Five Ways to Fly Business Class for Less -

So what do you think is the airline industry's idea of a cruel, cruel joke?

Oh yes - you got it right. They make passengers walk through first / business class cabin on their way to their smaller seats in the economy cabin. Well, maybe not all the time these days (because at some airports, they do provide different aerobridge entrances) but, say, 80% of the time.

Thai Airways Royal Silk Class
I have to admit (whenever this happens to me -- which is, obviously, rather often) for a brief moment, I caught myself imagining what it's like to have a wider seat with loads of legroom (esp. for long-haul travels) and personalise service from the cabin crews before passing through the curtain to my own seat to tough the next hours in coach.

But 'fret not -- the front cabins aren't out of reach, after all. Many of 'em travellers sitting "in-front" are either (a) business travellers or (b) frequent flyers or even (c) very savvy flyers.

Besides the usual ways of buying (last-minute) upgrades or using your miles, you beautiful people could also give any of the following tips a try ;)

Flexibility is the Key -
Many travel consolidators have flexible date search tools which are helpful in grabbing the lowest available fares (could be on any classes). My personal favourites are Skyscanner and Priceline. Occasionally I do also go on Orbitz or Travelocity -- but not as often as the first two mentioned. Always, always remember to select the "Lowest Fare" option.

Be Willing to get Bumped -
If you can be flexible about getting to your destination, you can volunteer to be bumped from the flight (only if the flight if overbooked, of course -- this happens a lot during busy period). Being bumped means you have a good leverage to ask for a better deal. They might even say yes to putting you on the first cabin ;)

Book in Advance -
Just like on other classes, the front cabin also work on a yield management basis (the earlier you book, the better deal you will get). Last minute bookings usually only offer the higher booking classes -- targeted at business travellers.

The front cabin(s) tickets are changeable (this is FOC) -- the only difference between one booking class to the other is the validity.

Avoid Peak Business Travel Days -
Do not, I repeat, do not book (or at least try to) your journey on Mondays or Fridays. The possibility of getting lower fares are quite slim -- though you may stand a chance. I usually book mine in the middle of the week or sometimes, the "red-eye" on Saturdays. At least the comfortable seat turn flat-bed can be put to good use ;)

Experiment with your Departure and Arrival Airports -
Instead of flying to the main airport, you can also play around with arriving at destination's secondary airport. Or vice versa by playing with your departure point. Some airlines do fly to secondary airports as these arrival points offer less landing / parking fee (a plus for the airlines, for sure). For example, instead of flying to London Heathrow -- there are also options to fly into London Gatwick, etc. Or instead of departing from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, one can opt to fly out of Bangkok Don Mueang.


These require a bit more legwork on the ground before you fly, but once you're relaxing on that comfortable seat with champagne in hand -- it will be well worth it ;)
And please feel free to share your thoughts too.

But oh. Champagne is serve only if the journey is more than an hour. So no champagne on 50-minutes flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, unfortunately (talking from experience here).