Flying Business class to a domestic or international destination does not actually come cheap. Unlike Economy class, the Business class offers more comfortable seats, space, amenity kits, and complimentary/paid services in-flight.
In this travel guide, we will share with you a couple of tips on how to find cheap Business class flights.
Why are Business Class Tickets Pricey?
A Business class cabin in airlines generally offers a premium experience than Economy and Premium Economy travel classes. In addition, there are certain factors that also determine the price of Business class fares. Therefore, you will often find Business class tickets costly.
If you are traveling one way to a domestic destination on Business class, an average airfare could cost you around $500 and above. Likewise, when traveling to an international destination on Business class, an average airfare could cost around $1,000 and above.
Tips for Finding Cheap Business Class Airfares
Here are a few tips that can help you find cheap Business class airfares and save money on your travel.
Be Flexible
If travel experience is the most essential factor of your journey, then it actually pays to be flexible. For instance, when you search for deals by the month that seems best, you could be fortunate to find cheap Business class flights to your chosen destination city. This can sometimes, be much easier than trying something else that is least possible.
Also, if you are flexible with your destination city, you could easily find a cheap Business class airfare for your travel. It is seen that different airline carriers have Business class sales at different times. If your travel dates are set in stone, having a look at other airlines and cities can help get you discounts on business class airfares.
Book on Low-cost Carriers
Low-cost airline carriers usually offer affordable airfares compared to full-service carriers. Although you will have to sacrifice a few premium services when flying Business class on a low-cost carrier, you will still have a comfortable experience.
For instance, Jetstar is a low-cost airline carrier that offers affordable airfares for their Business travel class. Also, included in the airfare are leather seats that can recline 20 cm, with leg-rests and adjustable lumbar support to increase passenger comfort. Additionally, in Jetstar’s Business class cabin, entertainment is provided via complimentary iPads, which Economy class passengers have to pay for. You can also request amenity kits, pillows, and blankets in-flight.
Look for Discounts
Often, airline carriers will offer discounts on airfares, whether it’s a festival season or something else. You can take this opportunity to grab that discount for your Business class airfare and save on your pockets.
Upgrade Seats with Cash
Sometimes, upgrading your seat to a Business class can give you a good deal. Airline carriers often times, offer an upgrade for purchase at a reduced price if there are several unsold Business class seats on a flight, as it gets closer to the flight’s scheduled departure date. You may get notifications in advance via e-mail or you might see the option when you check-in online.
In case if neither of these occurs, you can always request a last-minute seat upgrade at the airport’s check-in counter or at the gate. Chances are, you might be fortunate to get a Business class seat at a very low upgrade price at the last minute.
Upgrade Seats with Points
You can buy the main Economy seat and, if there are award points available on the flight, you can use your earned points to upgrades the seat to a Business class. This is usually a way, if you do not have enough points to buy a Business class seat at the time of booking.
However, you need to make sure there is award availability before you book the flight ticket you plan to upgrade. And secondly, you need to make sure you book a fare class that is eligible for upgrades. Some, like basic Economy, for example, are not eligible for any upgrades, even those paid with points or cash.
Use Frequent Flyer Loyalty Program to Upgrade for Free
It is possible to get a cheap Business class ticket for free. You can get it using your frequent flyer loyalty program membership. Being a frequent flyer, you will know that you get points every time you fly. And, one of the perks that these can be spent on is upgrading your seat. This means you can easily upgrade your seat from Economy to Business class without adding anything to your fare.
Loyalty programs offered by airline carriers have come a long way since airlines started enticing travelers to accumulate frequent flyer miles on every trip. For instance, Virgin Australia’s Velocity program is one of the few that allows ‘family pooling. This is one way to accrue enough points to upgrade to Business class for free.
Buy Business Class Tickets using Points and Miles
You can find cheap Business class airfares using credit card points or airline miles which you accumulate every time you fly. The amount of points you will need to spend varies and there may not be award availability on every flight. However, you may be able to score a Business class seat for as low as 25,000 points. Bear in mind that just as with a cash price, point redemptions can often fluctuate.
Other than this, in order to help you get started with earning points, there are a plethora of resources available online. Also, many credit card companies offer to sign up bonuses worth 60,000 and more points when you spend a certain amount in the few months of your travel.
Search on Google Flights and OTA Websites
You can find the best prices for cheap Business class tickets on flight search tools, like Google Flights, and on several online travel agencies (OTAs), like Expedia, Skyscanner, Priceline, Cheapair, Momondo, Kayak, etc. as well.
There are several OTAs, but also be aware that prices of flight tickets may vary on different websites. Some may also offer bundled packages, which usually include hotel reservations, rental cars, etc. when you book flights with these travel agencies.
Also, you can sign up with these websites to receive alerts on flight deals whenever they are available.
Subscribe to Airline Newsletters and Price Alerts
Whether you want a cheap Business class airfare to Los Angeles or London, there are times when airline carriers will have special deals on their best seats. Thus, one of the best ways to find out about Business class sales is to subscribe to newsletters and price alerts of various airline carriers on their respective websites.
For example, you will find deals like ‘companion flies free’ or early bird special fares in conjunction with package tours. These are typical deals offered first to subscribers and frequent flyer program members. As airline carriers nowadays are also using the social media platform to advertise various deals, you also must ensure that you follow your different airline carriers in order to get the best deals quickly.
Also, since airline companies work closely with several online travel agencies (OTAs), such as Skyscanner, Expedia, Priceline, etc. it usually pays to follow these websites as well on social media. You simply need to sign up for their newsletter or download their mobile apps. These are all great ways of keeping up to date with upcoming deals.
Conclusion
Finding cheap Business class flight tickets is possible, however, you will need to do a few tasks as explained above. Keeping yourself notified periodically on changes in airfares by airline carriers and OTAs should help you plan your trip accordingly, as long as you are flexible with your travel dates.
