Five First Class Flying Tips | Travel Research Online

Image
Image

Five First Class Flying Tips

A lot of folks “Liked” my photograph from seat 1K on Lufthansa flight 431 from Chicago to Frankfurt this past Friday. I was sitting in that seat to get to my Christmas Markets river cruise, which begins in Frankfurt on Tuesday. I wrote about my First Class experience here.

How did I afford such a seat on a lowly journalist’s salary? Following are a few First Class flying tips that I’ve picked up in the past several months.

1. It helped that I traveled on what appeared to be a low-volume day — when everyone else was out clobbering one another during Black Friday.

2. Savvy travelers who publish tips on the web helped me score the big seat upfront. Through those travelers, I learned to book through Avianca, a Star Alliance partner that allows one-way award bookings and more importantly, allows cash and points purchases — and has no fuel surcharges on awards.

The total cost of my First Class ticket by using cash and awards? $885. The cost of the ticket had I purchased it outright from Lufthansa.com? $11,500.

3. My experience illustrates how airfares seem to be all over the place, and you must be savvy — or have a good travel agent — to get airborne without breaking the bank.

 

This article is sponsored by:

Click Here!

 

4. Accumulate points by applying for credit cards. One Avid Cruiser reader tells us that he and his wife collected 700,000 points by applying for credit cards with mileage offers and that they always fly First Class. I’ve applied for several credit cards myself during the past few years for the sole reason of collecting points.

5. Buy miles, but only when the price is right. See Getting To Your Next Cruise: Business Class Air To Europe: $2,000, Including Intra-Europe Flights. I’m not the only one buying miles to go on trips and in a style that I could not otherwise afford. See How I Flew Around the World in Business Class for $1,340.

As getting to and from cruises becomes more and more expensive, I am always looking for ways to cut those costs. Share your First Class flying tips in the comments section below. © 2013 Ralph Grizzle
As getting to and from cruises becomes more and more expensive, I am always looking for ways to cut those costs. Share your First Class flying tips in the comments section below. © 2013 Ralph Grizzle

As getting to and from cruises becomes more and more expensive, I am always looking for ways to cut those costs.

 

An avid traveler and an award-winning journalist, Ralph Grizzle produces articles, video and photos that are inspiring and informative, personal and passionate. A journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ralph has specialized in travel writing for more than two decades. To read more cruise and port reviews by Ralph Grizzle, visit his website at www.avidcruiser.com

Share your thoughts on “Five First Class Flying Tips”

You must be a registered user and be logged in to post a comment.