4 Expensive Mistakes Travelers Make Booking Business Class
A plane flying to the left
Business class is known for being much more expensive than economy. That’s true, to an extent. Airlines generally charge far higher prices for business-class tickets. But another reason it ends up being more expensive is that not everybody knows how to get the best deals.
Some passengers pay more because of mistakes they make when booking business class. On the bright side, this also means that if you know what to avoid, you could save big.
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1. Waiting until the last minute to book
While it’s sometimes possible to snag last-minute airfare deals, this could backfire on you. When you wait until the last minute, all you can do is book whatever’s available. You don’t have the luxury of waiting to see if prices drop.
It’s safer to start shopping for flights well in advance. Travel deals site Going says that the best time to book is one to three months before your travel dates for domestic flights and two to eight months for international flights. For business class, you may want to give yourself even more time.
You don’t need to book right away. When you start shopping early, you can see if there are any deals you like. If not, you can check back later. You can also set up deal alerts. Google Flights is one option that makes it easy to set up email alerts for the route you want.
2. Being inflexible about travel dates
Another way people limit their options when booking business class is by locking into specific travel dates. If you need to depart on July 20 and return on July 30, there’s not much you can do if prices are high on those dates.
I’ve often found that a little wiggle room on travel dates goes a long way. I personally book most of my business-class flights in miles I’ve earned using my credit cards. On some flights, I’ve saved 60,000 to 100,000 miles just by adjusting my travel dates a day or two. This also works when booking in cash.
Try not to commit to any travel dates until you’ve checked flight prices. Most airlines and flight booking portals have calendar tools you can use to compare prices on different dates.
3. Not using a travel rewards card
Travel credit cards are a game-changer for flying business class. It’s always more affordable to pay for flights with miles than with cash. Travel cards allow you to earn miles on all your credit card spending. I normally save at least $5,000 per year on business-class airfare thanks to my travel cards.
Even when you’re paying for a flight with cash, it’s still a good idea to make the booking with a travel credit card. Many of these cards earn bonus rewards on travel spending, such as airfare. If your card earns 4 miles per $1 on airfare, and you use it to pay for a $2,500 business-class ticket, you’ll be 10,000 miles closer to your next award ticket.
Also, most travel cards include complimentary travel protections, such as trip cancellation insurance and lost/delayed luggage reimbursement. Hopefully, you never have these sorts of issues. But if you do, it’s nice to be covered through your credit card.
4. Booking through a travel agency or portal without comparing prices first
There are lots of ways to book airfare online. You could do so directly through the airline. You could book through one of the many online travel agencies (OTAs): Expedia, Kayak, etc. Some credit card companies also have travel portals where cardholders can book flights.
Are the prices the same no matter where you book? Sometimes, but not always. Fares can vary depending on how you book them, and with business class, they can vary by a substantial amount — hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
When in doubt, booking with the airline tends to be the best option. You can contact the airline directly for any customer service issues, which you may not be able to do if you booked through a third party. Prices are often (but once again, not always) lowest through the airline. If you plan to book through an OTA or a travel portal with one of your credit cards, definitely compare prices first.
To recap, if you want to book cheaper business-class airfare, start shopping around early. Be as flexible as you can about your travel dates — even being open to a few dates can help. Look for a travel card to earn miles you can use for flight bookings. And before you confirm a reservation, do some comparison shopping to see if you’re getting the lowest price.
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