If you have an eye on your bank account while planning a vacation, booking business class seats may seem out of reach. However, there are actually some effective ways to radically shrink the hefty price tag of a premium ticket. For travelers serious about saving big on business class plane tickets, these strategies are crucial.
There are four main ways you can nab a steep discount on your business class plane ticket.
Watch for fare mistakes.
Pexels It doesn’t happen too often, but occasionally airlines or booking websites will make mistakes. Sometimes this can take the form of listing a one-way fare price as round-trip, or even putting the decimal point in the wrong place. When this happens, airlines will usually honor the error price. On the rare occasions when they don’t, the traveler will get a full refund. If you’re booking tickets online and the pricing looks like a mistake (in your favor), go ahead and nab that error fare while you can!
Bid in a business class auction.
Flickr/Condor.com It’s not widely known that some major airlines hold premium cabin auctions to offload unbooked business class tickets. Airlines including Cathay Pacific, Etihad and Virgin Atlantic have a special bidding process that means you could manage a steep discount. After booking an economy seat, the airline will alert you if you’re eligible to bid on an business class upgrade. You have the best chances of winning the auction if you bid around 20 percent below market price, so be sure to check what a full-price business class ticket on that airline costs before submitting your bit. Booking directly with the airline increases your chances of being offered an auction upgrade.
Keep an eye out for flash sales.
Pexels Flash sales typically last anywhere from a few days to a few hours, but they’re one of the most reliable ways to score business class tickets for way less than usual. For example, you might be able to score a flight for 50 percent or less than the normal average price. The best way to be alerted of flash sales is to watch an airline’s social media pages, like Twitter and Facebook. Checking daily could mean saving thousands off the price of a cushy business class seat.
Consider a cheaper airline.
Pexels While you may not get top-of-the-line perks when you opt for business class with a budget airline, the experience can still be pretty great.
JetBlue Mint seats are lie-flat and some are located in private suites with sliding doors. Mint passengers are treated to in-flight goodies like tapas and Birchbox amenity kits. A Mint class ticket from New York City to the Caribbean will only run you about $300. Other low cost carriers also offer premium class seats for lower prices than the big-name airlines.
If you’re serious about getting into business class on an economy budget, following these tips will go a long way. For more on saving on air travel, check out the U.S. airlines with the best frequent flier programs.
Pexels
It doesn’t happen too often, but occasionally airlines or booking websites will make mistakes. Sometimes this can take the form of listing a one-way fare price as round-trip, or even putting the decimal point in the wrong place. When this happens, airlines will usually honor the error price. On the rare occasions when they don’t, the traveler will get a full refund. If you’re booking tickets online and the pricing looks like a mistake (in your favor), go ahead and nab that error fare while you can!
Flickr/Condor.com
It’s not widely known that some major airlines hold premium cabin auctions to offload unbooked business class tickets. Airlines including Cathay Pacific, Etihad and Virgin Atlantic have a special bidding process that means you could manage a steep discount. After booking an economy seat, the airline will alert you if you’re eligible to bid on an business class upgrade. You have the best chances of winning the auction if you bid around 20 percent below market price, so be sure to check what a full-price business class ticket on that airline costs before submitting your bit. Booking directly with the airline increases your chances of being offered an auction upgrade.
Flash sales typically last anywhere from a few days to a few hours, but they’re one of the most reliable ways to score business class tickets for way less than usual. For example, you might be able to score a flight for 50 percent or less than the normal average price. The best way to be alerted of flash sales is to watch an airline’s social media pages, like Twitter and Facebook. Checking daily could mean saving thousands off the price of a cushy business class seat.
While you may not get top-of-the-line perks when you opt for business class with a budget airline, the experience can still be pretty great.
JetBlue Mint seats are lie-flat and some are located in private suites with sliding doors. Mint passengers are treated to in-flight goodies like tapas and Birchbox amenity kits. A Mint class ticket from New York City to the Caribbean will only run you about $300. Other low cost carriers also offer premium class seats for lower prices than the big-name airlines.
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