Many travelers, even if they are not frequent, have in their hands the possibility of buying first class plane tickets at low cost with a few tricks.
Flying first class is the dream of many people, especially those who travel frequently, at least once a year, but the prices make it far from many budgets. Here we are going to give you at least 4 tricks to make your dream come true without paying the full price of the ticket.
The price of a first class ticket varies depending on the airline and the type of trip you make, domestic or international. A first-class ticket price can cost anywhere from $1,750 for travel from New York to California to between $5,000 and $15,000 for international travel.
Since those costs are as high as the desire to want to live the experience of flying in first class, here are some ways in which you could achieve it:
1. Buy miles and points
Most people with a travel credit card or rewards card that earns miles or points use it to buy tickets they can afford, not realizing that they could receive deep discounts on first or business class tickets. Travel specialists recommend points over miles because you can transfer them as you need.
Also, some cards offer you the purchase of points, such as American Express, where you can buy up to 500,000 points annually for 2.5 cents each. According to specialists, with this strategy, you can get first-class tickets from $30,000 to less than $3,000.
2. Take advantage of your business trip for a vacation
If you’re traveling for business, look for leisure fares that allow stopovers and add an additional trip. For example, if you have a business trip to Miami, you can buy a ticket on American Airlines to St. Thomas or Puerto Rico, with a layover in Miami. This can sometimes reduce the price of a first class fare. You get a free additional trip when you have a business route with a higher fare and add an additional trip that allows you to make stops in the city you would otherwise go to. This tip can also apply to travel in Europe.
3. Travel when others stay
Airlines sell cheap first and business class tickets when there is little demand from business travelers. But they’re not easy to find, and you won’t do it with simple searches, like you would with regular tickets. You should sign up for flash premium cabin fare alerts from sites like FirstClassFlyer.com, as airlines rarely advertise excess premium seat fares.
4. Try the Emirates and American Express waitlist
If you have an American Express credit card, you can benefit from using your accumulated points at your Emirates business partner. Through the airline’s website or its telephone line, you can sign up for the waiting list.
Emirates often allows you to waitlist up to three dates. About 50% of the time, a date will open up for free award travel at a reduced rate, especially for dates close by.