Tips on Booking First and Business Class Flights
This post is written with the assumption that you’re maximizing credit card points.
If you’re going to take anything away, it’s to check Avianca LifeMiles anytime you want to use points instead of dollars on a flight. AmEx, CapitalOne, and Citi points are transferrable to LifeMiles; Chase is the notable exception. I regularly purchase LifeMiles points for 1.3c a point when they have semiannual sales because I book so many flights through them.
General
Avoid booking flights through online travel agents. They’re pretty annoying to deal with in case of changes and cancellations. Also, AmEx gives you five points per dollar spent when you book directly through AmEx or the airline, which is roughly equivalent to ten percent back, so I’d recommend booking direct through airlines.
This advice will be most helpful for those who are interested in flying business internationally or those booking fairly last minute. If you’re booking economy class flights at least a couple of weeks in advance, you’re likely already making a cost-efficient choice.
If you can’t book lie-flat award seats in advance, ask about cash upgrades upon check-in at the airport. When they’re available, there can be some great deals.
How much am I willing to pay for lie flat seats?
This isn’t for everyone, but I have a strict rule of paying $300 max per hour of flight time and the generally agreed upon value for credit card points is 2c each, so I’d view a flight that costs 60k points + $200 in fees as $1,400.
The most I’ve ever paid for a one-way flight is 160k points + $900 for DXB - JFK in Emirates first class and the second most expensive flight was 107k points for SIN - LAX in Singapore business class. I get irked if I had to pay more than 60k points each way to and from Europe.
Best Business/First Class Routes
I’ll try and keep this relatively current, but when in doubt, refer to Google.
US - Europe
Check the Star Alliance loyalty programs, Avianca LifeMiles and Air Canada Aeroplan, friends have also recommended Air France/KLM Flying Blue, but I’ve yet to find a route that is cheaper through Flying Blue.
If I’m going to London, I tend to book through Virgin Flying Club despite their high fees that can range up to $1k each way. British airlines are notorious for imposing high fuel charges on award tickets, but such is the price for convenience.
If I’m flying out of LAX, I’ll often look for the LAX - CDG on Air Tahiti Nui booked through American or Alaska. This flight is often 60k points each way and it’s not an amazing product, but the price can’t be beat. Only Bilt points transfer to American, and I don’t have an airline-branded credit card, so I’ll just accrue miles to Alaska and American when the option is available.
US - Middle East
Check through Qatar Privilege Club and Emirates Skywards.
Qatar business class Q-Suite product and Emirates first class suites are my two favorite flights to date, although I’ve yet to fly Singapore First or Etihad A380 Residence.
It’s worth noting, for Emirates economy and business class award flights, it’s around 30% cheaper to book roundtrip as opposed to two one ways, but that doesn’t seem to apply to premium economy and first class.
US - Asia
This is the route I’m the least familiar with but frequent fliers tend to agree that award flights through ANA Mile Club are the best value. When it comes to looking for award flight, their site is remarkably annoying to navigate, so it’s a must to use another site like point.me to check for availability prior to actually book your flight.
I’d personally recommend checking Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Singapore Krisflyer if you’re happy to pay a little more for a better product.
Airline & Alliance Specific Info
Generally, to look up award flights, you’ll need to have an account with an airline. Make one, it doesn’t cost you anything.
Star Alliance Flights
Check Avianca LifeMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Singapore Krisflyer in that order.
Avianca LifeMiles is best for domestic United flights, and when there’s availability, it’s quite cheap. Most domestic US flights cost between 7.5k and 20k points one way, and US to Europe business class averages around 60k points each way.
When I need to fly domestic United, I book flights through LifeMiles close to half of the time. I’ve had some luck with US to Europe routes on Air Canada Aeroplan, but only if I’m flying to or willing to connect through a Star Alliance partner hub, such as Munich or Vienna.
Finally, I’ve yet to use Singapore Krisflyer for anything other than their own flights arriving in or departing from Singapore, but they have one of the best business and first class products, so if I’m going to a nearby Asian city, I’ll generally book through Krisflyer.
American Airlines Flights
Check Qatar Privilege Club, others recommend checking British Avios and Etihad Guest, but I’ve seen very limited award availability, so I’ll only check for higher ticket items.
Finally, if you enjoyed this post and you’re considering applying for a new credit card, I’d love if you messaged me for my referral link.