What is Business Class?

It depends on what you want out of a flight, and how much you’re willing to pay for it—or whether or not you can find a great deal.

If you can snag an amazing business class deal or upgrade using minimal points, it’s likely worth it. If you struggle to get comfortable on long-haul international flights, if you’re exceptionally tall, if you’re celebrating a special occasion, or if you need to arrive well-rested and ready to go to a make-or-break meeting, then business class may be worth it. But if you can fall asleep anywhere, don’t care about white-glove service, or would simply rather spend your travel dollars at your destination rather than in transit, it might not be worth your hard-earned cash.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that there’s no guarantee you’ll sleep your entire flight even in business class—there’s always jet lag, turbulence and other passengers to contend with, after all. But the added comfort goes a long way if you intend to start sightseeing immediately, or have important face-to-face meetings first thing on the ground.

Think about how hard it is sleeping on a long-haul redeye when you’re planted in the middle of the middle row, with your neighbor snoring softly in your ear, with no room to move or unable to get up to use the bathroom. On most international business class flights, that problem is nonexistent, with wider seats (at least two to three inches over economy) that become fully flat beds. Add in five-star service, excellent entertainment options, and stellar food and drink, and it’s a great way to travel when you’re celebrating a special occasion, or need to arrive in top form.

In addition to the aforementioned upgraded wider seats, which on long-haul international flights often fully recline to become lie-flat beds, business class also provides an elevated experience even before you board.

You’ll breeze past economy passengers to check in at a priority desk (with the option to check extra baggage, free of charge) and go through a priority security line. Once checked in, you’ll enjoy exclusive lounge access instead of searching for seats at the over-crowded gate, and when it’s time to board, you’ll be first.

Onboard, you’ll sink into a plush seat where amenities like duvet blankets, feather soft pillows, and designer toiletries await. Sip champagne, or your beverage of choice, while everyone else boards. In flight, you’ll receive superior drink and food choices (think multi-course menus, unlimited booze, and multiple snacks), and choose from a multitude of entertainment options on enlarged screens. When you land, your bags come out first. That last part alone is pretty spectacular.

On most domestic flights, business and first class are essentially the same. In fact, most airlines simply call it first class domestically.

When it comes to international flights, it depends on the flight and carrier. Some airlines have replaced first class with business class entirely. On others, there is both first and business, with first offering an even more upscale experience. Imagine all the perks of business, but perhaps instead of simply lie-flat seats in business, first class has lie-flat seats that can become double beds, ensconced within a private suite that’s practically a bedroom. These suites will cost several times more than a business ticket, but the standard of service will be unmatched.

First class passengers always come, well first, when it comes to boarding, in-flight service, and perks. On luxe carriers like Emirates, first class might also include bathrooms with showers, or private transportation to the airport. There’s also fewer seats but plenty of flight attendants, so you’ll want for nothing.

Read more about the difference between first class and business class.

While premium economy seats offer increased recline and more legroom than regular economy, the seats don’t lie fully flat, and have far less privacy than in business, with fewer amenities, too. Sometimes, the food in premium economy is the same food as in economy, and it’s far from the white-glove treatment of business class. Generally, premium economy is more of an upgraded version of economy than it is a lighter version or business or first.

A lot! Check the airline’s website before booking, as offerings may differ based on aircraft. Some of the airlines that most often have lie-flat beds (i.e., flat, not angled) are: Air Canada, Air China, ANA, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Iberia, KLM, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, United, and Virgin Atlantic.

Seat Guru has a great breakdown of what airlines offer in business class on different aircraft, and whether you can expect to lie flat, angled or sit deeply reclined. It’s a great resource so you don’t feel disappointed when you step on the plane expecting to spread out in a bed, and find a recliner chair instead.

As with other classes, it varies by your specific fare and airline. Sometimes you'll have the option of a standard business class ticket, which is non refundable, and a flexible or refundable ticket, which allows you a full cash refund. Generally in this case a refundable ticket will cost more.

According to Skytrax’s annual World Airline Awards, the airlines with the best business class offering in 2023 are:

1. Qatar Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Emirates
4. ANA All Nippon Airways
5. Delta Air Lines
6. Virgin Atlantic
7. Air France
8. Hanain
9. Cathay Pacific
10. Etihad Airways

You can also check out our list of the best business class seats for international flights or the best domestic first/business class seats here.

