Getting flights to Europe from America has become incredibly expensive. But the coach area is just so uncomfortable, you don’t even want to imagine not flying business class to Rome or England or wherever you are going. If you can’t afford the business class airfare to Amsterdam or some other place that is far away but simply don’t want to fly coach, you might be in luck. There are a few things that you can do to avoid the business class prices but still get the experience.
Use your miles to get upgrades
You don’t have to wait until you have enough miles to get a completely free flight. Simply save up the miles points that you get when you fly and then use them to hack a chunk off a business class ticket. This is actually the best way to get the most value from your miles. For example, if you need to buy business class airfare to Amsterdam, you could use your miles that are worth $900 and take a $2000 ticket down to a $1100 which is probably not much less than you would pay in coach anyway. You could also use the miles to purchase an upgrade just days before your flight when they put these seats into the inventory.
Ask for an upgrade at the airport
While upgrades don’t happen very often at the airport, there’s no harm in trying. If you just absolutely cannot pay the business class airfare to Amsterdam but have to go anyway then purchase the coach ticket and when you get to the airport, find out if there are any last minute upgrades available. There may be a couple hundred dollar fee but this is far cheaper than you would pay for the ticket initially. Always remember to dress well and be polite when you fly just in case you get the opportunity to ask for an upgrade.
Sign up for newsletters
No one likes to get email after email from random companies. However, signing up for newsletters from airlines might be in your favor. Business class does go on sale but you just have to know where to look. Having the newsletter will inform you as soon as something goes on sale. You may just find that business class airfare to Amsterdam you were looking for at a fraction of the original price. Competition is fierce between airlines which is in your benefit. As soon as another airline puts their business class up for sale, chances are, other airlines will be forced to do the same.
Fly during off peak times
Most business travelers book their flights during the weekdays. If you book your flights on holidays or on Saturday or Sunday mornings, then the cabins will be emptier which means more chance of an upgrade. It also means that the tickets will probably be cheaper specifically to entice other people to fly when the business people are not. These times will be a lot more affordable whether you are buying a business ticket outright or trying to get an upgrade.
Use a travel agent
Travel agents are not often thought of anymore now with the online access to tickets and deals. However, travel agents usually are dealing in so much volume that they are able to get access to certain types of fares that the regular person doesn’t get to see. There has to be a reason to use a travel agent so they tend to be able to make deals with airlines that are not online or in the news letters. For example, you could end up with a round trip, business class ticket to Barcelona for $3,000 through a travel agent but online it would cost more than $6,000 to fly business.
Flying should be comfortable for everyone. You are in that plan for a long time and it can get claustrophobic and stressful. However, if you know where to look and what to do in order to get a good deal on business flights, it will totally be worth your time. You’ll be able to enjoy your destination much more if you are properly rested and taken care of.