TikTok is packed to the brim with thousands of videos on travel hacks and how to score cheap flights. But if you're looking for a luxurious travel experience, you'll probably have trouble finding affordable business class seats.
One TikToker, David Scarlatescu, took to the app to share how he found a business class deal from Canada to Edinburgh for under $800, and since then, a ton of people have been asking him to help them find great seats with that all-important discount.
Scarlatescu spoke to Narcity about some of his top tips to find the best and cheapest business class seats that may well be game changers when you're looking to book your next vacation.
Best of all, these tips are something anyone can do. You don't need anything special, just access to the internet and some time to kill. Good luck!
Use multiple sites
@davidtescu Leave your comments! Lets see how many people we can help!👇🏼👇🏼 #canadiantravel #travelhack #travelhacking #westjet #europe #flighthavk #cheapflights #businessclass #firstclass
When booking flights, most people have a tendency to look at one flight comparison site, be it Google Flights or Skyscanner and just pick the cheapest option from there.
However, according to Scarlatescu, the best way to work out where you might be able to get a great deal, especially when it comes to getting an affordable business class seat, is to put in the hours and research to see what options are out there.
While he uses Google Flights and Skyscanner regularly, one of the best sites to gauge prices is Hopper.
"Hopper is a great tool just to punch in the time range that you're going for... they have really good data that gives you a good idea of if this is a cheap time to buy," he explained.
"It does tell you 'Oh you should book now' or 'Over the next 30 days, prices are going to fluctuate a little bit.' So I use that just as a template to have an idea of where the flights are at," he added.
Once you've used Hopper to check out whether you're getting a good deal on prices, Scarlatescu recommends booking the trip directly through the airline.
Be flexible with your plans
@davidtescu Replying to @user7378680685747 pulling out skyscanner for this one 👀 #googleflights #cheapflights #travelhacks #canadiantravel #travelhacking
Obviously booking off vacation time with work and other commitments can be tricky, but Scarlatescu said that being flexible in your travel plans is key when it comes to scoring those cheap business class seats.
On Google Flights, you can select flexible dates when you're looking up costs, which is super helpful when trying to find the cheapest times to travel.
"If you can be flexible in any way, it often saves you hundreds of dollars, if not thousands of dollars in some situations," he said.
"If you can be comfortable taking that risk, then that's how you're going to be able to find the best deals," he added.
With most flight searching tools, you're also able to filter to just show business class seats too and while they won't always be a bargain, sometimes you're able to find a gem.
"Nine times out of 10, you won't find a good deal but that one time out of 10, you will find a good deal in business class where it might be worth the extra few $100 to upgrade for you personally," he said.
Reverse your flights
@davidtescu Replying to @Bill Eggers
It may seem counterintuitive but, according to Scarlatescu, sometimes the best way to find out which local city is cheapest to fly out of near you is actually to search the trip in reverse on Google Flights.
You might find by reversing the journey, you'll find a way cheaper flight for the time you want to travel that you could get an affordable connecting flight from which could drastically cut down on costs, especially if you're taking a long-haul flight in business class.
"If I was going to London from Calgary, I would look up London to anywhere in the world and hover over Western Canada and see where the flights from London to Canada are cheapest, then you get a shortlist of cities," he said.
Look for a one-way ticket rather than a round trip
@davidtescu Replying to @Scott Ramsay hope this helps! #googleflights #westjet #cheapflights #travelhacks #canadiantravel #businessclass
While sadly, you'll probably need to book a return trip from your vacation destination, Scarlatescu said looking for one-way flights is the best way to go if you're looking to save the most money.
"Flying one way and looking one way when you're going to smaller cities is always key because you're going to get way cheaper flights one way than on a round trip. Round trip will almost always try and put you on one airliner and that's where you get pigeonholed," he explained.
By making separate bookings with different airlines, through different connecting airports in each direction, or by taking business class one way and economy in the other, you could end up saving a lot of cash.
Look at what your credit card can offer you
@davidtescu Replying to @user9838396410612 Nonstop for the peace of mind is just worth it in this situation 🙏🏼
Another way you could potentially save big when it comes to securing yourself a cheap business class seat is to look for credit cards with rewards.
"I always say you should have one high-quality points card," Scarlatescu said.
While there are a ton of different credit cards out there with different travel rewards, they usually require a minimum spend to get welcome bonuses so you'll want to make sure you're in a position where you know you'll be able to do that.
"You should never sign up for credit cards just for the bonuses and everything unless you know you're going to hit the bonuses," he explained.
If you know you have a period of big purchases coming up, signing up for a credit card with rewards might be able to rack you up a ton of points to help fund your next vacation.
"If you knew you were going to buy some furniture, I think it's a no-brainer to sign up for a card like that. Like why wouldn't you take advantage of a credit card that's offering a welcome bonus for minimum spend," he added.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