Luxury never comes cheap. The price ranges greatly, but business class flights often cost five to ten times the cost of an economy ticket so you can expect to spend a few thousand dollars per person to fly business class internationally. To put that in perspective, if your entire budget for a week in Europe for two people is $3,000, that might very well be the cost of just one business class fare from the US to Europe.

As with other tickets, the price of business class varies with dozens of factors, but in general you can expect the typical price of an international business class ticket to range from $3,000 to $5,000+.

We do! We've always sent business class Mistake Fares if they were truly cheap (like $300 to Europe or $600 to Asia cheap!). Now we also send cheap business class flight deals to Elite members who are willing to pay a bit more to travel in comfort but aren't willing to pay thousands.

The price varies by departure, destination, and season but in general you can expect to see the deals we send priced at around $500s to Mexico and the Caribbean, around $1,200 to Latin America, $1,700 to Europe, and $2,200 to Asia.

Some recent deals we've sent members in business class include $983 roundtrip to Peru, $198 roundtrip to Napa Valley, and $1,043 roundtrip to the UK.

There are business class deals to be had, though generally the prices—while a drop over the usual fare—rarely fall into the realm of truly cheap. For that, look for business class mistake fares, which can happen without warning and feature significantly discounted prices—up to 90% off the regular price. While sometimes airlines don’t honor these mistake fares, many times they do, choosing to see the mistake as an opportunity for great press, like when Hong Kong Airlines honored a $600 roundtrip mistake fare from SFO or LAX to Asia—a ticket that usually costs at least ten times that price.

Earning miles through loyalty and frequent flier programs is another great way to buy business class tickets without a high price tag. If you travel often, it’s likely you’ll rack miles up pretty quickly, but a good hack is to sign up for an airline or travel-friendly credit card with a large sign-up bonus. It will jumpstart your points potential and may cover an entire ticket, or at least one way, or offer the option to combine miles and cash. Using an airline credit card also increases point earning power, putting you on a faster track to an award ticket.

Additionally, be flexible with dates. Use flight search tools like Google Flights or Momondo and search for business fares in the calendar view. If you are able to adjust your travel dates, you might snag a better deal. Calendar view on airlines’ websites can also be a useful trick when redeeming for miles, too.

Additionally, keep an eye on your email inbox. As you departure date nears, some airlines offer passengers the opportunity to “bid” for cheaper business class tickets. If you do a bit of research as to what a business class seat on your flight is selling for online, and bid around 20 percent less, you may just get your deal accepted.

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There's no magic day when business class tickets get cheaper. Deals can pop up any time, but generally your best bet is 2-8 months in advance for an international flight and 1-3 months in advance for a domestic flight.

It really depends. Some airlines will charge you the full fare difference from what you paid for an economy ticket to the current business class rate. This can be a difference of thousands of dollars.

Some airlines will let you upgrade with miles, but there can be a lot of rules around that, too, dependent on what fare type you initially booked in, or what status you do or don’t hold with the airline. Those rules may become non-negotiable if you originally booked in a highly restricted fare such as basic economy, which often stipulates you cannot upgrade, no matter how much you’re willing to pay. If you want to leave the option open to upgrade, be sure to book in main economy or premium economy.

If you hold a certain level of status, the airline may upgrade you automatically, free of charge (but again, not if you booked basic economy), which is pretty much the only way to do it without paying a cent. Passengers holding a high loyalty status are usually placed at the front of the queue to upgrade as well, ahead of the general public.

Generally, the closer you wait to the flight date to upgrade, either paying in cash or by miles, the more you’re likely upgrade prices will drop—if there are lots of business class seats available (on routes typically popular with business travelers, this is less likely). As previously mentioned, this is the time the airline may offer you the chance to bid for a discounted business seat.

You can also try to call before the departure, or ask at the gate what’s still available and how much it will cost. It might be cheaper, but there’s no guarantee. Ultimately, if it’s a long flight and you want to arrive rested and indulge in some self care, and have the budget to do so, it may be money well spent.

Read more about travel in business class

• The complete guide to business class
• American Airlines business class
• The best airlines for international business class