Are you interested in flying business class to London? Traveling is never fun, especially for international flights, but flying business class to London can be extremely enjoyable. The seats on planes that are flying business class to London are larger. Some of the seats when flying business class to London actually recline into a full bed position, giving you total relaxation while you cross the Atlantic. And of course, the flight attendants on business class flights are dedicated to your comfort and experience.
However, the most common decision factor while booking is the cost of the airfare. Money is tight for everyone, and business class airfare tends to cost more than economy. We understand this, so we’ve put together a guide to snagging the best price business class flights to Europe:
Four Tricks for Getting Deals on Business Class International Flights
- Keep an Eye Out for a Last Minute Upgrade
Although the airlines love charging that premium price tag for business class tickets, the business class seats that sit open don’t make them any money at all. When a flight gets close to its take off date, some airlines send out notifications that business class upgrades are available at discounted rates. When you book an international flight that you are interested in landing a business class ticket (but without the business class cost), make sure to pay attention to pop-up adds that appear when you check-in to your flight; this is often how the airlines unload these tickets quickly. If you are a frequent traveler with a specific airline, they may include you on a email list of business class seats that they want to sell off fast. - Shop Around Online Auctions Dedicated to This Purpose
Selling off last minute empty business class seats is so common that there is actually an industry for it. About 25 of the biggest international airlines participate in online auctions that work a lot like Priceline does: online users create an account and provide their payment information. They then submit a blind bid on what they’d pay for a business class seat departing within 72 hours. If your bid is above the thresh hold that the airline is willing to accept, then the seat is yours!
The downside to this type of business class ticket purchasing is that you really have no idea what the “going rate” is. You could easily bid above what you’d pay otherwise. If you really know the industry and what your ticket is worth, you might be able to grab a good deal doing this though. - Book With a Discount Travel Agency
Sometimes travel agencies who book large quantities of tickets are able to grab large discounts that you would never have access to as a private traveler. These travel agencies are sometimes able to pass along the wholesale discount they get to travelers, only charging a mild surcharge, which still makes it an awesome deal for you. Sometimes, discount travel agencies are able to leverage their travel booking skills to find less-than-obvious flights that are incredibly inexpensive for their clients. These discounts can be as much as 30 to 70% off the retail price of the ticket for the traveler; when you’re flying business class to Europe, this could save your easily $5,000 or more.
Keep in mind that travel agencies like this often have to keep their costs low to remain profitable, which means you have little to no customer service available to answer your questions or help you plan your trip. If you know what you’re doing, this is still an incredible option. - Book 90 Days Early
The best way to get the best deal on business class tickets is to purchase them 60 to 90 days out. Keep in mind that this trick doesn’t work if you are a “fly in on Monday and out on Friday” kind of business person; deals like this often require a Saturday stay. However, if you are traveling overseas and have enough planning available to book your ticket 90 days out, you could save yourself 25% or more.
Do you have any other great tips for snagging business class flights to Europe? Please share your sage advice on the subject below!
