It is hard to put a price on great legroom on a long flight. Finding yourself in a cramped seating situation without any room to stretch out can lead to an uncomfortable flight and an achy landing. However, that extra leg room often comes with a price. So, how can you find affordable tickets with extra legroom?
Cheap business class tickets are the ideal method of ensuring that you will not end up in a cramped seating situation. The key to finding cheap tickets boils down to being creative, flexible, and active in your search. If you continue to hunt and get creative with your flights, there are typical deals to be had.
Flexibility, creativity, and activity are all great tips for finding those bargain-bin ticket deals. However, what are the actionable steps that can be taken to find cheap tickets with ample legroom? Read on, and we will touch on a couple of different methods you can use to find the tickets you are looking for.
How Can I Get Cheap Business Class Tickets?
Finding cheap tickets is all about finding the best deal. There are various online services that you can use to search for those deals for you, or you can maintain an active eye on the ticket prices to look for a time when the market for those tickets has reached its cheapest.
You can also look to join a rewards club or get a points card in order to accrue credits that you can spend on airplane tickets. Using some of these tactics can help raise your chances of finding cheaper business class tickets. However, it can also be beneficial to know what type of airline you should be looking for.
What is the Cheapest Business Class Airline?
It’s tough to pinpoint just one business class airline. The answer here really depends on the trip that you are looking to take.
For example, if you are looking for cheaper options for international travel, then you will have to look at different options than you would if you were to look for a cheaper domestic flight. In general, the airlines that offer cheaper tickets overall will hold true when it comes to business class as well.
Domestically, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines will typically offer the cheapest options for business class seats. Spirit has a slightly negative reputation, but they offer outstanding deals, and an upgrade to their version of the business class is usually very minimal.
JetBlue is another great option that does not have too big of a step down in quality compared to other, more pricey options.
In terms of international flights, TAP Portugal Business Class and AER Lingus will typically offer affordable options for business class seats. It is important to understand that these prices can be fluid, but over time these airlines have often been the best deal.
Aer Lingus will often have fares of around $1,500 for flights from Europe to the East Coast of America, while TAP will see prices close to $1,300 for business class.
10 Tips to Get Business Class Tickets for Cheap
Up next, we’ll outline the specifics of our top ten tips for getting business class tickets at an affordable rate. Say bye-bye to cramped seating and hello to champagne and extra snacks.
Book Off-peak Times
This one is a great tip to give yourself a great chance for cheaper flights overall, with a business class being no different. If you are willing to take the red-eye flight or flight very early in the morning, then you will be much more likely to score a discounted business class ticket.
This extends to more than just the takeoff time as well. If you are able to hold off and wait until a time when there are fewer flyers overall, then you will also be more likely to score discounted tickets. Meaning, do not be afraid to look for flights on holidays or events where most people are staying home.
Be Flexible with your Flight Schedule
Similar to being open to booking during off-peak times, being flexible with your flight schedule and itinerary is crucial to scoring discounted rates. This will sometimes mean that you will be stuck with a longer layover or multiple layovers, but it could also mean that you are able to spread out when you are on the plane.
Hunt for Business Class Deals
This tip will serve to be most beneficial to those who are able to take a more active hand in their ticket search. If you are willing to constantly check up on ticket rates, then you may be able to catch a trend or a dip and capitalize on the cheap ticket options that are available as airlines look to make sure they are selling the tickets.
This will be more labor-intensive, as it would require you to take a more active approach and take matters into your own hands. However, if you have the patience and wherewithal, then it will certainly prove to be a worthwhile decision.
Unlock the secrets of air travel by exploring the question, “Are last-minute upgrades cheaper?” in our detailed guide to make informed decisions for a more comfortable journey.
Join a Frequent-Flyer Program
If you are someone who travels frequently for work or to see family, then you should already be looking into joining a frequent-flyer program. They offer all kinds of other benefits on top of just upgrades, and it is sure to make your overall travel experience much more enjoyable than it would be otherwise.
When it comes to upgrades, airlines will often look to their frequent-flyer programs first as well. If something were to happen that resulted in an open business class seat, be it another upgrade or cancellation, they may offer that upgrade to you at a discounted rate.
