Follow These Tips To Get Business Class Tickets Every Time You Fly

Flying can be a pain, with long lines, irritating security checks, delays, turbulence, and worst of all, incredibly cramped seats which seem to get smaller year by year. There’s a reason economy class has been christened as “cattle class,” and unless you are the kind of person who finds it enjoyable to be packed with other people like sardines, you probably long for the relative luxuries offered in business class. This is especially true for those with long legs, who can hardly even fit into the miniscule spaces that have been given the harmless sounding “economy” designation. 

It isn’t just the seats, either. Business class offers fast, responsive, personalized service, compared to being forced to compete for the scarce attention of flight attendants on the rest of the plane. The problem, of course, is that business class is hardly an affordable luxury even for those who make decent livings. The exorbitant costs mean it is truly reserved for elites. However, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to score business class seats without having to give up half your paycheck. Read on to discover how to fly in comfort at a low cost.

Loyalty Programs

Though this is a more successful strategy for some airlines than it is for others, loyalty programs are a great way for you to get accrue miles and eventually get the upgrade that you deserve. This means sticking with the airline over time so that you will get more benefits, even if it means spending a bit more on certain flights.

Once you have a decent number of miles, you can redeem those for an upgrade to business or sometimes first class, and you’ll realize just how much having some brand loyalty will help you in the long run, making it a win-win scenario for you and the airline. Do your research, though, to find out which airline will have the best program that you can utilize. 

Affiliated Credit Cards

Getting credit cards that earn you miles is also a great idea. There are many credit cards affiliated with airlines, including the Delta SkyMiles American Express card or the United MileagePlus card, which have benefits that are specifically helpful when it comes time to buy plane tickets. 

Beyond these credit cards that are directly affiliated with airlines, you can also get cards that have points as well as signing bonuses which can be redeemed in the form of air miles. These can be a good idea as well, but for those of you who fly a lot, it is better to stick with one of the affiliated cards.  

Get An Upgrade When You Check In

Though many of us have started to skip the step of checking in for your flight at the counter and instead opted to save a little time with the online check-in, it is a good idea to do an in-person check in because you may actually get a good deal on a business class seat. 

Though the officially posted price can be astronomical, you may find that they offer you a reasonable price when you check-in. It never hurts to ask, and you can sometimes get a pretty cheap upgrade, especially if they overbook the economy class for your flight. Also, sometimes prices drop online a day or two before the flight, so take a look and see if you can score any deals.

Fly At Off Times For Business Travel

If you think about it for a minute, you’ll realize that business travel operates on a routine schedule. People who travel for work won’t be flying on weekends, and chances are they will leave early in the morning and return at night. That leaves the business class pretty quiet on both weekday and mid-day flights, so if you are hoping to score a good deal on business class, those are the times to do so.

This is a trick that will stop working once everybody knows about it, so don’t feel too bad about keeping it to yourself. It may not always work, but thinking in terms of supply and demand is always a good idea when booking flights, or doing anything for that matter. 

Book Upgradeable Seats

Whenever you book your flight tickets, pick a seat that is upgradeable. You buy a regular economy class seat, but you will have the option of potentially upgrading.

If you have built up enough points, then you can go for an upgrade and get into business class. It is always valuable to have the option to upgrade, even if you can’t afford the business class seat from the outset.

Look For Open Seats On The Flight

This may not always work out, but when all else fails, you can look for open seats in a higher class when you are already on the flight. A good way to do this is to book a seat closer to the front in the first place, and then once the flight takes off you can sneak a look into business or first class. 

If there are any open seats, you can put in the request to upgrade with someone in the cabin crew. It may or may not work out, and it really boils down to luck, but oftentimes you will at least be able to pay to upgrade at a significantly cheaper cost than what you would have had to pay if you purchased the higher-class seats in the first place.