Flying business class is exciting, but airlines usually charge a pretty penny for it. On long flights, a round-trip business class ticket can easily cost between $3,000 and $5,000. Those reclining seats and delicious meals don't come cheap.
Except sometimes business class is cheap. With the right travel tips, you could book luxurious business class flights at a fraction of the usual cost.
1. Use travel rewards to book an award flight
My preferred method of booking business class is using airline miles rather than cash. You only have to pay taxes and fees, saving you what the entire business class fare would have cost. To give you an example, I booked two business class tickets earlier this year for 154,000 miles plus $525 in taxes and fees. In cash, it would have cost me $6,212!
But how do you cover all those miles? With travel credit cards, you can earn rewards on your credit card spending. These cards often also offer large sign-up bonuses for new cardholders. And many of them let you transfer the rewards you earn to a dozen or more airlines, converting them into miles with the airline of your choice.
I love traveling business class and thanks to travel cards, I can do it every year while saving thousands of dollars. If you want to do the same, click here to see our curated list of the best travel cards.
2. Reserve economy and upgrade later
When airlines have unsold business class seats, they usually start offering upgrades closer to the departure date. Some airlines will allow you to upgrade your flight for a flat rate. Others have an auction system. You enter the amount you're willing to pay for an upgrade and the airline decides whether to accept it or not.
Upgrading from economy class is often a much cheaper route to business class than booking up front. The tradeoff is that upgrades aren't always available. But if you're willing to travel in either cabin, you may want to book economy first to save money, then keep an eye out for upgrade opportunities.
3. Look for special offers
Business class may be luxurious, but it can still go on sale. One way to find cheap business class flights is to check an airline's deals page. For example, Delta and United both have deals pages where you can search for business class flights from your home airport.
You can also look for special offers or promotional rates when searching for flights. That's how I stumbled upon a business class flight with Air France for just $1,200, compared to a normal price of $1,800.
There are also often special offers for award tickets. If you are considering book with rewards you've earned using your credit cardsIt’s always worth going bargain hunting.
4. Find the best days to travel with low-cost calendars
One of my favorite tools when shopping for airline tickets are low fare calendars. Many airlines offer these, which show you a range of dates and the lowest flight prices for each date. If you're looking specifically for business class flights, you can narrow it down to see business class prices. And you can shop with cash or miles, depending on which payment method you're considering.
For flexible travelers, low-cost calendars make it easy to find the most affordable travel dates. If possible, try to keep a range of dates open so you can choose the one with the best deals.
5. Try a Flight Search Anywhere to Find Affordable Destinations
If you are flexible about your destination, some online travel portals allow you to leave your destination open. You enter your origin airport, travel dates and select business class, and you'll get a list of destinations with flight prices for each.
Both Google Flights and Skyscanner offer this feature. Skyscanner even reports that half of its users come without a specific destination in mind. It's a fun way to find new places to travel, while also getting great deals.
You can avoid paying exorbitant prices for business class. Try these travel tips for a more enjoyable flying experience without breaking the bank.
