9 Ways to Get Cheap Business Class Tickets
Travel can bring a lot of joy into our lives, especially when flying in style. Whether you’re planning your next grand adventure, taking a trip for work, or visiting loved ones or friends, you may be wondering if there are ways to get cheap business class tickets. Thankfully, there are. And we’re here to help you find them.
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How to get cheap business class tickets in 9 ways
1. Redeem miles and points for business class travel
One of the best ways to get cheap business class tickets is to use airline miles and credit card points. Credit cards can be handy tools when you use them right. From signup bonuses to everyday purchases, it’s easy to accumulate points on credit cards and then use them for travel expenses, including flights, hotels, and rental cars. The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One VentureOne Rewards cards are consistently high on the list of the best travel credit cards. If you have a favorite airline, you can also check their website for credit card signup bonuses and loyalty programs.
2. Wait for a sale to book your flights
Doing your due diligence can pay off when it comes to booking flights of any kind. Airlines sales seem to have no rules. But while they may seem random and elusive, you may still get lucky by regularly checking for flash sales. These tend to happen when flights aren’t filling up as quickly as the airline would like. Start your search a few months before you plan to leave, if possible, and check back regularly to see if anything has changed.
3. Get the timing right
If you’ve been watching and waiting, but the tickets you want haven’t gotten any cheaper, it may be a timing issue. Are you checking at the same time every day? Are you checking exclusively on the weekends? Many frequent travelers swear that flights get cheaper on Tuesday mornings, so be sure to pull up your flight then and see if you get lucky. After Tuesday mornings, the best times to book are Monday nights and Wednesdays.
4. Set flight alerts
Many people don’t know that you can set up free flight alerts and get an email or app notification if the price of your flight drops. You’re busy, so let the internet do the work for you on this one! Most flight search aggregators, including the big ones like Booking.com, Expedia, and Google Flights all offer flight alerts.
Some are more customizable than others, but with each one, you’ll need to input a certain amount of information. This means that flight alerts are ideal for setting dates and destinations. If your dates and destination aren’t settled, and you’re waiting for the right opportunity, you may have better luck with manual searches.
5. Keep your dates and destinations open
Those manual searches we mentioned? Here’s where they come in. If you’re a digital nomad or work for a company with a flexible vacation policy, it may not matter as much when or where you’re going. Keeping your travel dates flexible is one of the best ways to score discounts.
Sites like Skyscanner and Scott’s Cheap Flights will show you the best deals available without restricting you to a specific timeframe and destination. They’ll even send the deals straight to your inbox, so you don’t have to search for them anymore.
6. Plan to leave on a weekend
Most business class travelers travel during the week, which means that Monday through Friday are peak business class travel times and come with peak prices. You may be able to save on your business class ticket by booking a flight that leaves on a Saturday or Sunday instead of a weekday.
Again, if you can be flexible with the dates, this will help, too. And avoiding holiday weekends, if possible, may lower the price further.
7. Travel in the off-season
Just like the day of the week matters, the month matters, too. Of course, if you have specific plans, it may not be possible to avoid peak season, but if you can, off-season travel can save you hundreds on the flights alone. The drop in prices also applies to hotels, rental cars, shuttles, and sometimes even restaurants.
Traveling to a destination like Aruba in November instead of July might save you up to 70% on airfare. As a bonus, you’ll get more of the beaches to yourself, lines won’t be as long for popular tourist attractions, and it’ll be easier to score upgrades.
8. Buy an economy ticket first
If you’re approaching your flight date and there are still a lot of open seats left on the plane, you may want to try buying an economy ticket first. Having your ticket ready means you won’t miss out on the flight altogether if you wait, but it also means you may be able to upgrade as the date approaches and the airline gets more desperate to fill the business class seats.
If you’re set on sitting in business class, you may not want to risk it. But if you do decide to take the gamble, it could result in significant savings. If there are still empty seats in business class within a few days of departure, most major airlines send emails outlining the option and cost to upgrade. Some will even let you bid, so you can choose the price you’re willing to pay.
9. Upgrade at the airport
If that email never comes or you get outbid, you’re not out of options. You can still try to leverage your economy ticket into a business class upgrade at the airport. Airlines want to fill those seats, so if they still have some open, they’ll often offer last-minute deals at the check-in counter. They may display or announce the option to upgrade, but even if they don’t, it never hurts to ask.
Getting cheap business class tickets - common FAQs
Can travel agents get cheaper business class tickets?
Travel agents are staging a comeback, and enlisting the help of an expert can save you both time and money. Many have made connections that equate to discounts on things like business class flights and other benefits you wouldn’t be able to access on your own. While there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to get you cheaper business class tickets, most people pay less when they book through a travel agent.
Which airline has the cheapest business class?
Whether they’re in economy, business, or first class, flight tickets fluctuate. It’s hard to say which airline has the cheapest business class, as it’s subject to change, but JetBlue, AeroMexico, and American Airlines have consistently been rated as some of the most affordable. If you’re flexible on your dates, try putting your destination into a flight aggregator, select business class, and sort by price so that the cheapest flights show at the top. If you have a set date but no set destination, searching this way will still work. Just enter the dates, leave the destination open, choose business class, and sort by price.
What is the average cost of a business class ticket?
International business class tickets typically range from $3,000 to $5,000 roundtrip. Domestic business class tickets, on the other hand, average $436. Keep in mind that these numbers can vary depending on things like where you’re leaving from, where you’re going, and what time of year you’re traveling, among others.