Enjoy Business Class for Less!

It’s no secret that flying Business class is more enjoyable than Economy, but it also comes with a high price-tag. This week our members share their tricks for scoring discounted Business class tickets, making pointy-end flying possible for just a fraction of the regular ticket price!

The first tip is to consider left-field airlines. For example, Royal Brunei Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and Finnair sell Business tickets to Europe for a considerable discount over the likes of Qantas and Singapore Airlines. For travel to the United States, there are some good deals on Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways.

One member recommends signing up to the email newsletters of all the airlines you might consider flying. That way you’ll be informed if a great sale comes around.

Another great tip is to purchase flights departing from outside Australia. Some of the best deals on Business class to Europe, for example, are on flights departing from Thailand or Sri Lanka. Alternatively, there are some very good Business fares to the United States available from Fiji and New Zealand. You would need to purchase what’s known as a “positioning flight” to get to your starting point, but the savings can add up to thousands of dollars!

One member buys frequent flyer miles from American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, using them to book Business class redemption seats at just one third of the usual retail price. This member buys the miles during “bonus mile” promotions to get the lowest price. But they warn that this strategy doesn’t always work if you need to fly at a specific time, as your ability to redeem the miles will depend on the availability of reward seats.

Some of the best fares are released by mistake. “Error fares” can make Business and First class travel possible for ridiculously low prices! But if you come across an error fare you’ll need to book quickly – these are usually removed in a matter of hours.

Join the discussion HERE.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.