Millions of people fly between the United States of America and India each year. At the top of this list in terms of the number of passengers to India are US travelers. A great many of these passengers travel business class. All the same, the economy class is the most popular because these fares are readily affordable. The business class in this sector is a close second. If you’re looking to book tickets to India, read on.
What are the facilities and benefits of business class travel?
– Check-in procedure is more convenient. Passengers can, in most cases, sit comfortably while the staff do the check-in process.
– Usually, business class has more baggage allowance.
– Passengers can enjoy the business class lounge at airports while waiting for boarding. Some business class lounges have shower, massage and sleeping room facilities.
– Business-class travelers are the first to be called for boarding.
Top airlines for USA to India business class flights:
The top three airline flights in this sector are – United Airlines, Delta Airlines and Emirates. The benefits of each of these airlines are listed below:
United Airlines is the world’s third-largest air carrier and is one of the best choices for business class flights to India. There are many flights on this route, including two nonstop flights to India. United Airlines offer:
- Relaxed check-in and baggage claim.
- Premier access that helps go through airport procedures quickly and comfortably.
- Check-in of your baggage without any service fee charges.
- Extra-spacious and comfortable business class seats.
- Additional storage space, appealing tray-table design and power plugs.
- Best inflight entertainment options, including latest magazines, high-speed internet, private screen, direct TV, and audio entertainment.
- Restaurant-quality food onboard, unique to United Airlines.
You can also have complimentary beverages like coffee, tea, beers and wines throughout the flight.
Delta Airlines is the second-largest air carrier in the world. The business class in Delta is quite popular among travelers to India. Even though Atlanta is the largest hub for the airline, Delta operates direct flights to India from New York’s JFK airport. Delta Airlines offers:
- Some of the most comfortable Westin Heavenly bedding with full flat-bed seats together with direct aisle access.
- A selection of the finest gourmet meals accompanied by the finest wines.
- Complimentary access to the Delta lounge to make your waiting time more pleasant.
- Complimentary Delta airlines Amenity Kit consisting of eyeshades, socks, lip balm, noise cancelling headsets and much more.
- Access to in-seat power.
- In case you have booked Delta One USA flight tickets from India, you also get inflight entertainment that you can enjoy throughout the flight. Movies on widescreen, internet facilities and other premium services.
- Unique unrivalled privacy of the Delta One Suite.
Emirates is the largest Middle-Eastern airline and is another carrier that offers a memorable business class travel experience. Benefits of flying Emirates are:
- Every seat is an aisle seat, with a divider between the seats in the Emirates Business Class. This makes it great for privacy as well as security.
- Your seats come provided with blankets and pillows so that you can sleep comfortably on the flight.
- The adjustable seats are provided with a power outlet that lets you charge your devices throughout the flight.
- A tablet with the latest configuration is provided with which you can adjust the TV settings.
- Access to individual AC settings. Reading light, USB outlet and other facilities are provided to make your travel truly memorable.
- Your seat has a minibar depending on the type of aircraft. While checking the fares to India from the USA with Emirates, you should be sure to enquire about the type of aircraft you will board.
- Games, music, movies, news and thousands of channels are part of the Emirates inflight entertainment.
- Courteous attendants extend VIP treatment. You will be given scented towels and other great add-ons to pamper you. The attendants are very attentive and hospitable at all times.
- All the food and alcohol are inclusive. You can enjoy the best meals onboard ever. Delicious multicourse meals with the travel destination influence are served to you, when you fly business class on Emirates.
- You can also socialize with the other passengers in the business class lounge.
Tips to find affordable business class tickets to India from USA
The cost of a business class air ticket depends upon various factors such as the route, the date of travel, and when you buy the ticket. In general, a typical business class, international flight ticket to India and back can cost anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000+.
Following are some tips to find cheap business class tickets to India:
- Look for mistake fares: Mistake fares happen when an airline mistakenly prices a flight at a much lower rate than it intended, sometimes at just 10% of the usual fare structure. When this happens, business class fares can become cheaper than a typical economy fare. However, mistake fares just don’t happen every day – you have to be exceptionally lucky to get one! The secret is to spot the mistake and act really fast. Mistake fares rarely last for more than a day, usually vanishing in a matter of hours.
- Use points and miles to buy a business class ticket: The cheapest way to grab a business class ticket is by purchasing it with credit card points or airline miles. The number of points you will require can fluctuate often, but you can get a business class seat for 25,000 points. Many cards offer signup bonuses worth 60,000 points when you spend a certain amount by card in a few months.
- Book an economy ticket and upgrade with points: If you do not have sufficient points to purchase a business class ticket at the time of booking, you can purchase a main economy seat, and if points redemption is available for the flight, use your points to upgrade to business class.
- Book an economy ticket and upgrade with cash: Often, as the departure date approaches and if there are several business class seats vacant on the flight, the airline may offer an upgrade for purchase at a discounted rate. You can see this option when you check in online. Otherwise, you can always request at the check-in counter and if you are lucky, you could grab a business class seat at a very low price at the last minute.
- Book an economy seat and make a bid for an upgrade: Some airlines allow passengers in economy booking (certain fare groups) to bid for an upgrade to a higher class. The bid is an additional amount, apart from the amount you have already paid for the economy ticket. If your bid is accepted, you will be given an upgrade.
- Business class fare sales: Once in a while, airlines put up their vacant business class seats on sale. But while the price might be a reasonable discount off the regular price, it will not be considered as ‘cheap’. For instance, if a regular business class ticket is priced at $3,000 the sale price might be fixed at $2,000. Although the discount is big, the reduced fare cannot be considered cheap!
Lastly, you can book a business class ticket on MintFares to access numerous rewards and discounts, which can help you get the best fare!
