Planning a whirlwind European getaway? Or perhaps taking a business trip across the pond to work on a new project? No matter what your reason for heading overseas is, it can be quite expensive, from hotels to taxis to meals. And the big one: international flights, especially business class airfare.
Fortunately flying business class to Paris and beyond doesn’t have to be as pricey as you may think. And in 2014, over 30 million Americans traveled overseas (for either work or pleasure) so cheaper travel is in high demand. Follow our tips below for finding the best price business class flights to Europe.
1. Become a frequent flyer (or at least a loyal one). If you’re a frequent flyer with one specific airline, you’re most likely to be rewarded with free upgrades whenever they’re available. Don’t travel enough to rack up the miles? That’s okay…you can still earn points by signing up for a credit card that’s affiliated with the airline and rewards you with miles based on how much you spend.
2. Fly on “off times”. Most people who are flying business class to Paris or some other hub are probably booking flights during the week and during peak hours. Not so many will be choosing to fly out on weekends…so Saturdays and Sundays will be your best chance at getting a decent discount.
3. Consider flying a small airline. Because competition between airlines is tough, the smaller companies struggle to win over new customers. One thing they usually do? Offer cheaper tickets to look more attractive to travelers. You may be able to find a business class ticket on a lesser known airline that is the equivalent of a regular ticket on a major airline.
4. Use a travel agent. Often, they’ll know how to get you the best deals because they’ve done it hundreds of times. Travel agents know the airline industry inside and out and know all the secrets to scoring you discounted flights.
The other good news? Prices in general tend to be dropping because of the airlines that are offering incredibly low international airfare. Faced with tough competition, it seems that other airlines are following suit and lowering their own ticket prices in response. Flying business class to Paris has never sounded so nice (and trust us, it’s worth it!).
