Getting a free upgrade to business or first class is down to luck, but there are other tricks to finding cheap business class flights, which could save you money on your holiday.
According to the travel site Kayak, an average first class return flight to the US could cost you around £4,500, and an average business class flight costs around £2,900 (correct at the time of writing).
The good news is that you can cut the cost with the best travel credit cards for air miles and by checking the best time to book flights.
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How much do business and first class flights cost?
The price of business and first class flights can vary a great deal depending on the time of year you fly, your destination and the airport you fly from.
To give you a rough idea, we researched how much it would cost for a return flight with British Airways (BA). These prices are correct as of March 20 and are likely to change.
- First class from London to New York in January – £4,038
- Business class from London to New York in June – £2,735
- First class from London to Dubai in June – £3,894
- Business class from London to Dubai in June – £2,770
There can also be a large discrepancy in the cost of flights, depending on the airline.
For example, we looked at return flights from London to Dubai with British Airways and Emirates on the same dates.
Business class flights were similar at around £2,600 for BA and £2,990 with Emirates. A first-class return flight would cost £3,900 with BA and £7,788 with Emirates.
The huge price difference can be down to the airlines' offerings as well as the kind of demand it’s receiving for bookings.
The quality of the offerings varies greatly, as acknowledged by the 2024 Skytrax Awards. Qatar Airways was voted the best business class airline in the world by travellers, followed by Singapore Airlines, ANA All Nippon Airways and Emirates. Virgin Atlantic came in 11th place, while British Airways ranked number 15.
Which is the cheapest business class airline?
There’s a big price difference across airlines and routes when you fly business class. But it’s not quite like comparing like for like because the standard of the business class cabins differ too.
One trick is to take advantage of a so-called ‘unbundled’ ticket offered by some airlines. It’s a business class ticket, but strips out some of the frills such as advance seat selection, chauffeur service and lounge access. With this ticket, you still get to turn left when you board the plane and sit in a business class seat.
Emirates offers this – it’s called “Special” business class fare.
Here's our guide on how to find cheaper business and first class flights.
Use air miles
One of the most popular ways of upgrading your flight for less is using air miles. You can collect air miles with various credit cards and use them to cut the cost of your flight, or upgrade to business or first class for ‘free’. Popular reward credit cards for collecting air miles include American Express (Amex) and Virgin Money (where you collect Virgin Points). With British Airways, you earn Avios points. Here are some to consider:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Credit Card
When you spend £10,000 within a year on this credit card, you can get a free cabin upgrade voucher which can be used when you book a flight using Avios points. But, the voucher only upgrades you by one cabin class, and first class is not eligible. So, if you book in the economy cabin, you get a free upgrade to premium economy and those who book premium economy get an upgrade to business class. Alternatively you can choose to have 7,000 Avios points to add to your balance as a reward.
Here’s how the credit card works and its other perks.
- Get 1.5 Avios points for every £1 spent
- Access to more than 1,000 airport lounges at a discounted rate of £20.50 per person
- Spend £3,000 in your first three months and get 25,000 bonus Avios points
- 80.1% APR
- £20 monthly fee
Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Credit Card
This Virgin credit card also offers a free cabin upgrade when you spend £10,000 in a year. You can upgrade by one cabin type, available to all tiers. This means you can upgrade to Premium or Upper Class.
- 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 spent or three points for every £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays
- Get 18,000 bonus points when you use your credit card within your first 90 days (no minimum spend)
- 0% on balance transfers and purchases for the first six months
- £160 annual fee
There’s also a host of Amex credit cards, but which is best to use? It all comes down to what rewards you want from your credit card and whether you’re willing to pay an annual fee. The difference with Amex is you’re not limited to one airline – you can use your points with 17 of its partner airlines. This includes Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Singapore Airlines.
When’s the best time to fly first class?
Kayak says the best month to fly is April, costing 14% less on average – otherwise known as ‘low season’.
You should avoid flying in high season, which is October, when flights are 18% more expensive on average. Also, peak months such as July and December can be pricey.
According to Forbes, flying mid-week also helps cut costs (Tuesday to Thursday) as that’s when airlines will make fares cheaper.
Where are you departing from?
The airport you fly from could cut the cost of your business- or first-class fare. If you can easily get to a range of airport this might be worth investigating.
You can compare flight costs using comparison sites such as Expedia, Kayak and Skyscanner.
Look at the cheapest time to fly
According to trip.com, flying before 9am could make your tickets up to 15% cheaper.
Early morning flights also tend to mean cleaner planes.
Again, this depends on where you are departing from, so it’s worth comparing different flight times to see when business or first class flights are cheaper.
If you can be flexible on the time of year, even better.
If there’s a certain airline you prefer, you could find their dedicated business class pages such as the British Airways one which allows you to view the cheapest time of year to fly in specific cabins.
Watch out for discounts
To keep on top of special deals and sales sign up for airline newsletters or follow them on social media.
These could help you take advantage of tips and offers to cut costs on business- and first-class fares.
It’s also an idea to sign up for flight comparison and deal sites that do the hard work for you, such as Jack’s Flight Club and TripsInsider.
Upgrades at the airport – if you don’t ask, you don’t get…
You may get lucky with a free upgrade or a hard-to-resist bargain price on an upgrade on the day. Even though it’s down to luck, as the saying goes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
There are a couple of tips to increase your chances – be polite and friendly with the staff and ideally dress well.
You can ask when you check in – best to do so early – to see if there are seats in business or first class going spare. If you’re flying on a special occasion, for example a special birthday or anniversary, don’t forget to mention it when you check-in!
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