Flying in Business Class doesn’t have to break the bank. Deals and promotions may be far less common for Business Class than for Economy, but they’re out there if you know where to look. With the right approach and tools, you can quickly learn how to get cheap Business class tickets.
What is Business Class?
A significant step up from the Economy and Premium Economy Classes, Business Class is perfect for travelers who want to fly more comfortably without paying the eye-watering prices of First Class.
While it varies from airline to airline, Business Class usually offers plenty of perks. Airport lounge access, free-flowing champagne, room to stretch your legs and lie flat and top-quality food – it’s easy to see the appeal.
While it’s still a little different from First Class, you’ll definitely arrive more rested and less stressed than you would if you were flying in Economy.
That means, no matter if you’re flying internationally or domestically, it’s well worth making the effort to root out those business class bargains.
Here are the top five tips and KAYAK tools to help you fly in luxury without sky-high prices.
1. Use your reward points and miles to get cheap Business Class tickets
If you’re serious about saving money when you fly, your first stop should be airline rewards programs, and in particular, branded airline credit cards. You can use the points and miles you accrue on your credit card for spending on previous flights, hotel stays and car rentals to book Business Class seats.
Using your rewards is smart because business class tickets can cost three or four times as much as economy tickets, but don’t cost triple or quadruple the miles. That makes an upgrade the most cost-effective way to maximize your rewards program.
Before you book, make sure you’re familiar with all the partnerships and alliances for your chosen rewards programs. Points and miles are often transferable between cards and collaborating airlines, meaning you can combine rewards from different sources to make one giant discount on your upgrade.
Let’s take United Airlines’ MileagePlus miles, for example. Part of the Star Alliance, you can use its miles with 35+ other airlines around the world including the likes of Lufthansa, Air Canada and EVA Air. You can use your miles to book Business Class tickets directly or to upgrade your Economy or Premium Economy seats to Business Class.
It’s almost always wiser, however, to book your tickets directly rather than to try to upgrade, for a few reasons. Many airlines don’t allow upgrades with miles from Economy tickets, and most don’t if you bought those tickets with miles in the first place. When you do find airlines willing to upgrade, you’ll also likely find a hefty surcharge tagged on. This almost always makes it an inefficient way to spend your miles (and your money).
2. Bid on a Business Class upgrade auction
There are many ways to score an upgrade to Business Class, but perhaps the most gamified is the airline auction. From Air New Zealand to Cathay Pacific, many airlines invite you to bid on a class upgrade – if you’ve bought an eligible ticket. It’s pretty simple: in the days or weeks leading up to your departure date, you’ll get an email from the airline inviting you to make an offer on a seat upgrade. Some airlines only let you bid for a single step up to the next class from your existing ticket, but a few like Etihad let you bid on any class, from Business to First.
Auctions usually impose a minimum bid amount. So, to give yourself a good chance try bidding at least 25% above that minimum amount. If that’s above your budget, it’s always worth making an offer for what you’re willing to pay anyway. Some auctions have surprisingly few bidders and as a result, low thresholds. Most of the time, you’ll be bidding cold hard cash for your upgrade, although a few carriers such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines let you bid with miles as well.
There’s no magic formula for finding discount business class tickets, but KAYAK has tools to make your search easier. If you don’t feel like spending your spare time scouring airlines for Business Class deals (and who does?), set a Price Alert and we’ll do the work for you.
Just set your departure and arrival points, choose fixed or flexible flight dates and make sure to change the dropdown section to ‘Business’. You’ll get email alerts when the price drops, as well as access to our forecasting tool to see if we think the price is going to get cheaper or more expensive over the next 30 days.
Find Business Class deals
4. Search smart and don’t be afraid to Explore
Another way to approach your search is to go by budget rather than by destination. If the world truly is your oyster, then Explore is for you. Just set your criteria and budget, and browse our world map to see which city catches your eye. You can filter for Business Class tickets in the search results page once you’ve picked somewhere amazing.
5. Forget outdated advice and be flexible
your honeymoon in the hope of a celebratory upgrade. The best you can expect at the counter today is the offer of a discounted bump up in class. But even that will likely be more expensive than using the tips and tools in this article. Nowadays, airline employees can’t offer cheap upgrades at their own discretion, so there’s no point in asking.
Instead, plan well and in advance, and embrace a little flexibility. Try to avoid flying on Fridays and Mondays, which are popular with business travelers. You’re more likely to find vacant business class seats on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The next time you search, add a few days’ window before and after your flight dates and you’ll cast a much bigger net over potential cheap business class fares.
How to get cheap business-class tickets: Commonly asked questions
Still not sure about how to get cheap business-class tickets? We get it – with so many options and ways to approach it, the whole thing can get confusing. That’s why we’re answering some of your most commonly asked questions.
How to get upgraded to Business Class for free?
It is generally not the easiest task to get upgraded to Business Class for free, but you have better chances if you are flying frequently with a specific airline and you join their frequent fly program and earn miles. You are increasing your chances for a free upgrade as well when your credit card company partners with specific airlines that earns you bonus points with specific purchases. Always check if your credit card company offers such partnerships.
Do Business Class seats get cheaper closer to departure?
Yes, this is true. Airlines do not like very much to have aircrafts that are not full, so the closer to the departing day you close your Business Class ticket, the better the chances to get yourself a good deal.
Is First Class cheaper than Business Class?
Actually it is the other way around. Even though both are in the luxury realm, First Class takes it a step further. It provides better seats, a more private experience with better meals and is not easy to upgrade with miles.
What does Business Class look like?
Very different to Economy! Seats are more like personal pods that lie flat (or close to it) with far more room to stretch out. Often set in pairs, they have privacy partitions and better amenities – bigger screens, high-quality noise- canceling headphones, a table, proper blankets, slippers and even nightwear. Beware though – not all Business Class cabins are the same. Modern amenities have dramatically improved meaning older planes may not offer anywhere near the same level of comfort as new models.
Some of our favorite cheap Business Class flight routes
This blog post was originally published on June 16, 2023, and updated on September 09, 2024.