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Flying business class at least once in your life is a dream for many travellers – and let's be honest, who wouldn't want extra legroom, a fully reclining seat for a great night's sleep, and premium food and drinks at 30,000 feet?!
Like many people, I've spent most of my travels hunting for cheap flights to anywhere and flying in economy. And honestly, I've got no complaints – it's allowed me to visit some incredible places and experience new cultures, which I feel very lucky about.
I'm happy in economy – just take me straight to my seat and let me settle in for the next few hours. But no, no, no – that's not what some airlines do! Instead, they make economy passengers take the long walk down the aisle, past the spacious, comfy business and first-class seats! Granted, not every airline makes you do this little parade, but when it happens, I always wonder... do they do it on purpose?! It's hard not to feel a bit envious as you walk past these incredibly luxurious seats on your way to cramped economy, hoping that one day, you'll get to experience that – even more so on a long-haul flight!
So, maybe that time has come – you're finally upgrading out of economy and treating yourself to a business-class flight. Or maybe you're a seasoned business-class traveller looking for a more budget-friendly option. Either way, I've got you covered. Here are some tips to help you find those elusive, affordable business-class tickets. And for those of us still in economy – just make sure to enjoy every minute of the business-class journey!
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How to Find Cheap Business Class Flights
Looking for cheap business class flights takes a lot of research: start with a more generalised search (for example, whole month) and then, start to narrow your search (for example, exact dates and a specific destination).
Be Flexible with your Travel Destinations and Dates
If you're hunting for those 'golden ticket' cheap business-class flights, flexibility is key! Instead of fixating on one specific destination, keep your options open. Even jotting down a shortlist of a few countries you'd love to visit can make a huge difference. Once you start checking flight comparison websites, you can narrow it down based on the best deals available.
Travel in the Off-Peak Season
If you want to score cheap business-class flights, avoid school holidays like the plague! Airlines aren't clueless – they know exactly when major festivals, events, and school holidays take place in your destination. And, of course, they crank up the prices accordingly.
Instead, try to fly outside of these peak periods – you'll have a much better chance of finding a bargain! Off-peak seasons are typically when the weather isn't at its best. For example, flying to Thailand during the monsoon season (July to October) is far cheaper than booking a trip in December.
- Europe: November to March
- Asia: June to October
- Oceania: June to August
- Africa: October to March
- North America: November to April
- South America: March to May and September to November
Flying during these months is when I've found some of my cheapest flights!
Use a Flight Comparison Website
No matter whether you're booking economy, business, or first-class flights, a flight comparison website should always be your first stop. They do all the hard work for you – scanning Online Travel Agents (OTAs) to find the best prices for your chosen route.
Now, I'd usually always recommend Skyscanner for this. But when it comes to finding business-class seats, I've found it to be a bit clunky. When searching for economy, Skyscanner lets you be more flexible, with handy features like the whole-month view and the 'Explore Everywhere' tool. But for business class? Not so much. It forces you to select an exact destination and travel dates, making it less useful for flexible, deal-hunting travellers.
For business-class flights, I recommend Google Flights instead. It's much more flexible – you can simply select your departure airport and business class, without needing to enter specific dates or destinations. It then generates a map showing various destinations and their lowest business-class fares, which is super handy if you're open to exploring different locations.
That being said, Google Flights does have its downsides. It only allows you to search for flights up to six months in advance and limits return trips to a maximum of two weeks. So, if you're planning a longer getaway, you'll need to do a bit of extra research to piece everything together. But for scoping out business-class deals and comparing destinations, it's a fantastic tool.
Don't Fly on Popular Business Days
When choosing your travel dates, try to avoid flying on Fridays and Mondays – these are peak days for business travellers, meaning business-class seats are in higher demand (and price!). Instead, aim for midweek flights, where you're more likely to find vacant seats and, in turn, better deals on business class.
Include Stop-Overs
Direct flights are obviously more convenient – and as a result, usually more expensive and popular. If you're hunting for cheaper business-class tickets, consider flights with long layovers. They're not always a bad thing! In fact, I once had a long stopover in Warsaw on my way to Jordan, which gave me enough time to leave the airport and explore the city. Honestly, the worst kind of layover is around five to eight hours – just long enough to be exhausting but not quite enough time to head out and explore properly.
Opt for Short-Haul Instead
Most people dream of flying business class on a long-haul trip – and honestly, who wouldn't? Imagine stretching out with a glass of champagne and enjoying delicious food for 17 hours on a flight to Australia. Sounds like pure luxury!
But with high demand comes sky-high prices. Long-haul business-class tickets can be eye-wateringly expensive, so if you're keen to experience the upgrade to business-class without breaking the bank, consider trying it on a short-haul flight first. It's a much cheaper way to get a taste of the experience. For example, I just did a quick Google Flight search flying business-class from Edinburgh to Venice and it came out at £422, while a flight to Sydney in business-class sits at a staggering £3,815!
Go Direct to the Airline
Once you've pinpointed your travel destination and dates using a flight comparison website, take the next step and head directly to the airline's website to see if you can score a better deal. Booking directly with the airline can offer some additional perks, like better customer service and the flexibility to make flight changes or cancellations with ease.
Another bonus? Many airlines have loyalty programs. If you frequently fly with a particular carrier (like Emirates, for example), make sure to sign up for their loyalty program (Emirates Skywards). Not only can you earn miles and points, but you'll also gain access to exclusive benefits like being able to bid to upgrade – more on all of this later!
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Air France
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Swiss International Air Lines
- Etihad
- British Airways
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Turkish Airlines
Set Price Alerts
Once you've decided on your destination and travel dates, resist the urge to book immediately – and definitely don't obsessively check the route every day to see if prices drop (this is actually one of the worst things you can do!). Instead, take the hassle out of the process by setting up a price alert, so you'll be notified when fares hit their lowest point without having to constantly check it yourself.
