You Havana laugh with this charge?

Q Any suggestions on getting a cheap upgrade to Premium Economy? I have booked three weeks in Cuba next June for our silver wedding, costing £3,025. To make it special, I thought about upgrading the seats. But Thomas Cook want £538 for the privilege.

For that money I could buy my wife a nice necklace that she could wear every day for the rest of her days, instead of 20 hours of flight. I wouldn’t mind paying, say, £300 which is 10 per cent of the cost of the holiday but £538 is ridiculous.

I contacted them on live chat to try to secure a reduction but they won’t budge. Any ideas?

Mike P

A It’s great to have choice. Thomas Cook Airlines’ Premium Economy class offers extra comfort: about four inches more legroom than ordinary economy, a deeper seat recline, as well as adjustable head and foot rests. Premium passengers qualify for separate check-in at the airport, enhanced checked baggage and hand luggage allowances, as well as complimentary alcohol on the flights.

All of this comes at a price; besides the costs of providing all these touches, the airline must also pay an extra £78 per person in Air Passenger Duty – which doubles for flights from the UK in anything other than basic economy. I imagine that Thomas Cook Airlines has pitched the charge at a level which it believes will fill the Premium Economy cabin, so I can understand why the firm was not prepared to negotiate.

So what can you do? Well, in my limited experience, Premium Economy is not worth the extra expense for daytime flights; the 10-hour trip to Cuba should be perfectly bearable in ordinary economy. But for the overnight journey back, it is more tempting to pay for extra comfort – especially as there is no additional tax to pay for inbound flights.

See if Thomas Cook will allow you to book Premium Economy one way, as scheduled airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will do. If that doesn’t work out, or the price is still too high, ask at check-in before the journey home. It may be that there are some unsold places. If so, then it is up to you to decide the most you would pay for the privilege and see if the airline will let you have a seat for no more than that figure. Personally I would go no higher than £100, representing about £10 an hour; the less I spend on a trip, the more I can save for future travel. But given the special circumstances of your holiday, you may be more generous.

Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder