Have you ever dreamed of flying business class to Europe? Are you tired of being cramped on an overnight flight and trying to sit up for 7+ hours trying to sleep? Do you wish you could be pampered with champagne, gourmet meals and a lie flat seat? I have!! Now I finally figured out how to do it without spending thousands of dollars. Here’s how to upgrade to Business Class for Under $100!

Last November I took my first Business class fight! I flew from New York to Dublin, Ireland in Aer Lingus Business Class. I upgraded my ticket for less than $100. Here is how I did it. First, I bought a Smart Economy ticket on Aer Lingus for $515 dollars. Then I upgraded to Aer Lingus business class with points. I earned the points for less than $100 by getting the Aer Lingus Credit Card and meeting the initial spend requirement. The annual fee for this card was $95.

I also scored my connecting roundtrip flight from Denver to New York for less than $12. I used leftover points from an older JetBlue card bonus! You can also take advantage of other low-cost carriers on positioning flights that help you get to a destination where you can take advantage of great international flights. I discuss more about this in this post.

With time, a little patience and the right credit cards you can do this too and for even less money. I’ve been playing the points and miles game for almost two decades, but I just cracked the code and took my game to the next level. I’m so excited to share what I’ve learned with you!

Since I leveraged my credit card to do this I will start with a disclaimer because one of my other passions is personal finance. Do not, I repeat do not do this if you cannot commit to paying off your credit balance each month in full. The interest you pay on the credit card will cancel out any savings you get from upgrading to business class.

If you can’t pay your credit card balance in full every month try getting a zero interest card and book an economy flight instead of business class one.

When I was younger and had less income I once financed a trip to Italy on a zero interest card, but only because I knew I would be able to pay it off before the zero interest expired. Also, if you are paid bi-weekly then twice a year you get an extra check in the month. It’s a great way to add travel to your budget!

There are a ton of different ways you could upgrade to business class and the route you take will depend on where you want to go. Have a specific trip in mind and are not sure how to upgrade to business class? Reach out to me and I will tell you how to make it happen!

I will tell you my story. In 2023 out of the blue my friend asked me if I wanted to go to Ireland in November. She knew it had been on my bucket list for a long time. I of course jumped at the chance!! She had found a good deal on airfare, but I yearned to make one of my life long goals come true. I wanted to fly business class in a lie flight seat to Europe!

How to Upgrade to Business Class: The Magic of Avios

If you have never heard of Avios it is the rewards program of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Qatar Airways. I already had several thousand Avios points left over from a trip through London a few years ago where I used a British Airways credit card bonus. I was excited to learn that I could transfer my British Airways Avios miles to Aer Lingus for my upcoming trip to Ireland. British Airways is also a great rewards value for flights within Europe.

Avios miles can also be transferred to Iberia and Qatar Airways. If you are transferring your Avios to Iberia keep in mind you will need to set up your Iberia account and have it open for at least three months before you can transfer Avios miles from the other rewards programs I mentioned into it.

If you are headed to Spain you can snag a business class seat from the East coast to Madrid or Barcelona for only 34,000 points each way! That’s less than then I spend to visit family in New York from Denver.

What I think is so unique about the Avios program is these four airlines all share the Avios program. Not only can you transfer miles between the programs, you can also transfer them back to another Avios program if you end up not using them all . That is unheard of in the points and miles world!

Sadly I checked award availability for Aer Lingus Business Class and there was nothing available, as is so often the case with rewards flights. What’s a girl to do? When I really want something I do not give up easily. You can bid for an upgrade and see if it is accepted. Who knows what that would cost? OR you can use the secret trick I discovered below:

Upgrade Request

• Join Aer Lingus’ Aer Club. Here is a tip from your best friend. Go to http://Avios.com and click “Join Avios Now”. Scroll down to “Join AerClub” the loyalty program for Aer Lingus. While you’re there sign up for the other Avios programs too.
• Book a Smart ticket with cash directly with Aer Lingus to increase your chance of an upgrade. Upgrades are not available with Avios miles if you book through a third party or use miles for your ticket. Make sure to include your Aer Club account number when booking. Upgrade miles will depend on if your travel dates are on or off peak. Off Peak flights like mine were 37,000 Avios Miles. Peak flights are 44,750 Avios miles. Check Aer Lingus’ 2024 schedule here to see if your dates are on or off peak.
• Email [email protected]. Request an upgrade to business class. Include the Aer Club Account Number, Booking Number, Passenger Name and Flight Number. You can also try calling them at 1-800-237-2747.
• If there is award availability for an upgrade Aer Lingus will confirm your request and send a new booking confirmation with a seat assignment. Due to the time difference this process can take a day or two if you do this through email. Once confirmed the Avios miles will be deducted from your account. Try booking a ticket without purchasing at the end on Aer Lingus’ site to see if there are still business class seats available. If there are there is a chance Aer Lingus will upgrade your ticket.
• That’s it! It’s really that easy.

If you’ve dreamed of exploring the Emerald Isle too, but don’t have any Avios miles yet here is the simplest step by step instructions of how to get them:

• Apply for an Aer Lingus credit card The card has an annual fee of $95.
• Spend $5,000 in the first three months of getting the card. I know this sounds like a lot, but do yourself another favor and automate all your monthly bills. Set them all up for autopay using your new Aer Lingus credit card. I automate everything, utilities, car insurance, streaming service, EVERYTHING. Do you have a big purchase coming up? Need a new appliance? Have expensive car maintenance or repair coming up? Need a new phone or computer? Time it after opening the new card.
• Once you complete your $5,000 spending Aer Lingus will credit your account with 75,000 Avios miles.
• Then go to Avios.com to look for award availability or if there is none try my trick above to upgrade a cash ticket with miles. As of March 2024 Aer Lingus was in the process of updating their website to be able to search award space directly from the Aer Lingus site, but it was not available quite yet.

My first business class overseas flight was so amazing, relaxing and luxurious! I also had a fabulous time in Ireland exploring the land of my ancestors. Thinking of heading to the Emerald Island? Check out this post on the highlight of my trip, Dingle, Ireland! If you live in the Denver area, Aer Lingus will be offering direct flights from Denver to Dublin starting May 17, 2024!!

If you use any of my tips leave me a comment and let me know how you are living the glamorous life flying business class for less. Cheers or as they say in Ireland, Sláinte!

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