First Class and Business Class Air Travel How to Fly Cheaper

Most people have flown on an airline at some time in their life. Many have travelled on numerous occasions and been to many parts of the world. And most of the time while flying they were stuck in economy class at the ‘back of the bus’.

Every single day hundreds of thousands of people worldwide will board an aircraft and sit down in ‘sardine’ class to enjoy hours and hours of 'comfort' in a standard seat of 29” to 34” pitch. Seat size will depend on who you fly. We’ve all been there! Probably nothing worse as the captain switches off the seat belt sign and the passenger in front immediately reclines his seat towards our face…

Economic conditions dictate that most air travellers will have to fly economy as the upper class tickets are out of their price range. Only the flying ‘elite’ get to travel up front in business or first class. This is particularly the case for long-haul flights.

There will always be a demand for these high price air tickets which come mainly from corporate travellers and wealthy individuals. In fact this high revenue group are the lifeblood for many international airlines, particularly on the lucrative Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific routes.

Fly from London to New York in business and you will pay upwards of ₤3000 - ₤4000 ($5000-$7000) to fly on the major carriers. Or fly from LA to Sydney, Australia in biz and it will set you back ₤4500-₤6000 ($7500-$10000). Not exactly small change…

Let’s face it, we all want to sit at the front of the plane. Nice comfortable chairs which recline into flat beds, plenty of space and privacy, gourmet dining, service with a personal touch. Not to mention free lounge access where we can escape the crowds at the airport.

So you think that you will never be able to enjoy the trappings of international first class air travel? Well, all is not necessarily lost…

There are a number of tips and techniques which can get you flying in the premium cabins much cheaper than you ever thought possible. We will mention a couple here for readers, but you can find a comprehensive analysis should you make a small investment in the ‘Ultimate Airfares, Upgrades & Cheap First Class Flights Guide’ (please see below).

Tip 1: If you are flying Trans-Atlantic price up your journey on one of the new specialist all-business class carriers. This is a relatively recent phenomenon and could have an impact on future pricing. For example, Maxjet (www.maxjet.com) and Eosjet (www.eosairlines.com) will fly out of London Stansted to New York JFK from Novemmber 2005. Maxjet intend to charge fares as low as ₤599 or $779 one-way. There are (or are plans for) other all-business services out of Switzerland, Netherlands and Germany to the US. Keep an eye on how the major airlines respond - they may be forced to reduce prices or at least offer extra special deals.

Tip 2: Book a ticket on one of the more off-beat carriers. For example, there are a large number of airlines flying trans-Atlantic (such as Air India or IcelandAir) and they often undercut the major carriers by up to 80%. There are some great deals out there.

Tip 3: You should join up with 1 or 2 frequent flyer program and try to attain elite status. There are clever ways of getting top status within a few weeks if you know how and this will help you greatly in your quest for first class flying. And be careful how you spend those miles as most travellers end up using them in the most inefficient ways, at great cost to themselves!

If you would like to learn a lot more about maximising your chances of travelling in first class including little known advanced airfare arbitrage techniques, making the most of your airmiles, how to find the lowest fare every time (even if you fly economy) and much much more, then you should invest in the ‘Ultimate Airfares, Upgrades & Cheap First Class Flights Guide’. This high-end guide is for the aspiring elite traveller who wants to join the global jet-set.

Happy flying and hope to see you soon in the first class cabin!