Here's how to do it:
- Google Flights: Select your preferred route (e.g. Edinburgh to Madrid) and dates, then when you hit search, a list of departing flights will appear with a button above saying 'Track flights' – click this to receive email updates whenever the price changes. Another great tool on this same page is the 'Price Graph' Google Flights feature, which will display a graph showing the cheapest times to fly throughout the year.
- Skyscanner: You can also set up price alerts on Skyscanner by entering your destination and dates, then click 'Create Price Alert' in the top left corner. On mobile, however, you will need to select specific flights before setting up alerts. You'll also need to log in to receive notifications.
For the best results, set up price alerts for multiple routes you're interested in (e.g., Paris, Sydney, Sri Lanka, and Bali). This ties back to an earlier tip – being flexible with destinations and dates gives you the best shot at finding a bargain. Yes, setting multiple alerts takes a bit more time, but it significantly increases your chances of snagging an amazing deal on business-class seats!
Shop the Airline Sales
Every so often, airlines run sales – most commonly in the lead-up to Black Friday, Christmas, and in January. However, sales can happen at any time throughout the year, so it's worth always keeping an eye out. While an airline sale can be a great opportunity to snag a cheaper business-class ticket, I wouldn't rely on it as the best way to find a deal.
Why? Because flights typically drop to their lowest prices when they aren't getting much attention – which isn't the case during major sale periods like Black Friday or the holiday season, when everyone is hunting for bargains. That being said, it's still worth checking out airline sales to see if you can find a good deal.
According to Jack's Flight Club, some of the airlines known for offering the best sales include:
- Air New Zealand
- British Airways
- Etihad Airways
- Japan Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Qatar Airways
So, when airline sales do pop up, these should be your first stop!
Use Miles and Points
Before I dive into this next point, just a quick heads-up! The info below is based on my own experience and research, but I'm not a financial or miles-and-points expert. If you're considering getting a travel credit card or making any big financial decisions, it's always best to do your own research and check with a professional. In the meantime, I'd recommend reading this beginner's guide to traveling on miles and points!
This is probably THE most important tip on the entire list. If you're not using miles and points, it's time to switch up your strategy.
From my experience (having gotten into the miles-and-points game in the last couple of years), if you're based in the US, you'll have way more opportunities – plus much higher welcome bonuses – compared to the UK. But that doesn't mean us UK travellers can't take advantage too!
One of the best ways to earn points is by signing up for a travel credit card – especially ones with a generous signup bonus or introductory offer (e.g., spend £1,000 in the first three months to earn 5,000 extra Avios points). Use your card for everyday expenses, pay it off in full each month to avoid interest, and watch those points stack up! This is exactly what I do, and I found this Money Saving Expert article on airline credit cards super helpful when choosing the right one. Just be mindful of hefty annual fees – only go for one if you'll be spending big enough to justify the cost.
By collecting and earning points: you can use them to book a business-class seat outright or upgrade your economy ticket after purchasing. If you're using points to cover the cost of a seat, you'll only need to pay the taxes or carrier charges (although these can still be hefty!). Some airlines also offer last-minute upgrades for points if seats are available.
If you sign up for a travel credit card that earns British Airways Avios points, you can transfer them to other airline programs like Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar, and Finnair. You can even convert them to Nectar points to book hotel stays – so you're not just limited to flights.
Buy your Tickets in Advance
The best deals on business-class flights are usually found weeks – or even months– in advance. As a general rule of thumb, domestic flights tend to be cheapest when booked at least three weeks ahead, while international flights are best booked at least seven weeks in advance. In some cases, the lowest fares can pop up anywhere from four to twelve months before departure.
So, if you're hoping to bag a cheap business-class seat just a week or two before takeoff, chances are slim! Planning ahead is key.
Bid to Upgrade
If you've tried all the hacks above and still haven't found a cheap business-class flight, don't worry – there's still hope!
Many airlines offer an upgrade auction, which means that if you've booked an economy or premium economy ticket, you could still manage to get a last-minute upgrade to business class. A few days or weeks before departure, airlines often send an email inviting passengers to bid on available business-class seats. It works like a standard auction – the higher your bid, the better your chances of securing the seat. Even if you win the bid, you might end up paying less than what a business-class flight cost when you first checked!
Some airlines only allow bidding for the next class up from your existing ticket, while others let you bid on any class – whether it's premium economy, business, or even first class.
If you're a member of an airline's loyalty program, you may have the option to use points for an upgrade, whereas non-members would need to bid with cash. Loyalty members can also sometimes get priority access to upgrades, giving you an even better shot at success. This is yet another reason to sign up for those frequent flyer programs!
Check out which airlines let you bid on seat upgrades – Etihad Airways, ANA, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines, to name a few.
BONUS: Chance your Luck!
Now, multiple sources say this tactic doesn't work, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a shot, right? It's a bit cheeky, but I live by the motto: 'If you don't ask, you don't get.'
So, if you've been unable to find a cheap business-class flight and find yourself stuck in economy, why not try your luck at the airport? Arrive early, and when checking in, simply ask if there are any business or first-class seats available – and if so, whether you could get an upgrade. While it's almost impossible to get those seats for free, airlines might offer an upgrade for a small fee.
I always give it a go, especially for long-haul flights, but I've never had any luck. My gran, however, has – so maybe it was more common back in the day. Still, there's no harm in asking!
If you've tried every trick in the book and still haven't managed to bag yourself a cheap business-class seat, there's still a way to add a touch of luxury to your trip - by booking yourself into a fancy airport lounge. Sure, it's not quite the same as flying business class, but at least you can enjoy a few hours of comfort, good food, and maybe even some champagne before your flight!
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