If you’ve ever thought flying in first or business class was an out of bounds dream, think again. There are times when upgrading to first class isn’t just achievable and affordable, but damn-right worth it
In December, I was able to go back to HOME Brazil for a few weeks on a long stopover in Mexico, before heading to Sao Paulo!
Visiting Brazil at Christmas time has been one of my lists since I migrated to the USA in the late 1990″s but been hard because of the cost flight — But I have not been at home for Christmas in over 20 years so I decided to treat myself, and I got strategic about planning out my trip. I realized that I would be able to redeem some of my saved Delta points to upgrade my long flight.
I’m also a huge fan of flying “in comfort” as frequently as possible, especially on long journeys. But typically I try to upgrade to Business Class, so it was positively a luxury to be able to upgrade to First Class. It was an amazing, luxurious and over-the-top experience.
For most of us, paying full price for a first or business class ticket is beyond our travel budgets. Fortunately, first class upgrades — though less frequent than they used to be — are a way for money-savvy travelers to fly in luxury at a fraction of the cost. But, how do you get a coveted first or business class upgrade? And is it possible to score a free upgrade or fly first class for the price of an economy ticket?
For those of us who aren’t charging business class fares to the corporate card, but still dream of flying in style, here’s how to get upgraded to first class or fly in a premium class for cheap.
Buy an Upgrade for Your Economy Ticket with Miles, Points, or Cash
Generally the cheapest way to get a business or first class ticket is to purchase an economy ticket, then buy an upgrade. You can either do this soon after booking, or look for last-minute upgrades as your travel date approaches.
Counterintuitively, the price for premium cabin fares actually decrease as you get closer to departure. To see your upgrade options, go to the airline’s app or website, open your reservation, and click on “Upgrade Options”. You can also take advantage of a last-minute upgrade while checking in on your app or at the airline kiosk.
Bid for an Upgrade
Some airlines will allow you to name your price, like at an auction, and bid for a business or first class upgrade. In order to do this, you must have a confirmed reservation, and be ready to pay if your bid is accepted. This is not a guaranteed upgrade, the way paying for one with cash or points is, but it’s a way to gamble on getting that upgrade at a discount.
Upgrade an Economy Ticket with Points During Booking
To upgrade your ticket with miles and points, either do it in the original booking process or after you have purchased an economy ticket on your airline’s booking portal. Just be sure to do the math and make sure it’s actually a good deal.
Buy a Business or First Class Seat with Cash and Points
Buying an award ticket is one of the best ways to get a good deal on a business or first class ticket. For example, a recent search for a roundtrip ticket from San Francisco to Paris booked with points on United turned up a price of 120,000 points, worth about $1,200. The same business class ticket with cash cost $6,000. While double the price of a $600 economy ticket, it’s a bargain compared to the full price business fare.
If you don’t have enough miles to purchase an award ticket, some airlines will allow you to purchase with a miles and cash combination. This usually still gives you a better deal than purchasing with cash.
Remain Loyal.
Airline loyalty programs aren’t what they used to be. Even if you’re a frequent traveler, the perks you receive aren’t nearly what they once were. All the same, those miles will add up, and eventually, you can use them for a free upgrade. But watch the expiration dates and make sure to read all e-mails that come from the airline. Don’t let points expire.
Fly When Business Travelers Aren’t.
Business travelers fly all week. The last thing they want to do is fly on the weekends. That’s why you won’t see as many people flying in business suites on Saturdays and Sunday mornings. That might leave more business class seats up for grabs.
Watch for the Open Seat.
If your coach seat is towards the front of the plane, listen for the cabin door to shut. If there’s an open first-class seat, ask the flight attendant if you can move. Although free upgrades at the gate are becoming scarce, things might be more easygoing on-board. Of course, it always helps if you take the time to strike up a conversation with the attendant when you first board the plane.
Upgrade at Check-In.
If you really want an upgraded seat and don’t have the miles to get it free, purchase an upgrade when you check-in, even if you’re doing it online. If there are seats available, airlines will often offer them at a discounted rate—since there are only 24 hours before takeoff at this point.
If you don’t mind the gamble, ask the gate attendant what they’re charging for the upgrade. It might be even cheaper than the reduced online rate.
The Bottom Line
“In the old days status fliers would get upgraded at the gate,” Abramson says. “That’s possible on long hauls when there’s plenty of first and business class inventory on the plane, but these days we have smaller planes and fewer seats to fill up.”
It’s not going to be easy to get the upgrade for cheap. In most cases, you will have to pay for something. But especially for longer flights, it might be well worth the extra cost.
Buy a Seat on a Private Jet
Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a billionaire to fly in a private jet. With the help of private jet share or booking companies like JetSuite, Blade, and LinearAir, you can to book a seat on a private jet. Usually, these jets fly out of smaller, local airports, allow travelers to skip TSA and show up just 15-20 minutes before their flight.
This avenue is generally worth it if you’re traveling with a group of friends, especially if you’re buying out part or all of the jet. Some will let you buy an individual ticket.
JetSuite
With JetSuite you can either find a seat or rent out the full plane, and they’re not that unreasonable. For a single seat on a roundtrip flight from SF to LA, you could get a ticket for about $400. If you’re willing to book last minute (as in, the day before), you book an entire jet using SuiteDeals for as low as $536 each way. For a group of four, that comes out to $1,072 roundtrip for everyone, or $268 roundtrip per person.
LinearAir
This air taxi service connects travelers with small aircrafts that can take you and 2-7 of your friends on shorter air routes. While some flights could still cost you upwards of $1,000 per person, not all of them do. “The average transaction,” [founder] William Herp told TPG, “comes to about $2,000 for a passenger configuration of 3-8 seats,” says The Points Guy. If you’re flying to and from regional airports, give it a shot.
