Flying business class doesn’t have to break the bank. If you use airline points and miles to your advantage, you will be able to book a business-class seat for a fraction of the cost paid, or more often than not, for free. Frequent flyer programs bring options of luxurious travel, using rewards-earning credit cards, much nearer than you can imagine.
If you ever wonder how to best utilize your points for cheap business class flights, here is everything you’d want to know.
- Best Frequent Flyer Programs for Business Class Redemptions
Not all airlines’ loyalty programs are created equally when it’s time to use your miles towards business class, due to either better availability or lower redemption rates, and there may be transfers with bonuses offered from credit cards.
- American Airlines Advantage
Why It’s Great: There are off-peak business–class awards, which have excellent availability from partners.
Best Routes:
From the U.S. to Europe, on Finnair or Iberia ~ 57,500 miles one way.
U.S. To Japan, On Japan Airlines (~60,000 miles one way).
Booking Tip: Leverage the MileSAAver awards search for the lowest mileage rates possible.
- United MileagePlus
Why It’s Great: No fuel surcharges and Access to Star Alliance partners.
Best Routes:
U.S. to Europe on Lufthansa or Swiss (~60,000 miles one-way).
U.S. to Asia on ANA or EVA Air (~80,000 miles one-way).
Booking Tip: Make good use of United’s Excursionist Perk by stopping for free.
- British Airways Avios
Why It’s Great: great during the booking process for business class flights, short distance routes using OneWorld partner.
New York to London on British Airways (~50,000 Avios one-way).
Intra-Europe business class on Iberia (~20,000 Avios round-trip).
How to Book: avoid booking long haul BA flights because it has a high fuel surcharge.
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Why It’s Great: best way to book Singapore Airlines business class including Suites.
Best Routes:
U.S. to Europe on Singapore Airlines (~72,000 miles one-way).
U.S. to Asia on Singapore Airlines (~90,000 miles one-way).
Booking Tip: Use better availability when transferring Amex, Chase or Citi points to KrisFlyer.
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Why It’s Great: Best partner airline redemptions for premium cabins.
Best Routes:
U.S. to Asia on Japan Airlines (~60,000 miles one-way).
U.S. to the Middle East on Qatar Airways Qsuite (~85,000 miles one-way).
How to Book: Earn miles via Alaska’s credit card sign-up bonuses.
- Best Credit Cards to Earn Business Class Flights
Having the right travel credit card accelerates your miles earnings a great deal when you use these cards to meet the sign-up and category spending requirements.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve
Why It’s Great: Transfer points to United, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and more.
Sign-Up Bonus: 60,000-80,000 points after minimum spending.
Best Use: Transfer to United for Star Alliance redemptions.
- American Express Platinum / Gold
Why It’s Great: Transfers to Emirates, ANA, Singapore Airlines, and Delta.
75,000 – 100,000 points after minimum spend.
Best Use: Transfer into ANA or Air Canada Aeroplan for the best business class deals.
- Capital One Venture X
Why It’s Great: Transfers to several programs. It also features great travel perks.
Sign-Up Bonus: 75,000 points after minimum spend.
Best Use: Transfer into Air Canada Aeroplan for Star Alliance flights.
- Citi Premier Card
Why It’s Great: Transfer into Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles for ultra-low redemption rates.
SignUp Bonus: 60,000 points after spending requirements have been met.
Best Use: Book US to Europe business class for just 45,000 miles using Turkish Airlines.
Tip: Always keep an eye on transfer bonuses offered by the bank. Sometimes additional miles are thrown in when the points are being transferred to Airline partners.
- How to best leverage your points book Business Class Deals
- Leverage Off-Peak Award Redemption pricing
Many carriers offer discounted reward redemption pricing, which makes this a good target for your flying needs.
Examples:
American Airlines off-peak business class to Europe → 57,500 miles instead of 70,000.
British Airways off-peak New York to London → 50,000 Avois instead of 60,000.
- Leverage Stopovers and Open-Jaws to Squeeze More Value
Some programs allow for stopovers or multiple-city bookings for no additional mileage cost.
The Best Programs For Stopovers Include:
United’s Excursionist Perk, Free extra flight within a region.
Alaska Airlines, stopover allowed on partner flights.
Air Canada Aeroplan (Stopovers for only 5,000 extra miles).
- Book with Airline Partners for Less Mileage.
Booking via partner airlines instead of the operating carrier often saves miles.
Example:
Booking Lufthansa business class via United → 60,000 miles instead of 70,000 miles.
Using Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles for U.S. to Europe → Only 45,000 miles one-way.
- Find Business Class Sweet Spots
Some airline programs offer much better deals on certain routes than others.
Sweetest Spots to Redeem:
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: US to Europe business class for 45,000 miles one way.
ANA Mileage Club: US to Japan round-trip for 85,000 miles.
Air Canada Aeroplan: US to the Middle East on Etihad for 90,000 miles.
- Leverage the Transfer Bonus in Order to Maximize Your Points
Sometimes, credit card points transfer at a higher rate, depending on promotions.
Examples of Transfer Bonuses:
Amex → British Airways – 30% bonus.
Chase → Air Canada Aeroplan (25% bonus)
Capital One → Flying Blue (20% bonus)
Tip: Always check for transfer promotions before transferring points into an airline program
Conclusion
The most excellent options to travel in style with a fraction of the cost are utilizing points and miles for flying business class. You will be able to make use of the right airline programs, credit cards, and redemption strategies that will help optimize your rewards and fly business class for nearly free.
Key Takeaways:
Collect miles from credit card sign-up bonuses and flying-frequent flyer programs. Make good use of ‘sweet spots’ like Turkish Airlines, which offers 45K miles to Europe, while ANA goes to 85K round trip to Japan. Now, also consider stopovers, transfer bonuses, and off-peak award pricing.
By doing so, you will fly business class at cents on the dollar. Happy travels!
Have you booked business class with miles? Share in the comments!