Fly in the world’s best business class for less than coach
Check out the mileage programmes of Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Japan Airlines and Air France
On such airlines as Emirates and Singapore, you have to book into lavish first-class cabins to get enclosed suites, made-to-order meals and brand-name pyjamas. On others, these top-end perks exist one notch down, in business.
Airlines such as Qatar Airways and Delta are installing next-generation suite-style seats in that tier; American and United pamper passengers with hotel-style bedding; while others, like Air France and Japan Airlines, serve menus created by locally renowned chefs.
That level of service is sometimes reflected in the airfare, with transoceanic business-class tickets topping US$10,000 in some cases. But if you have airline miles or credit-card points that transfer to frequent-flier programmes, they are bookable for less than the cost of a coach seat. Here’s how to do that for the best business-class cabins in the skies.
1. Qatar Airways QSuites
Why you want to fly it: Back in March 2017, Qatar Airways was the first airline to install suite-style seats with retractable doors in business class, when it introduced its innovative QSuites. Certain seats can be combined into double beds or four-person socialising spaces for passengers who are travelling together; good sleep is guaranteed, thanks to quilted mattresses and full-sized pillows, plus pyjamas from the White Co. and do-not-disturb indicators on the suite doors.
Find the QSuites on some of the airline’s flights, from Doha to Chicago O’Hare, Houston, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Seoul and Shanghai.
How to book it for less than coach: Redeeming miles through Qatar’s own Privilege Club frequent-flier programme isn’t the best way to book a QSuite – not since the carrier raised award prices in May. Instead, pay for your seat with American Airlines AAdvantage miles, British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, or other OneWorld alliance currencies. American Airlines might be the best of the bunch: It charges just 70,000 miles each way to fly business between the US and Doha. But start your search for available seats by using the award search on Qantas’ or British Airways’ sites – they are more user-friendly.
Caveats: Qatar’s long-haul fleet is inconsistent, so double-check the type of aircraft and the seat map on your flight to make sure the plane features the new suites.