Tips for Finding Discounted Business Class and First Class Flights
With a bid to experience extra in-flight comfort, convenience, privacy, and airport lounge services travelers don’t mind paying extra. If you are one of them, spare a few minutes to know how to save on your business class or first class flight.
You are most likely to find travel agencies or airlines bragging about flight discounts or cheap business or first class flights, but in the majority of cases they are just a gimmick. Here are some tips that can help you reduce your flight expense and double your holiday fun.
1. Review Airfares on 3rd Party Travel Sites
Though there are many travel agents, check fares only with ARC-accredited travel agents. You don’t need to go anywhere. From the comfort of your couch, check the cost of business travel airline tickets on their websites. Check fares by switching your airports and airlines. Sometimes, this can help you get a better flight deal.
2. Check Airlines Sites
It’s wise to check airlines sites to know the original fares. However, don’t be in a rush. Original fares can’t be cheap always. Compare fares with 3rd party sites as well to know the difference before confirming your flight ticket. Opt for the flexible fare option, if you are flexible with your travel plan. It would be tiresome to review prices with every airline website, so prefer Google Flight, where you can check fares of multiple airlines.
3. Red-Eye Flight
If time is a restriction for you, probably you would be looking for a red-eye flight to save your day hours. This might be a compulsion for you, but opting a red-eye flight, saves your money. Red-eye flight comes at a lower price than the regular ones. However, if you are traveling with kids, red-eye flight experience could be troublesome.
4. Fare Comparison Sites
Skyscanner, Momondo, Kayak, Jetradar, and Liligo are some of the leading fare portals that can help you to compare airfares and book cheap first class or business class tickets.
5. Early Booking Helps
Some vacation plans related to festivals or events are generally scheduled in advance. In such a scenario, it’s wise to book your flight ticket in advance. If you have ample time, skip flying on weekends. A substantial fare drop happens on a weekday or mid-weekday flights. So, by opting to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday you can reduce your flight expense.
6. Corporate Deals
Many corporates have an affiliation with travel agents who take care of their domestic or international flight needs. So, if your organization has any such association, check with your agent about the availability of the best corporate deals. Be flexible with airlines and airports.
Word of Caution
Saving money should not be the only objective. Travel experience matters. Hence, it’s important to keep an eye on factors that influence experience.
1. On-Time Performance (OTP)
There is no use of saving few bucks with an airline with a poor track record on punctuality. Late departures or arrivals could clash with your things-to-do schedules and spoil your holiday experience. Keep a watch on the performance of airlines. According to travel analyst portal OAG, below is the top 10 list of mega airlines based on their OTP record.
2. Upcoming Event/Festival
In the run-up to popular events or festivals, it’s common to see a surge in the airfares. If your holiday is not focused on watching any particular event or festival, it’s better to re-schedule your travel dates. This will help you grab a cheaper flight ticket.
Hope you found the information helpful. Read the difference between first class and business class flight experience.
