This Is The Most Expensive Business Class Upgrade You Can Buy On A US Airline In 2026

United Airlines has effectively created the most expensive business-class upgrade in the US market in 2026, with its Polaris Studio surcharge priced at $499 per segment, added on to base Polaris fares that can exceed $6,000 on routes like San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). This reflects a deliberate shift toward monetizing “business class plus” seating within a single cabin rather than maintaining a separate first-class product.