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If you travel a lot for work, particularly on long flights from the US to Europe or beyond, you might be tired of the standard travel experience. Or perhaps you’re a travel manager, tired of hearing from economy-class travelers about long check-in lines at the airport, crowded airport gates with nowhere to charge your phone, expensive luggage fees and cramped seating.
One of the simplest ways to enhance the corporate travel experience is to fly business class. A business class ticket doesn’t just let you sit in the front of the plane; depending on the airline, these tickets can include:
premium amenities
access to airport lounges (and free food!)
personalized service
lie-flat seats or additional space on the plane
additional miles earned, free baggage, or other benefits
As air travel demand grows, there’s an increasing need for hassle-free work travel as well. In this guide, we will show you how, when and where to find business class flights, and make sure you know the difference between accessible luxury and overpriced economy.
How to book business class flights
There are two main ways to book business class flights: either directly with the airlines or through an online travel agency (OTA) that offers business class airline tickets (not every OTA does). The option you choose depends on the requirements of your trip. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each.
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)
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OTAs can be a convenient way to find business class flight deals, especially for travelers who have (or need) more flexibility.
Pros:
With industry expertise and connections, OTAs can find more relevant options and better deals than you could have found on your own
A wide range of travel suppliers and options allows you to easily search and compare multiple airlines, routes and itineraries at once
Get access to negotiated rates or corporate discounts, meaning more options and better deals
Cons:
Not every OTA offers every fare class. For example, some OTAs may only sell up to Premium Economy, while others may only sell all fare classes for certain airlines.
Some OTAs offer limited flexibility, even with business-class tickets. When you’re booking through a third-party, be sure you understand the third-party’s booking and cancellation policies as well as the airline’s.
Hotel corporate rates are typically negotiated in advance between the hotel or hotel chain and your company, usually through your travel manager.
There are many OTAs available to choose from when travel managers are looking to book business class flights for those traveling for work, so we’ve compiled a list for consideration.
Perk
Perk is an all-in-one travel management platform and a great place to book business-class flights, especially as a corporate traveler.
Perk offers negotiated rates and some of the most flexible cancellation policies in the industry. The platform also allows you to search, compare, book and manage corporate travel, plus manage reimbursements, VAT refunds and more.
SAP Concur
SAP Concur offers a traditional approach to corporate travel and business class bookings, though the platform does take 6-8 weeks to implement and onboard with.
This system offers tracking and reporting of expenses and expense reports, and can connect with apps like Uber and Airbnb for car and hotel bookings as well as flights.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is also a good option for frequent flyers, offering a variety of fares from Basic to Business. However, at the time of writing, Skyscanner can only provide premium class fares when searching specific locations or dates.
As such, you won’t be able to use their calendar or flexible location feature to find business class prices, so you’ll need to search for the best prices manually instead.
Booking directly with airlines
Alternatively, you can book business class fares directly with each airline. However, this approach also has its own pros and cons:
Pros:
Comparing all of the available fare classes at once (as opposed to an OTA, where you usually have to select your desired class in the search).
Easier to compare the benefits and rewards of various fare classes. Since each airline offers different benefits with each class, booking directly is a good way to understand what is included and which fare class is best for you.
Some airlines offer additional benefits for booking directly, such as selecting your preferred seats upfront or taking advantage of exclusive offers.
Easier to book travel using points or mileage.
Cons:
It is often more expensive to book directly with an airline than to book through an OTA, especially if your company has access to corporate fares.
It’s more difficult to compare multiple airlines and routes to ensure you’re getting the best price.
If you need to book accommodation as well as flights, you’ll have to book using a separate provider, which gives you multiple invoices and suppliers to manage. If you book with a business OTA, like Perk, you’ll get just a single invoice and a single supplier in case you need support or have to make a change.
What are some of the top US airlines to book business class flights with?
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Most major airlines have some type of premium cabin, but the price and quality of the upgrade vary widely by airline and flight type.
International flights typically offer a better business class experience, with lie-flat seats, additional privacy, premium food and an all-around superior travel experience. However, domestic business or first class tickets typically only offer more space on the plane and premium service on the ground.
For example, with American Airlines’ Flagship Business class flights you can expect luxury lounge access at the airport, fast check-in and speedy boarding as well as wider seats and more legroom, premium dining options, and lie-flat seats on transcontinental routes.
Some of the top-rated business class airlines include:
American Airlines (Flagship Business and Flagship First)
United Airlines (United Business and Polaris)
Delta Airlines (Delta One and First Class)
JetBlue Airways (Mint)
How to save money when booking business class flights
While business class fares aren’t typically cheap, often costing 2-3x more than economy, there are still ways to save money when booking this type of flight for your next corporate trip. Keep these tips in mind to get the best deals for you and your team while still flying in comfort.
Leverage frequent flyer programs
Frequent flyer or airline loyalty programs are one of the best ways to save money on business class flights. Your accrued airline miles can be used for upgrades (i.e. from Economy to Business class) or to purchase business class fares at lower rates.
With the United Airlines MileagePlus and PerksPlus programs, for example, you can use your rewards to earn free upgrades – though it’s worth being aware that PerksPlus benefits are only available to business travelers who book with United Airlines via a travel agency.
Even though Business Class fares are often 2-3x more expensive than economy fares, they don’t always cost 2-3x as many reward points to book or upgrade, making miles an effective (and more affordable) way to score cheap business class tickets.
Credit card points and rewards
These are also an effective way to find cheap business class flights. Many credit cards, especially airline credit cards like the American Airlines AAdvantage card, have significant sign-up bonuses and additional rewards that make it easy to earn upgrades.
Book far in advance
In general, booking 4-6 months in advance gives you the lowest business class rates.
“Booking at the last minute is like gambling with your company’s budget; trust us, the house always wins.” Says the team at Corporate Traveller. “The early bird gets the best deals on business travel.”
Be flexible
If you’re really looking for the best deals on first-class flights, be as flexible as possible when searching for and booking your trip. Vary departure dates, try a nearby airport (such as checking Newark for New York instead of JFK), or book two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip flight.
“If you’re flexible with your travel dates and even your departure airport, you can often save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on business-class airfare.” Says Zach Honig, aka The Points Guy.
Travel during off-peak seasons
As with any fare class, peak-season pricing will be the most expensive. To score cheap business class flights, try to avoid peak travel periods and keep in mind that these can vary for business vs. economy fares.
For example, most business travelers fly on Mondays and Fridays, so booking midweek travel dates can save money. In addition, traveling business class during celebratory months or summer vacation can also net you lower fares, as fewer corporate passengers are flying during those periods.
Take advantage of corporate travel deals
Many companies have discounts negotiated with airlines or have access to corporate travel booking platforms, like Perk, that offer negotiated deals or fares. If you’re traveling for business, it’s worth looking into how to access corporate deals that can make flying business class much more affordable.
Look into alternate airlines
American Airlines might be your preferred airline, but if you’re flying from the US to the Middle East, have you considered Emirates or Qatar Airways? You may be able to find better deals, and more fare classes and options, on airlines that are less well-known in the US.
Consider partner airlines
For example, Virgin Atlantic is a partner of Delta through the SkyTeam alliance. Virgin Atlantic regularly offers sales on Business Class fares for lower rates than Delta offers, even for the same flight.
Save money when flying for business
Perk can save you money when booking flights for work travel, plus it gives you an easy, all-in-one platform to get reimbursed, manage corporate travel plans, and get superior support anytime you need it. Book a demo, and we’ll show you how to start saving money with Perk.
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