Although it is true, airfares have jumped due to the demand for the pandemic (not to mention Lack of pilots) the premium seats, which are mostly occupied by business travelers, are an exception, mostly due to reduced business trips. That means it’s easier to find deep discounts on first and business class fares for non-tourist destinations – sometimes up to 70% off. Here’s What You Need to Know When Planning a Trip.
The demand for air travel is currently K-shaped
Depending on the type of travel, there are actually two markets here: people who need to catch up when traveling in economy class, be it for vacation trips or to visit family, and business travelers who usually have their flights billed by an employer.
Airlines are struggling to keep up with the first class of passengers, which is why economy fare prices have skyrocketed. especially to tourist-friendly destinations like Miami and Las Vegas. Airlines, on the other hand, struggle to occupy premium seats on popular business travel routes, especially international flights, resulting in prices that are often greatly reduced by 20-70%. According to the Wall Street Journal, some examples are:
- American Airlines offers business class tickets from $ 2,389 between Chicago and London.less than 50% of the price for the same trip in 2019.
- Between Chicago and Atlanta there is a first class with Delta Airlines for 407 US dollars, a 40% discount at the same tariff compared to 2019.
- The French airline La Compagnie offers business class flights between New York and Paris for 1,662 US dollars.68% cheaper than the price of 2019.
- Austrian Airlines in Business Class between New York and Vienna cost 1,861 US dollars for September trips, or 70% less than in 2019.
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The fascinating thing about these prices is that while they are still expensive compared to economy fares, the discounts are so steep that premium seats suddenly seem a lot more doable, especially when you can afford to spend on extra comfort. For example, the difference between Economy and First Class on a Chicago to Atlanta flight is $ 250, while the difference used to be $ 413.
What to consider before booking air travel
Part of the downturn in business travel, and particularly international travel, is related to ongoing concerns about the pandemic. While the EU is expected to open most of its borders by September, it is possible for fast-paced variants of COVID to spread could change those plans. If you choose to buy a first class ticket abroad, make sure it is refundable or at least get a voucher for the cost in case the flight is canceled.
Also, the line between business and tourist destinations isn’t always clear (e.g., New York and Paris are both), so you’ll be more fortunate to find discounts when flying to less common tourist destinations – more Atlanta-Denver, less New York -San Francisco as an example. Since discounts can vary, it’s best to just play around Google flights and see what kind of offers you can get for places you want to visit.
Another consideration is that you may not get the full first class experience as some airlines are not yet having to return to full meal service due to COVID-related cuts.
Bottom line
Because economy flights sell out quickly, a premium seat may offer maximum flexibility in booking a flight on your planned travel date. But even at a discount, flying this way isn’t cheap and still needs to fit your budget – but the added convenience could be worth the cost, especially when you can again take long-haul flights abroad.
