With perks ranging from free cocktails to extra legroom and the luxury of privacy, it’s no wonder why so many people are prepared to spend the extra money required to fly business class.
According to USA Today, a business class ticket can cost in excess of 200% more than an economy class ticket. This makes it difficult for many passengers to afford the luxury that business class entails. Interestingly enough, there are some ways that you can get a business class ticket for cheap, particularly as some airlines become desperate to sell out their flights. By being in the right place at the right time, you can upgrade from economy class to business class at an affordable rate. Here are some tactics that you can implement in order to be successful in this pursuit:
Bid on Discounted Tickets
Typically, cheap upgrades will not be available from the airline’s official website. Instead, airlines will allow third-party websites to sell these upgrades from economy class to business class in an online auction.
When competing in one such auction, just make sure to bid the amount that you are willing to pay for the upgrade. With some customers reportedly paying as little as $50 for an upgrade, it might be your lucky day!
To find these auctions, make sure to do an online search for cheap business class tickets a week before your flight date. Your search results will show you any relevant auctions that offer such upgrades.
Search for One-Way Flights
Instead of purchasing a return ticket, you can buy two one-way tickets in order to increase your chances of scoring a cheap business class upgrade. On many domestic flights, business class tickets can cost just $100 more than a regular economy fare. This will require you to perform intensive research, however.
Airlines can price an upgrade on a one-way ticket anywhere between $50 and hundreds of dollars. There are also some airlines that offer limited-time deals for those passengers who intend on flying business class during two one-way flights. These deals are not easy to find, however, so you will have to conduct thorough and regular internet searches in order to catch them as they appear.
Take a Look At Less Popular Airlines
As can be expected, large scale commercial airlines typically charge higher rates for business class seats. While there are a number of budget airlines with cheaper deals, you may just not have knowledge of their existence yet.
While British Airways, KLM, and Norwegian Airlines are known to be pricier options, cheaper airlines such as WestJet, JetBlue Airways, and Frontier Airlines are starting to offer affordable domestic and international flights.
To find lesser-known airlines that provide the deal you’re looking for, you’ll need to do some digging on the internet. Once you do find the right deals, however, you might end up paying the same amount for a business class ticket that you would for an economy class ticket if you paid for a high-end luxury airline.
Search Online for Discounted Upgrades
If you want to find some cheap business class upgrades, you will need to remain vigilant and keep on the lookout. This is because these deals are not easy to find, and when they do come along, they only remain valid for a limited time.
Make sure to conduct regular internet searches for the best deals available. Also, be sure to consider a wide array of international airlines. Some of the best sites that you can check out for discounts on business class upgrades as well as online auctions are BusinessClassConsolidator.com and BusinessClassGuru.com.
When on the lookout for business class upgrades, the golden rule is to search. Airlines will never tell you about the cheap upgrades that are out there- after all, they’re looking to make a profit.
Make sure to check out the recommended websites above as well as three of four other resources that you find in order to compare prices and find the best possible deals on your next flight!
