Utilize These 9 Tips to Experience Business Class for Less

Business class travel, characterized by its lie-flat seats and superior dining options, represents the pinnacle of comfort and luxury in commercial aviation. Although the cost can be staggering, savvy travelers have uncovered various methods to achieve more affordable upgrades to business class.

Here are several ways to fly business class without breaking the bank.

Bidding for an upgrade

Over 50 airlines globally (including Air Canada, Fiji Airways, LATAM, Lufthansa, Qantas, and Virgin Atlantic, among others) provide bidding programs, allowing passengers with economy tickets to bid for significantly reduced business-class seats.

Airlines that offer bidding programs often collaborate with a third-party travel tech company known as PlusGrade. Travelers can access the airline’s bidding page, enter their confirmation number, and submit their bid.

Airlines typically establish a minimum bid, usually around $300, which you must meet to participate. When placing your bid, you’ll need to provide your credit card details. If your bid is successful (you’ll be notified by the day of departure at the latest), the amount will be charged automatically to the credit card you provided, and your ticket will be updated accordingly. Keep in mind that bids must be submitted separately for each leg of the journey; they do not cover round-trip tickets.

Leverage credit card points and miles

Nothing beats the thrill of free flights over cheap flights.

“Utilizing points and miles is undoubtedly the easiest method for non-millionaires to enjoy front-row seating on flights,” says Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, in an interview with Dinogo. “It might appear that you need a vast number of points to book business class flights, but that’s often not the case. For instance, Going’s flight experts discovered a round-trip business class offer to Spain for just 54,000 points plus tax (compared to the usual 150,000 points for the same seat). The cash price for that flight was over $3,000.”

Kyle Potter, executive editor at Thrifty Traveler, a site dedicated to travel and flight deals, shared a similar view, stating, “While business class seats often cost five to six times more than economy, this is where airline miles can truly excel: you may not always need to spend a fortune in miles. In fact, some of the best mileage redemptions are for business class seats at prices comparable to economy seats with other airlines. Additionally, transferable credit card points from banks like Chase, Amex, and Capital One make it relatively straightforward for even occasional travelers to accumulate the miles needed for these deals.”

Some recent fantastic deals highlighted by Potter include:

• Flying Iberia business class from Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., or Chicago to Madrid for as low as 34,000 miles each way
• Booking a one-way trip from New York’s JFK to Lisbon on TAP Air Portugal business class for 35,000 miles (but only when redeeming and booking through Avianca LifeMiles)
• Flying round-trip to Japan with ANA for as little as 75,000 miles round-trip in business class

Achieve upgrades through airline status

Angel Trinh, founder of Pennywise Traveler, a blog focused on maximizing points and miles usage, shared that she recently received an upgrade to business class from Miami to the Bahamas on a basic economy ticket, thanks to her American Airlines Platinum Pro status.

“The higher your airline status, the greater your chances of receiving an upgrade if there are any remaining seats—[for instance], if a passenger misses their flight or if the airline opts to release a business class seat that hasn’t been purchased outright,” Trinh shares with Dinogo.

To obtain status with an airline, start by enrolling in their loyalty program. After that, you’ll need to accumulate miles or points, which serve as the currency of these programs. You earn them each time you fly with that airline or its partners. Typically, miles are awarded based on the distance traveled and your fare class (higher fare classes generally earn more miles). Some programs also allow you to earn points and miles by using a co-branded credit card, booking accommodations at partner hotels, renting cars from affiliated companies, or shopping through portals where you can earn points for your purchases.

Once you’ve accrued a certain number of miles (which varies by airline) or flown a specified number of segments within a calendar year, you’ll achieve status with the airline. Airlines usually have different status tiers, each requiring progressively more miles and segments to attain. Those holding the highest status on a given flight have the best chance of getting a complimentary upgrade to business class.

Discover a mistake fare

Mistake fares (when an airline mistakenly lists an incorrect ticket price) are considered the holy grail of flight deals and represent one of the best opportunities to snag business class tickets at a fraction of the cost.

“Mistake fares are extremely uncommon—and when they do occur, there’s no guarantee that the airline will honor them,” Potter notes. “You need to act very quickly, as they can be revoked at any time.”

In 2018, Potter and a friend managed to fly business class from LA to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for about $600 each due to a mistake fare. This year, he discovered a mistake fare for United Polaris business class from the U.S. to London for as low as $899.

Consider business class-lite

While these seats might not compare to the luxurious lie-flat options in some airlines’ business classes, Potter recommends exploring budget-friendly airlines like Icelandair Saga Class and Norse Atlantic Premium.

“Icelandair Saga Class may not qualify as true business class, but the seats offer significantly more width and legroom (similar to domestic first class), and passengers can enjoy a lounge in Reykjavik,” Potter mentioned, adding that “Norse Atlantic Premium seats provide a fantastic deal for travelers seeking additional recline and space to relax without the frills.”

German low-cost airline Condor provides transatlantic business-class fares starting at approximately $2,000 for a round trip (with lie-flat seating available).

Consider taking a repositioning flight

If you’re not near a major airport, you can still find affordable business-class tickets through repositioning flights, which involve relocating an aircraft for logistical reasons rather than profit.

For instance, if you want to fly from Pittsburgh to London at the end of October, but the fare is $3,600, you could fly to Washington, D.C. first and then to London, potentially saving over a thousand dollars. The D.C. to London fare is likely to be much lower than the direct flight from Pittsburgh.

“Don’t restrict your search to the nearest airport,” advises Nastro. “Larger airports foster more competition, which can drive down prices and provide a greater variety of options. By taking a short, inexpensive flight or another mode of transport to reach a larger hub, you’ll have more opportunities for business-class tickets and increased chances of finding a better deal.”

Offer to take a later flight

Airlines occasionally sell more tickets than available seats. When this occurs and all passengers show up at the gate (or if the airline needs to transport crew to a different location on a full flight), they must seek volunteers to take a later flight. If no volunteers come forward, gate agents may have to randomly bump passengers, which they prefer to avoid. As a result, they are authorized to offer incentives, such as travel vouchers, cash, frequent flyer miles, hotel stays, and more, to those who volunteer.

If your travel schedule is flexible, you might benefit from the volunteer program. If gate agents struggle to find volunteers, you could ask for a premium seat on the next flight. However, this only works if a premium seat is available, so it’s wise to check the airline’s website for later flights before speaking with the agent. Approach the agent politely, understanding that they have a lot to manage at that moment and may not be able to negotiate your request.

Enroll in a flight deal tracking service

Going (previously known as Scott’s Cheap Flights) is a newsletter that sends you alerts about affordable domestic and international flight deals as soon as they’re discovered. Going offers three membership levels, with the Elite tier being the best option for those aiming to fly in premium cabins. This membership provides notifications for first- and business-class deals from an unlimited number of U.S. airports.

“Recently, we’ve discovered some fantastic business class deals, including round trips from Boston to the Netherlands for $1,999 and from Los Angeles to Tokyo for $1,809,” Nastro shared. “This option is ideal for those who prefer not to spend countless hours searching yet still want to seize an incredible deal from their local airport.”

Trinh recommends subscribing to Ashley Gets Around, a newsletter that keeps readers informed about business class offers and mistake fares worldwide.

Consider flying with an all-business-class airline

In recent years, a number of all-business-class airlines have emerged, offering seats at lower prices than major carriers. One example is La Compagnie, a French boutique airline that provides trans-Atlantic seats for about half the price of other airlines.