For most of us, flying first class is one of those bucket list dreams that will never actually come true.
But it turns out that by using a clever hack, you could manage to bag a first class ticket to the other side of the world for almost the same price as an economy fare.
So while it currently costs around $1,000 for a ticket in economy class with Qantas from the US to Australia, it would cost just $1,473 to sit in first class, where it normally costs around $10,000.
According to travel expert Gilbert Ott from the blog God Save The Points, the way to do it is by buying “miles” from a partner airline of the airline you want to fly with, and using them to pay for the flight you want.
The airline in question is Alaska Airlines, which has a very generous frequent flyer program that currently has a 40 percent discount on the cost of its air miles.
Unlike many air mile programs that require you to take numerous flights to earn points, Alaskan Airlines lets you buy the miles you need instantly.
You can then use them to book flights on Alaska’s partners like Cathay Pacific, American Airlines and Qantas at incredible rates, because they charge far less miles to book certain flights than their partners.
For example, Qantas would charge you 144,000 miles one way for US to Australia in first class or vice versa, while Alaska charges just 70,000 miles for the same Qantas seat on the same route.
According to Gilbert, 70,000 miles costs just $1,478 if you buy them instantly through Alaska’s air mile program.
He said: “There’s no catch, just a challenge. Finding seats in just about any cabin to Australia can be time-consuming, but for this opportunity, it’s totally worth it.
“Your account must be open 10 days before you can buy miles, though, so open one immediately if you plan to buy.
“[And] the SALE on miles at a 40 percent discount expires on April 6, so you’ll need to buy (not fly) before then.”