Is Flying Business Class Always Worth It?

People often say that the hardest thing about flying business class is going back to economy. Once you’ve experienced a lie-flat bed in the sky, a cramped economy seat is even less appealing than before.

Booking business-class tickets every time would be nice, but expensive.

You’ll either be spending some serious cash or redeeming lots of travel points on your credit cards. Many would also argue it’s excessive or a waste of money.

I don’t think that’s true. While business class is a luxury, that doesn’t mean it’s a waste of money. There are, however, a few factors to consider first.

What to consider before booking business class

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself if you’re planning to book business class, or if you want to make it your preferred way to fly.

Can I pay for it with travel rewards?

The most affordable way to book business class is with travel rewards. A business-class ticket may cost $3,000, or you could pay for it with 70,000 miles plus taxes and fees. I’ve been flying business class regularly for years, and I usually book with travel rewards to get it nearly for free.

By making the most of travel cards, you could fly business class multiple times per year without spending a lot of money. If you’re new to this, check out the best travel rewards cards to find one and get started.

Can I afford it?

If you aren’t using travel rewards, then the decision to book business class depends on whether you can afford to pay for it in cash. That will depend on your income and how much money you have saved for travel.

For someone who makes $250,000 a year and has dedicated travel savings, business-class airfare could be a reasonable expense. For someone who makes a below-average salary, it might not be a good idea.

How often do I travel?

The more you travel, the harder it is to fly business class on a regular basis. If you take one trip per year, you might be able to save enough for a business-class seat or earn enough travel rewards to cover it.

It’s a different story if you fly five or six times per year. Booking business class each time could end up costing you over $10,000, or over 300,000 travel points.

How long is the flight?

While business class is always nice, it’s a gamechanger on long flights. If you’re going overseas on an eight- or 10-hour flight, a lie-flat seat is much more comfortable. It’s well worth trying to fly at the front of the plane in that situation.

On shorter flights, it doesn’t have as much of an impact. If you’ll only be in the air two or three hours, think about whether the amenities are really worth the added cost.

How you fly is up to you — and what you can afford

Most people don’t travel often. Americans took an average of 1.4 air trips in 2021, according to Gallup. When travel isn’t a frequent activity, it’s understandable if you want to be as comfortable as possible to take advantage.

There’s nothing wrong with booking business class if that’s what you value when you travel. However, this is only true if you can afford it, without it impacting your financial goals. A nicer seat on an airplane can be worth the cash or the travel points it costs, but it’s never worth going into credit card debt.

If you’d like to fly business class more often, using travel credit cards is a great way to make it happen. You could also shop around for airfare deals. There are often bargains available, especially if you’re flexible about your travel dates.

Last but not least, you can always start off with an economy ticket and see if it’s possible to upgrade later. This tends to be much cheaper than booking business class from the beginning.

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