Most people opt to purchase coach prices because they assume that coach seats are the cheapest and best deals available. But flying first-class, or business-class, is an option becoming more available to the budget flier. Many airlines need to unload first-class seats just as much as coach seats. Therefore, deals on first-class seats are available if you just know where to look.
Book your first-class flight 30 to 60 days in advance. Many airlines have tier-pricing structures that offer first-class seats booked in advance at a discount of up to 75%.
Look up first-class discounts on the airline's website. Some airlines may offer sales on their first-class tickets, but they never announce these sales. You will have to enter in all the flight information and select business-class or first-class to see what deal they may be offering on those seats.
Visit FareCompare which offers "Fare-Ups," its name for discounted first-class tickets, on its website for sale. Compare those prices with the airline website prices.
Check out discount and informational airline websites like JoeSentMe, CheapOAir and FareCompare. JoeSentMe will send email alerts about any sale on first-class tickets. CheapOAir and FareCompare sell discounted first-class tickets. Compare the prices from these three websites with the prices received from the airline websites to find the absolute best price online.
Call the airlines directly and ask for a "Y-Up/Fare" or "Q-Up/Fare" (each airline uses one of these terms, but they all will know what you're referring to). These terms are code for discounted first-class airfare.
You should call every airline that flies to and from your destination since prices can vary greatly over the phone as compared to prices given over the Internet. Compare these quotes with the prices you have already gathered to find the cheapest one.
