How to Get the Lowest Price for First-Class Air Tickets
- 1). Look for Y-Up class airfare tickets on FareCompare.com, which is the only travel search site that lists this type of ticket for airlines. In some instances, you may be able to find Y-Up fares on individual airline websites, such as Delta.com, by looking for "UP" in the fare class. For example a "QUAUP" class is a Y-Up fare. Y-Up fares are priced similar to a refundable coach-class airfare, but are actually discounted first class tickets. This fare type is only available for flights in the continental United States and Canada.
Scroll down to the bottom of the main FareCompare.com page until you see the "Services" heading and click on "Discount First Class." Enter in your departure city and click "Find Fares" to locate discounted first-class airfares from your departure city airport. Click on a result you are interested in to see the full details and book the ticket. - 2). Check first class air ticket prices on a travel booking site, such as Travelocity.com or Priceline.com. These sites work in a similar fashion by allowing you to search and see results from many airlines at once. Sometimes they have discount prices that you may not see elsewhere. If you find a low price you want to book, you do so directly on the site.
- 3). Get elite status on an airline and take advantage of its reward's program. The reward's programs for most airlines usually offer its elite members free upgrades to first class. Typically this can be achieved by paying a fee or flying a set number of miles in a year, which is typically around 25,000 miles. Usually this option only applies to frequent travelers. Occasionally, though, an airline will offer a promotion that allows travelers to achieve elite status by completing certain requirements in a short period of time, such as taking a certain number of flights in a three-month period.
- 4). Use any frequent-flyer miles to upgrade to first class. For example, if you purchase a business-class fare on British Airways, you can then use 25,000 miles to upgrade to first class. This can save you thousands of dollars on the first class ticket.
- 5). Buy a discounted upgrade at the gate. Check in for your flight as early as possible and inquire about the possibility of upgrading to first class. If seats are open, you will be able to upgrade for a discounted fee. The price of the upgrade varies by airline and is typically on a tiered rate plan that changes based on the length of the flight.