Booking Business Class with Credit Card Points & Miles
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I don’t mind admitting that I like the bougie things in life…especially my flights. 😉✈️ Booking business class is one of my favorite ways to use my hard earned credit card points, and we’ve had some amazing business class experiences so far!
To date, we’ve booked and flown in business class on 10 different airlines (Swiss, United, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar, Singapore, Turkish, Iberia, American Airlines, British Airways)! So I’m going to break down my best tips, favorite experiences, and top recommendations if you’re looking to fly like this. ⬇️
What you should know FIRST
Not all business class is created equal
This is one of the first things I learned when I started my research. Not every business class is going to be Qatar Qsuites. 😍 Some business class is going to be Iberia (and not that there’s anything wrong with one business class or another! Some are just a much higher caliber than others).
All this to say, while 80,000 points might be a great deal to fly in the best business class in the world (lookin’ at you, Qsuites 😏), I would definitely not pay that price to fly on a more budget carrier, like Iberia.
So knowing what is a good value is key. 🔑Do we fly business class on every flight?
Heck no! While I wish we could, we prioritize those business class experiences for our longer, international flights. These points don’t earn themselves, so I have to be choosy! 🤪
Typically, when flying more than 6 hours, we are going to try and fly in business class.
Can families fly in business class?
Absolutely!All ages are welcome in business class, but there’s one consideration when booking for a family: award space.
Airlines only release a certain amount of award seats, and the amount released for business class is much lower than economy. Sometimes only 1 or 2 seats per flight! More on this later…
International business class and domestic business class can be WORLDS different
When you think of business class, you probably think of lie-flat seats, pillows and a blanket, maybe even slippers and a delicious meal. 🍽️ THAT’S your standard international business class experience.
Hello, luxury in the skkyyyyy. 😍Domestic business class might be a larger seat with more recline, other amenities upon request, a hot meal of some type. Overall, a much less bougie experience than flying internationally. To me, that has never felt worth my points, so I make sure to research each aircraft before I book!
Gimme that lounge access!
✨Business class lounges can sprinkle a little luxury into an otherwise boring travel day. Many airlines offer their own business class lounges for business and/or first class travelers. These little oases can be typically be found at larger airports or a hub for that particular airline.
If you don’t have a business class lounge at the airport you’re flying out of, you might also be able to access a lounge for a partner airline! Like when flying on British Airways business class, we had access to the American Airlines business class lounges at JFK! 👏🏻
Desserts at the Delta Sky Club when flying on partner, KLM.
Turkish Airlines business class lounge in Istanbul.
Booking Tips
Book early! Or REALLY last minute 🙃
So this tip really applies to business class seats that are harder to find, like Qatar Qsuites, or Singapore business class, or Emirates. Those airlines have MUCH more limited availability, so booking right when the calendar opens can be your chance to score that bucket list booking!
Airlines also release more availability as it gets closer to the time of travel, so if you don’t mind planning a last minute trip to Japan, it might work in your favor! Usually about 2-4 weeks out you will see more seats pop up for booking.
🛫Many airlines have business class availability all year round….no hunting necessary. Airlines like Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, British Airways, United…they regularly have fairly easy to find standard award availability (depending on destination, of course).
Finding more than 2 seats
Like I mentioned earlier, finding enough seats for a whole family, or groups larger than 2 or 3, can be a challenge. Booking as soon as the calendar opens up will help when booking 3+ seats, and consider a couple airlines that often release multiple seats:
Flying Blue: the loyalty program for KLM and Air France. I will often find 5 or 6 seats, and sometimes up to 9 or 10! 🤯
Virgin Atlantic: thanks to their award chart, you will find Upper Class tickets for as low as 29,000 points. This also means that you’ll easily find more seats at affordable rates, sometimes 6 or more!
Use an award search tool
I do love the hunt….😏But sometimes I do need some help finding availability! That’s where award search tools come into play.
🔎Roame.travel is one that I use frequently, and when you have their paid service, you get access to this really cool tool called SkyView. It lets you search for flight options in a whole country or state at a time! Which is especially helpful if you have flexible travel plans or are willing to book a positioning flight. You can also use the free version of this tool, but it will be limited to live searches in a shortened time frame.
A Roame SkyView search from the US to Germany.
Seats.aero is another great tool that searches for award flights in all classes, you can narrow down your search to one airport or choose multiple to search from, and it also has a free membership that can conduct basic searches.
A seats.aero search from the west coast to Japan airports.
Same airline, different layout 💺
Before you book that flight, always check the airplane layout! Even on the same airline, the layouts on the plane can vary a LOT.
For example, we flew United Polaris twice and the plane layout was different on each flight, even though both flights were to and from London! On our outbound trip, we flew on the 767-300, which was a 1-1-1 staggered layout. On our way home, we flew the 777-200 which was a 1-2-1 layout. We much preferred this layout because of the “honeymoon seats” in the middle! Keegan and I could sit right next to each other and talk, watch movies, eat our dinner together. 🥰
I typically refer to blog posts or video reviews to see what the plane layout is like, but you can also search on a site like aerolopa.com.
Flights I’ve LOVED (and you will too!)
Like I said before, not all business class is going to give you that same level of luxury, or that same experience. So here are my top 4 favs and how I booked them. ⬇️
Qatar Qsuites
I booked Qatar Qsuites through partner airline, British Airways. To snag the exact date I wanted, I was watching for the calendar to open and booked it right away! This still goes down in my record books as the best business class we’ve ever flown.
Cost per person: 85,000 miles and $209 in taxes.
Route: LAX - DOH
American Airlines Flagship Suites
This flight in American Airlines Flagship Suites was booked directly through American. We were lucky enough to snag the extra fancy Preferred Suites in the front of the cabin! The seats were brand new, service was excellent, and the added amenities of the Preferred Suite really put this over the top! We would happily fly this again.
Cost per person: 65,000 miles and $372 in taxes.
Route: LHR - ORD
KLM business class
For this KLM flight, I booked through partner, Virgin Atlantic. Virgin had different availability that worked better for our travel plans, and it was cheaper than booking direct! Win-win. This was a fantastic flight, wonderful service, and we loved the unique Dutch touches throughout the flight. And those Delft houses are a gift to every business class passenger! 🩵
Cost per person: 48,500 miles and $302 in taxes.
Route: ORD - AMS
Turkish Airlines business class
For our trip to Greece, I wanted to book this sweet spot on Turkish Airlines so I could experience this excellent business class product and their famous lounge in Istanbul! This was one of our favorite flights, with the absolute best food I have ever eaten on a plane. 🤤 They had his and hers amenity kits, comfortable seats with sliding doors, and wonderful service!
Cost per person: 45,000 miles and $270 in taxes.
Route: ORD - ATH
*All prices are the cost when booked. Prices may have now changed.
Bottom line
If booking business class is on your bucket list, then I’m here to help! We love saving our points for these experiences that we never could have afforded otherwise, and there are so many ways that you can use your points to fly in luxury to your dream destination.
Find my top credit card recommendations below for earning a huge chunk of points toward your next business class trip! ⬇️💳
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
