For most of us, flying economy seems the most reasonable choice.
Indeed, why pay more for just a few additional inches of space and a little broader menu?
Turns out there’s much more you might be missing out on!
Stay with me to know the differences and also learn a few secrets to get cheap business
class tickets!
Get comfier in Premium Economy Flying Basic Economy, you have to deal with
cramped space, and if you’re so unlucky as to sit in the middle seat, oof…
Premium Economy rids you of several problems at once.
First, you get to board the airplane and get off at destination among the first.
Secondly, you have more leg room and a reclining seat that will not disturb your neighbors
behind you.
Add to that your personal entertainment system and improved meals, and the additional cost,
which is sometimes double that of Basic Economy, will be more than justified — especially
on long-haul and overnight flights.
More space for a few extra bucks If you don’t quite feel like splurging,
there’s an intermediate option on many airlines called Economy Plus.
With this type of ticket, you get the same level of service as other Basic Economy passengers,
but you’ll certainly be glad to have those extra inches of leg room as well as seat recline.
And some airlines even offer additional perks, more commonly reserved for Premium Economy,
such as priority boarding or meal preferences.
Dream flight with Business class Business class will cost you a hefty sum — about
5 times more than Economy, on average — but it’s well worth the money.
It starts even before the flight proper: you get a separate lounge where you can wait in
comfort, get free food and drinks, and even sleep in a real bed if you like.
On board, Business class passengers are also separated from those less fortunate, sit in
comfy flatbeds, and basically get whatever their heart desires: exquisite meals, luxury
entertainment, and full service team of their own.
If you want to fly with fanfare, then it’s First class
Now this is undoubtedly the costliest way to travel — and the most luxurious to be
sure.
Everything you may imagine is available to First class passengers, including their personal
coach to and from the plane (in a premium class car too, of course) plus all the amenities
of the Business passengers.
Sometimes, First class even get round tables and their own bar, as well as Wi-Fi.
But there’s one pretty big ‘however’ here…
Business and First class aren’t that different Business class is quickly becoming so luxurious
that many airlines have been rejecting their First class seats and lounges altogether.
The level of comfort also depends on the airline: some Business offers are so tempting compared
to other airlines’ First class that it’s hard to imagine why anyone would pay more
for the latter.
And the price difference is quite dramatic: if Business class costs 5 to 9 times the Economy
flight, First class is usually twice that amount.
Private is always better, though If you’re a businessperson, no level of
comfort equals absolute privacy — and that you can achieve by hiring a private jet.
There, you’ll not only be able to fly in complete absence of strangers, but you also
won’t need to arrive to the airport hours before your flight.
The crew will be waiting only for you, so you can come 10 minutes before departure and
still be on time.
And on board, there’ll be a whole luxury apartment for you.
Of course, this comes for an exorbitant amount of money, but the good thing is…
Private can be cheaper too When hiring a jet of your own, you pay not
per person but for the whole plane.
So if you’re traveling with partners, you can share the ride — and that might come
off even cheaper than paying for a Business class ticket.
On that note, remember I promised some tips to buy those tickets at a bargain price?
Here they are!
1.
Don’t book them in advance You probably know there are certain days when
ticket prices are the lowest, and you can be tempted to buy a Business class ticket
then and there, but don’t.
The cost will still be several times higher than coach on the same day.
If you have the opportunity, better wait until the last day and buy a ticket when online
check-in is already in progress.
Most airlines, if they’ve still got unoccupied Business class seats by that time, would lower
the price significantly to get passengers there, so use your chance.
2.
Make use of your frequent flier miles If you have a credit card that allows you
to earn miles, why not use them to travel in style?
Make your purchases like you normally would with that card and check your mile balance
regularly.
Once you have enough on your account to buy a ticket, just go for it!
Or you can buy two tickets at the cost of a single one if you’re not flying alone,
which is also pretty nice.
Just don’t let the miles go stale, or they will expire.
3.
Upgrade instead of going big Even with the airline loyalty programs, frequent
flier miles add up pretty slowly.
So in most cases you’ll be better off upgrading your regular coach ticket to Business class
instead of buying it full price.
Of course, that’ll require paying for the Economy flight first, but the cost of upgrade
without the miles would still be quite high, so it’s a more than nice trick.
4.
Get a dedicated credit card Most banks offer credit cards that earn you
flier miles, but those might do it at a too relaxed pace.
To get the most out of that piece of plastic, get yourself a card associated with the airline
of your choice.
It will often give you a greeting bonus enough to cover half a round trip in First class
across the Atlantic.
5.
Spend, don’t fly Flying proper is in fact the slowest way to
earn miles.
By using your credit card for regular purchases, you’ll earn much more bonuses.
Also, if you own an elite card (those usually require you to spend a certain amount per
month), the miles earned will run up really briskly.
Combined with your dedicated airline card bonuses, you’ll get the necessary amount
for your Business or First class flight in no time.
6.
Purchase the mileage If you feel that you can’t spend so much
as to earn enough miles in time before they expire, just buy them!
It’s always easier to spend small amounts at your own pace than to shell out the whole
— not so modest — sum for the ticket.
Also, airlines might offer good deals on miles, so you can save some pretty good money if
you’re attentive enough.
7.
Go all in If you don’t mind some game of chance, purchase
an Economy ticket and go to the airport at the designated time to check in.
At the desk, or even at the gate, ask the employees if there’s an option to upgrade
to Business class.
Should there be any unoccupied seats, they will most likely agree to promote your ride
at a reduced rate.
This trick doesn’t involve any freebies you can use, but it still cuts the final cost
almost by half.
8.
Just ask Once again, buy a coach ticket, but make sure
you have a seat in the front of the cabin.
Once you hear the door going shut, look forward, at the Business class compartment.
If you see vacant seats there, ask your flight attendant whether they could allow you to
move there instead of Economy.
Chances are, especially if you’ve been polite and at least smiled and said hello upon boarding,
they’ll readily usher you to Business class for no additional cost whatsoever.
People skills are always the thing.
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