Those who regularly fly business/first class, how so?

[cucumberella]

Are you simply just rich or are there some tricks and tips I am missing?

We flew business class with BA once - the way out was cheaper than standard (about £100 each more return) so it was a great deal. Wouldn't pay it otherwise though. Someone once said, if someone paid you the amount you spend on upgrading to sit in economy instead would you take it? If so then it's not worth your money.

I usually get bumped to business class, I’ve never paid for it!

Air miles due to frequent flyer long haul BC work travel pre COVID. The more air miles accumulated, the more likely you’ll get an upgrade to first (the system rewards those with the most points first). We use those air miles for long haul business class flights for family holidays every 2/3 years; just paying the taxes. Hotel loyalty points come in handy too. Teens are spoilt. They definitely enjoyed the perks of the Polaris airport lounge in Chicago when we had a few hours to kill. It’s a real luxury to be able to sleep comfortably on a longhaul flight. Haven’t been on work travel since Mar last year when DH returned home from the US 2 days before all flights were stopped.

DH flies business at a minimum but 70-80% of the time gets an upgrade to first. His company pay, we would never pay for it, although might upgrade and use an amex 2-4-1 deal.

@19lottie82

I have my own small business and put all of expenses on my American Express card (when a retailer will accept it, not all do).

My husband and I go to Dubai a couple of times a year and these points usually allow us to upgrade to business class with Emirates one way, twice a year.

I’m perplexed as to how previous posters get to regularly upgrade with points earned on personal cards. Upgrades with most airways cost about 50k points, and you usually £1 = 1 point. So you’d need to spend £100k on a reward card for a one way upgrade for 2?!

Amex platinum used to do 100k Avios after you'd spent £10k. Ba Amex did 30k once you'd spend £10k and did a free companion ticket so v easy to fly first to LA just putting usual purchase though the card.

I was SUCH a points whore.

in my company flights over 5 hours are either premium economy or business class. Anything under is economy except for the CEO. I only ever fly long-distance so it's one or the other (mostly premium economy is the old business class, business is what used to be first, and first seems to have vanished)

We only fly long haul about six times a year, but we just use travel agents who can get us good deals on business class.

We never fly BA - they're shite. Cathy, Emirates, ANA or Singapore for us.

DH frequent business class flyer for work. Though majority of time it's not places one would chose to visit.

@HumansAreShocking

I usually get bumped to business class, I’ve never paid for it!

Of course you have. 😅

My parents are rich and fly business all the time.

DH flies business but work funds it.

Non-Covid times obv!

Due to DH's job he is in the highest, invite only, tier for a US airline. This gets him (and us when we travel with him) automatic upgrades into business on every flight.
I can't lie, it's a pretty fantastic perk but I don't know if I'd ever pay for business class myself, especially not for domestic flights, maybe long haul on a special occasion.

When we first did it, by buying points during points sales and taking advantage of a very strong exchange rate to do so, meaning the cost was considerably less than paying cash. Once you've gone long haul business class it's very hard to go back and now we simply pay. We don't go long haul very much (less than once a year I'd say) and for us it is worth more than having a swankier hotel room. I'm aware for a lot of people the inverse is true.

We find the luggage allowance useful since we normally bring a load of stuff back, and find it maximises our time on holiday since we both get some sleep (neither can sleep at all in economy) so hit the ground running, and it means the last day is usually out and about all day then a night flight back in comfort.

As I said, we're happy to stay in decent but not flash hotels, plus we have no kids, an older car and the ability to earn overtime to pay for business class flights. Just different strokes for different folks.

Will only travel business class or better. How do we afford it? Hard work and no children.

Work travel in business class gives loads of air miles (its always to California or China), so I can use those to upgrade my own economy flights.

Business or airmiles. Free companion upgrades are also great.

A combination of working in the travel industry (so standby fare) and collecting avions points via the Amex card

I fly (flew) business regularly for work BA and Emirates gold cards. Regularly get bumped to first.

For family holidays I’ll fly short haul in economy but if we’re going further afield I’ll pay for business with cash or miles.

I find first is often cheaper, especially transatlantic flights.

We are retired, no kids, no mortgage but we certainly couldn’t afford that! Business class a very occasional luxury for us.

You need to keep a close eye on the airlines' websites, they often offer Business at wildly differing rates, you need to be fairly flexible about dates, routes, connections etc. In Autumn 2019 we got return Business fares to Las Vegas for £1600 which I though to be a bargain!
Remember if the cheaper fare has long connection times you can use the lounges at the airports!
You can also split the class you fly, flying business on the overnight leg maybe.

Why would anyone lie Aprilx about getting bumped? 🤣 I fly frequently for business, it’s not uncommon.

BA Club Europe (its business class option in Europe) is relatively affordable - last year we had booked two Club Class return tickets LHR to Bologna for around £450. (last May, 😢 - had to cancel of course but no probs with refund)
BA Club world is altogether different. And much, much more expensive.
But even with Club Europe you get a big luggage allowance and lounge access with free drinks and snacks. Separate, fast check-in and fast-track security. Minimal queues. You board before economy class, get a glass of champagne or bucks fizz as soon as you board, free and better food and drinks and of course a bigger seat/some more legroom.
The airline lounges are so much quieter and comfortable and restful than public airside seating areas too.
It's altogether easier and less stressful than flying economy these days.
Airports are not very nice places, noisy, overcrowded and full of really expensive shops and restaurants waiting to relieve you of your cash. I'd rather shell out a couple of hundred quid extra and enjoy my break from the start.

Some airlines offer 'companion fares' in business class at half price or less. So if there's two of you it can be a good deal.
Flew LHR-Joburg, return Cape Town-LHR with SAA like this, saved ££££.

Most BA Club Europe flights I’ve been on - if not all - have exactly the same leg room as economy and exactly the same seat size. They just shunt the curtain back as people get the POUG “business” seats. the only upside ON the plane is you have a tray thing in the middle seat so you don’t have anyone next to you.

You get champagne with the trolley like anyone else (unlike Club World where you get it as you board) and the food is still rubbish. With Covid rules you also now have to board last!!

BUT - you never have to be in the middle and your Tier Points can bump you up to Silver faster so you get speedy security, first boarding and lounge access anyway. But anyone who thought they were going to get a bigger seat or legroom in Club Europe is usually very wrong.

Air miles/ loyalty points etc
Truly wish I wealthy enough to travel business class all the time

We fly business or first. Sometimes private when there is a good deal.

We are quite wealthy so mostly we pay for the flights ourselves. I am a business owner so use the company KLM/Air France AMEX for everything and we have our own KLM/Air France AMEX for living expenses so we also have lots of miles built up.

Our travel agent is constantly on the scour for deals and will contact us regularly with offers. We pay extra for transit through private terminals or lounge access on flights where there is no business class so no lounge access included.

The Club class seats are a bit bigger as there are basically two in each row and not three, the middle section is a bit smaller than the seats on either side. And is unusable .
I know this as some bloke tried to plonk himself down between me and DH but couldn't fit in. Cabin crew gave him short shrift.
They can increase the Club class section depending on demand and do this by swapping the economy seats out and replacing with CC ones.