IF FLYING in business class was on your bucket list, then you might be able to afford it sooner than you think.
A number of airlines are launching ‘business class lite’ fares which make the luxury seats much more affordable – sometimes even thousands of pounds cheaper.
Business class tickets often cost much more then premium economy, with one of the biggest perks being a lie-flat bed.
Yet a number of carriers have reduced the cost of business fares, by removing some of the extra perks they come with.
According to the Amadeus Travel Trends report 2024, ‘unbundled’ business class fares are set to get even bigger.
Emirates was one of the first airlines to introduce this, back in 2019.
Their ‘cheapest’ business class fares offered the comfy seat but no lounge access and restricted seats.
A business class flight from London to Dubai can be found for £1,576 in the saver Business, but costs just under double for Business Flex Plus.
This was followed by Qatar Airways in 2020, with Business Lite not allowing lounge access or any booking changes.
The luggage allowance remains the same, with the difference in Business Lite and Business Elite thousands cheaper.
We found flights from London to Doha in December that were £1,555 in Business Classic – but costs more than double for Business Elite at £3,307.
And last year, both Air France and KLM launched their Business Light fares when travelling from Europe.
But these have even more restrictions in place.
For example, passengers only get one checked bag weighing 23kg, rather than two.
Business Light passengers also have to pay to select their seat, and cannot access the lounge.
While these business fares can still more expensive than premium economy – between two to four times as much – they may now be worth the price, as it also comes with much better service.
The Sun’s Kara Godfrey tried Qatar Airways’ QSuite business class suites, said to be the best in the world.
“The Qsuite felt like a hotel on a plane – having its very own private door you can close.
“Along with the high walls around you, it felt like you were in a little bedroom, where no one can see inside.
“The cabins run with a 1-2-1 format, so if in the middle you can pull the middle wall down if travelling with a companion, although I opted for a window seat.
“The lie-flat bed was obviously fantastic, with a cosy fleece blanket and pillow, as well as White Company pyjamas.
“And they also have Diptyque toiletries in a fancy beauty bag, which includes a mini perfume, lip balm, body lotion and hand cream.
“Crew somehow toed the line of being extremely attentive when needed – they helped me both set up my bed and pick a choice from the menu – but also leave you in peace when you want some solitude.
“If you don’t want to eat for another few hours, they let you pick a time for your meal to arrive, and my empty dishes were never on my table for long before they appeared to take them.
“If you want no interaction, there’s even a Do Not Disturb button you can press, although I opted never to press this.
“The Qsuite is found on their new Airbus A350-1000 planes as well as some of their A350-900s, Boeing 777-300ERs and Boeing 777-200LRs.”
Businessclass.com explains that business seats often have “fully lie-flat beds, restaurant-style multi-course cuisine, sometimes created by celebrity or Michelin-starred chefs, complimentary Champagne, fine wines and excellent service.”
They added: “Many airlines now offer Business Class cabins with suites complete with sliding privacy doors – more akin to First Class experience or seats that convert to double beds or companion suites.”
If you still can’t stretch to business, Lufthansa has revealed plans for “business class style” seats in economy.
Air New Zealand has its Skycouch that let you turn your economy row into a bed, as well as new bunk beds being launched.
We’ve also rounded up some of the lesser-known airlines that let you book lie flat beds in economy.
Here are some of our other business class reviews:
