Flying business class — with spacious seating, priority services, and premium food and beverage options — is a dream for many travelers. In this guide, we share seven expert tips so you can learn how to fly business class for cheap and enjoy this deluxe upgrade without breaking the bank.

What is business class on flights?

Business class is a premium cabin class with more amenities and services than economy and premium economy, but also not as luxurious of an experience as first class on long-haul flights. Even so, a business class ticket can transform a long-haul flight into a restful and rejuvenating experience with its priority boarding, access to exclusive airport lounges, spacious seating, superior dining options, and priority baggage handling. If you want an elevated experience on your next flight, upgrading to business may give you the perks you seek.

Tips for finding cheap business class flights

If your travel budget doesn’t allow for business class tickets, there are ways you can secure an upgrade without paying premium prices, from being flexible with your travel dates to tracking airfare to see if it drops to an affordable price. Read our tips to discover how to find cheap business class tickets and instantly upgrade your travel experience.

Use Skyscanner to compare prices

Do you know which airlines fly to your destination? And which of those have the best deals on business class tickets? When you search on Skyscanner, you can exclude economy fares by choosing Business as your Cabin Class and then further filter search results by Best, Cheapest, or Fastest flights to compare all available options and find the best one for your trip.

Be flexible with travel dates

One of the best way to get cheap business class flights is to be flexible with the dates and times you fly. But how do you know which days are cheapest? When you search for flights on Skyscanner, instead of selecting a specific departure and return date, choose "Flexible dates" and select the month you want to travel. We'll show you the cheapest days to fly during the month so you can score a business class seat for less.

Redeem miles and points

Frequent flyer miles and credit card points can often be redeemed for business class award tickets or upgrades. It's worth comparing the amount of points you need to redeem to the cash price of that ticket to ensure you're maximizing the value of your points. That's because, on some airlines, an economy "saver" ticket may take your miles further than redeeming them for a business class seat (that is, if you want to save them for an economy ticket). And some credit cards offer other point redemption methods that may maximize their value more than transferring them to an airline partner.

Monitor airline sales

Keep an eye out for airline sales during promotional holidays, like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesday, when you can book a business class ticket for a reduced price. Taking advantage of an offer like this is one of the cheapest way to fly business class, however, they can come with restrictions, like blackout date, and only be offered for certain routes. If you have the flexibility, this is a good opportunity to get a great deal.

Set Price Alerts on Skyscanner

Let's be honest: One of the most annoying parts about booking flights is checking prices every now and then to see if they've dropped. You want to get the best deal, but the process is time-consuming. The hack? Set a Price Alert on Skyscanner for the route and dates you're interesting in, and you'll get a notification as soon as the price changes so you can get the best deal on a business class ticket.

Consider smaller airports

When searching for flights, choose "Add nearby airports" to see if you can get a better business class deal flying into a less-crowded airport. Depending on your destination, you may even want to search airports that are in cities an hour or two away but easily reached by car or train. For example, you could check flights into Palm Beach International Airport instead of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The same trick will work abroad, for example by flying into Cologne or Stuttgart in Germany instead of flying into Frankfurt.

Try upgrade auctions or last-minute deals

Some airlines offer upgrade auctions or last-minute upgrade deals at check-in, which can help you secure discount business class tickets. If you don't receive an email from the airline about these options, log into your airline account to see if they are available. Waiting until check-in can sometimes help you get a good last-minute deal if there are still business class seats available that the airline hasn't sold.

Final thoughts: How to fly business class for cheap

The cheapest way to fly business class is to be flexible (with both when and where you fly) and keep an eye on airfare to grab a great deal as soon as the price drops. Skyscanner can make this easier for you with a range of flight search options and filters, as well as Price Alerts that will notify you when the price changes for the route you've been eying. By utilizing Skyscanner's features, you'll be well on your way to experiencing the comfort of business class without overpaying.