To international travelers, flying business class is their dream come true. What’s not to love about flat bed seats, lounge access and champagne on arrival? But the price tag is too high. Here’s the good news though, there are ways to find much cheaper fares and no, you don’t need to be a travel hacker or a frequent flyer to do it.
Check prices from nearby cities
For instance, airfare prices can be all over the place, especially if you’re flying from somewhere. For example, a New York to Paris flight may be a lot more than the same flight from Boston or even Montreal. Why? There are different taxes, the level of competition, also the hubs in the airline.
Before making the booking, do a quick search at other larger airports nearby. It could be a few minutes drive (or domestic flight) but the money saved is hundreds (or thousands) of dollars. Some travellers even book tickets on two separate flights — one to get to an increasingly cheaper departure airport, another for a business class long haul journey.
Look for mistake fares and flash sales
Occasionally airlines mess up. Even the big ones, yes. Mistake fares are fares they occasionally post that are far less than they intended for business class. While they don’t occur every day, when they do, savvy travelers snap them up.
Randomly flash sales will also pop up. Some airlines — above all Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines — have very short promotions on business class tickets, very cheap. Another great option is to sign up for airfare alert websites such as Google Flights, Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) or Secret Flying and keep yourself on notifications.
Use points and miles (without flying a hundred times)
To benefit from airline miles you don’t even need to be a hardcore frequent flyer. Now it is possible to get enough points from a sign up bonus to buy a business class ticket or at least get you within spitting distance.
For example, many travel credit cards award 60,000 to 100,000 points after meeting minimum spending. If you book with the right airline partners, that’s often enough for a one way business class ticket to Europe or Asia. You’ll want to utilize websites such as Point.me or AwardHacker to determine how you can turn your miles into the most value.
Book smart and compare everywhere
Often, when you fly midweek (i.e. Tuesday or Wednesday), you make lesser payments. Furthermore, business class fares are always cheaper when you fly during off peak seasons — and what are they you may ask — early spring or late fall.
Compare fares for the biggest perspective at sites such as Google Flights, Skyscanner or Kayak to get an overview of what’s out there. This lets you see prices over several days with different airlines and pick up the cheapest one quickly.