Get a Points Card
This is similar to the frequent-flyer program in that this is an opportunity to get yourself more opportunity for business class tickets by just continuing to do what you would normally do. Points cards will offer you a chance to accrue points in exchange for expenditures that you charge to the card.
As a result, you can save up points and eventually use them to purchase yourself a business class ticket using strictly points. You could also elect to just use the points to upgrade from the economy class ticket you were going to already purchase. There are multiple different options, so you should be able to find something that fits your needs.
Curious about upgrading your travel experience? Explore our insights on whether last-minute upgrades are cheaper and find the best strategies to enhance your journey.
Arrive Early (or Late)
This method simply relies on taking a chance and getting lucky. Flights, similar to everyday life, often do not go as planned. People will sometimes cancel or miss their flights. Other times people will upgrade from business class to first class, or sometimes airlines will not fill the plane.
If you arrive early, you can let the desk agent know that you are open to upgrading if the opportunity does arise. On the flip side, if you arrive late, you can often take advantage of the late issues that may arise if someone unexpectedly misses their flight. Worst comes to worst, they will tell you no, and you will have a seat you paid for. When all else fails, ask.
(Even booking late might save you some money. Check out this article on cheap last minute flights to learn more!)
Be Willing to Take Next Flight
Oftentimes, airlines can also overbook their flight and need to move some people to another flight. If you listen when you are waiting at your gate, you will often hear offers for folks to switch to a different flight at a later time or date. These swaps can also often come with an exchange of points or future flight credit.
In other instances, this can come with a complimentary upgrade. This comes down again to the flexibility needed to pull this off. If you are not in a rush and you do not mind spending a little bit more time in an airport, this can be another method to score cheaper business class tickets.
Sign up for Fare Alerts
We already gave a tip that you can take an active hand in your search and hunt the web for deals on cheaper tickets and cheaper business class tickets. However, there are also services that you can sign up for that will do that hard work for you.
This can be very helpful if you know of a trip that you would like to do in the future. A lot of these services just require a date and a destination, and they will send you alerts when tickets are believed to be at their cheapest. This is another service that has multiple options, so take your time and find the one that best fits your needs.
Avoid Hubs
Yet again, flexibility gives you an opportunity to potentially score some upgraded business class tickets for cheap. If you are flying somewhere that may be a bit off the beaten path, then flying into an airport that is not one of the major hubs will likely be cheaper.
This comes down to simple economics if there are fewer people flying to these airports, then there will be less demand for business class tickets. As a result, you can capitalize and get some cheap business class tickets.
Bid for an Upgrade
There are also some airlines that will allow you to bid on upgrades as they come available. For this option, make sure that you are checking with your airline to see if this is a possibility. If it is, then keep an eye for when the auctions open and put a bid in to try to get the business class seat that you deserve.
Is it Cheaper to Upgrade to Business Class at the Airport?
Yes and no. Buying an economy ticket with the intention to upgrade at the airport is risky for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, while there are some instances where it is cheaper at the gate, there are other times where you will not receive a discount, or there will not be an upgrade available.
In addition, there are some airlines that will not allow an upgrade of more than one class. Meaning, you could not go from a very cheap seat to a business class seat. Make sure that you check the fine print and understand the upgrade rules before attempting to do this. The best thing to do is just learn how to book a cheap flight online!
Is it Worth it to Fly Business Class?
This completely depends on your preferences and the type of flight that you will be embarking on. If you are someone who is much taller, someone who has long legs, or someone who medically needs to stretch out, then it is much more worth it. Additionally, if you are going to be on an extraordinarily long flight, then it is much more prudent to upgrade for a smoother experience.
Again, it comes down to the person and the needs that you may have on that particular flight. If you can afford a little bit of an extra charge when you are flying, then the business class would typically be worth it. Otherwise, your best bet may be trying to secure an exit row to get you the extra legroom you desire. So, whether you are trying to visit family or you are making a long trip to see the southern lights, you now have all the tools you need to get the most out of your flight!