus A340 — I just wanted to experience the elegance and tradition that so many aviation fans rave about.

Years ago, I flew Lufthansa’s A380 in economy, but this time I was determined to sit up front. The challenge, of course, is that Lufthansa almost never releases first class award space to partners like Aeroplan or United MileagePlus until the last minute. The trick is to search within 14 days of departure, but as a planner, that window rarely works for my lifestyle.

But on one lucky day, it did. I was heading home from Prague (PRG) for a friend’s wedding and, almost out of habit, checked whether any first class seats were available from Frankfurt (FRA) to the U.S. To my surprise, space opened up on the New York (JFK) route, and I booked it for just 90,000 Aeroplan points and approximately $205.

From the private First Class Terminal and the chauffeured Mercedes ride to the aircraft to the refined onboard experience, the entire journey felt special from start to finish. Without question, it was my best flight of 2025.

Chris Hassan, Social Media and Brand Manager

While I did do a lot of traveling this year, it was not always as glamorous as that of many of my coworkers.

Between an above-average amount of theme park coverage and flying my family of 4 back and forth from Brazil to the U.S. for family events, I found myself flying many hours in coach in 2025.

After one particularly incredible stretch that included a trip to Disneyland in California, followed immediately by the opening of Universal Epic Universe in Florida, I was not only exhausted but also dreading my flight back to Rio de Janeiro (GIG) in Copa Airlines economy class.

So when I received an email to bid on an upgrade just hours before my flight, I clicked as fast as I could. My $300 bid was instantly accepted, and I was now looking forward to a lie-flat Copa Dreams seat.

I am fully aware that this product doesn’t have the best reputation, but let me tell you that it was the best sleep I had on a plane all year.

I’ve flown Qsuite and Japan Airlines’ new A350-1000 business class, but after 2 weeks of running around theme parks, that narrow-body setup tucked me fast asleep! Money well spent.

Stella Shon, Senior Features Editor

Surprisingly, my best flight of 2025 wasn’t anything far-flung or that interesting — but maybe that’s exactly the point.

My first-ever flight with JSX was refreshingly simple and completely redefined domestic travel for me. Flying within the U.S. can often feel frustrating, due to weather disruptions, mechanical delays, and crowded airports making it seem like something always goes wrong.

My partner and I needed to fly from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Phoenix (PHX) for a weekend family visit, and we had plenty of airlines to choose from: Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and even budget carrier Frontier Airlines. We’ve flown all of them before. But for this particular weekend, last-minute fares skyrocketed to nearly $400 one-way, with Frontier completely sold out.

Instead of booking a traditional commercial flight, we decided to try out JSX. Not only that, but JSX was charging a lower price than the major carriers and flew out of Salt Lake City’s executive terminal directly into Scottsdale (SCF). 

JSX operates as a semi-private carrier, and the experience couldn’t have been easier. We arrived just 15 minutes before boarding and completely avoided the stress of large airports and long security lines.

The cabin felt spacious, thanks to the lack of overhead bins, the Starlink Wi-Fi was incredibly fast and allowed me to work during the short flight, and the snacks were both delicious and health-conscious. While I wish JSX had a more expansive route network, I’m grateful to have this option, and I’ll absolutely be taking advantage of it again.

Keri Stooksbury, Editor-in-Chief

After 6 years of living abroad as an expatriate, my family of 5 moved back to Texas from Doha, Qatar, this past summer. If you have to say a sad goodbye to such an amazing chapter of life, at least dry your tears from the comfort of a Qsuite Quad (which was, fortunately, a paid benefit of our repatriation package). After years of begrudgingly trudging through Qsuite to find our seats in economy, our Qsuite flight was a fantastic bridge from one chapter of life to the next.

From Al Mourjan Business Class Premium Check-In, where we saw our 12 checked bags efficiently whisked away, to the Al Mourjan Business Lounge, where I got to see if the experience lived up to the hype, I had the time of my life before I even set foot on the plane.

Our previous experience with Qsuite was when we first arrived in Doha (DOH) from our assignment in Singapore (SIN). This was in December 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we were required to wear face masks and shields, surrounded by flight attendants in PPE. Nothing was bougie about that experience, so I was eager to take in the flight as it was meant to be.

And from the moment we boarded the Airbus A350-1000 in Doha until we landed in Houston (IAH), my family was well taken care of. My kids quickly realized that ice cream and snacks had no set meal time, and I quickly became the beneficiary of their leftover lobster appetizers. A win-win all around.

Beyond fantastic service, the Qsuite was truly a treat in itself, featuring comfortable lie-flat seats, a closing suite door, a large IFE screen, and a variety of meal options. My 3 kids were fully occupied for nearly 16 hours, surviving on mocktails and IFE video games without sleep, and they depleted the entire business class cookie and chip supply. It was nice to live the classy life, if only for a short while, as our next flight was a few days later on Allegiant.

Final Thoughts

What defines a great flight? It could be the luxury, sure, but it could also be the aspect of exceeding expectations — or even just flying a seat you’re drooling over after your last experience. From JSX and Qatar Airways to Finnair and Etihad, our team took some truly great flights this year. These stood out as the most memorable.