This Airline Is Giving Its Business Class a First Class Upgrade With This Over-the-top Offering

Thoughts of fall travel might conjure up images of cozy cabins and hiking through fiery red foliage. This autumn, however, a wave of new airline routes from the US is shaking up the usual pumpkin-spice-laced doldrums and offering easy new ways to access exciting destinations. Think city escapes in Northern Africa, beaches on tiny Caribbean islands, and lush nature in Oceania.

Since 2015, Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) has been a go-to newsletter for savvy travelers seeking the best flight deals available. Whether it’s flash sales, competitive price drops, mistake fares with discounts of up to 90 percent, or coveted mileage-saver award seats, this newsletter has informed some 2.4 million members about values spotted by its software and verified by a team of flight analysts.

Oman Air is replacing its first-class cabin for specific routes, joining a growing list of carriers to do so. The replacement is called “Business Studio” and will initially feature on London and Bangkok routes.

Founded by the Tata Group in 1932, Air India was once the gold standard for air travel — so much so that Singapore Airlines modeled its business after it.

Aug 16, 2024 • 7 min read

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Helene Sula , a travel blogger and author of "Two O'Clock on a Tuesday at Trevi Fountain: A Search for an Unconventional Life Abroad."

The luck of the Irish may help travelers score a great flight deal.  Aer Lingus recently released dozens of discounted flights from the United States to Ireland, where the airline is based. The Irish flag-carrier is offering round-trip flights to Dublin and Shannon for under $500, and even has flights across Europe to destinations such as Amsterdam or Rome for under $531. Travel + Leisure spotted some of the top flight deals include: 

If the end of summer has you craving more vacation time, a new offer could be just the ticket.  Wizz Air, based in Budapest, recently announced an «All You Can Fly» subscription pass that allows travelers to journey throughout the world for just a few hundred dollars.  For a very limited time, the program is only €499 (approximately $537) per year, and the price jumps to €599 (approximately $657) from August 16, 2024. Travelers can begin using their flight pass for flights after September 25, 2024. While the program has the subscription fee, the flights are technically not free. Travelers are charged a small €10 (approximately $11) fee for each flight segment they book, according to the program's terms. 

All-business-class carriers are among the rarest airline strategies in operation — and that's because they historically don't work.

Qatar Airways will serve caviar to passengers flying in its world-class Qsuite starting Aug. 15.

Bermuda-based carrier BermudAir is making it easier to plan an epic vacation for two by offering complimentary companion tickets for fall getaways.

I entered the world of credit card points relatively late to the game.