The Benefits of Business Class - Part 7

Welcome to Part 7 of our blog series - The Benefits of Business Class - where we explore the advantages of spending a little extra money to elevate your travel experience to a whole new level.

In this weeks article, we wanted to provide a brief look into the world of the Frequent Flyer!

When you fly on (mostly) any airline, you can earn Frequent flyer “Miles” or “Points”, as well as “Status Miles/Points”. We’re “quoting” these because each airline refers to them differently. However, when you book a flight, we'll input your Frequent Flyer credentials and the rest is done for you. This is a particularly complex topic, so we’re not going to dig too deep today.

The first thing to mention is that the majority of airlines fall into 3 main Alliances; OneWorld, Star Alliance & SkyTeam. That means that whenever you fly with an airline affiliated with that particular Alliance, you can credit your flight to your chosen Frequent Flyer Program, and the more you fly, the more benefits you receive as you climb the ranks.

Everyone has heard of “air miles”, even if you don’t know what they are. In a nutshell, they are a form of currency you earn by travelling, which over time accumulate and can be used to enhance your travel; from paying for your seat selection, upgrading your cabin or even a free flight!

As you can see below, on a route from London to New York, the amount of Miles/Points you earn increases with the cabin you purchase; ie, you’ll earn more by flying in Business Class than Economy.

Across the aviation industry, the amount you will earn by flying in Economy can vary between 25-100% (of the miles flown), whereas in Business Class that can vary from 150% to 300%! With the cost of premium tickets becoming more competitively priced than ever before, you could be racking up your Miles & Points faster than you might expect. 

However - drum roll please - as we believe the biggest benefit of Frequent Flyer programs is the ability to acquire Elite Status! This again is a complex topic, but generally speaking, this provides a multitude of benefits, ranging from Lounge Access, increased luggage allowances, priority boarding & baggage and more, all of which can improve your travel experience and save you money in the long run. The process is the same as above; when you book, we input your credentials which will in turn credit your flights to your program of choice. 

Let's pick an example - British Airways has 3 status levels; Bronze, Silver & Gold. Once you’ve earned enough Status Points (or Tier Points as BA title them) to become a Silver member, you are rewarded with Lounge Access, Priority Boarding & extra luggage to name a few. Reaching this Silver status requires 600 Tier points, which you'll earn by flying.

Earning Elite Status has numerous benefits. Not only will you reap the rewards when travelling on the airline associated with your choice of Frequent Flyer Program, but as we mentioned at the beginning, many airlines fall into Alliances. This means that having status with British Airways would benefit you if or when you travel with any of the 13 airlines associated with OneWorld - Qatar Airways, for example. The same is true of Star Alliance and their 26 members!

A further advantage of Elite Status is that the perks will apply no matter which Class you book. This means that flying in Economy is a much more pleasurable experience, as you will still receive the perks (like Lounge Access), even if you’re sitting right at the back of the bus! 

Overall, flying in Business Class not only provides you with a better way to travel, but it can lead to benefits on all of your future travel, whether that be redeeming your Points & Miles or earning Elite Status which enhances travel in any cabin. 

Which airline do you think you could earn Elite Status with? Do you always fly with one airline, but never thought about earning from it? Speak with our Personal Travel Consultants for more information when booking your next trip! 

(Contributed by Alex Dickinson)