Lie Flat on a Budget: 9 Business Class Flights You Can Book for 50,000 Miles or Less Lie Flat on a Budget: 9 Business Class Flights You Can Book for 50,000 Miles or Less

Lie Flat on a Budget: 9 Business Class Flights You Can Book for 50,000 Miles or Less

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Flying business class is one of those aspirational redemptions that many points and miles enthusiasts aim for. When I first got into this game, I was determined to experience some of the world’s best airlines and their premium cabins. But it's not a secret that business class can get expensive quickly — even with miles.

Fortunately, there are still some incredible deals if you know where to look. Here’s a list of lay-flat business class awards you can book for 50,000 miles or less!

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class: North America to Europe (29k Virgin Points)

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club switched to dynamic pricing in 2024, which often spells the elimination of a program's best sweet spots. However, there have been consistent deals for Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class at 29,000 points plus taxes and fees since the changeover, primarily from the airline's East Coast gateways to the UK. Some examples include Boston (BOS) to London (LHR) and Atlanta (ATL) to Manchester (MAN).

Virgin Atlantic Flying Blue BOS-LHR award
Credit: Virgin Atlantic

Even better, Virgin is regularly the subject of transfer bonuses from various credit card rewards programs. For example, American Express recently ran a 40% bonus, which means you’d only need 21,000 Membership Rewards points to book this deal after the bonus. And Amex is just one of Virgin Atlantic's many transfer partners:

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club)
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club)
-
Immediate
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club)
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club)
3:1
3,000
15 hours
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club)
1,000:1,000
2,000
15 hours

Iberia Business Class: U.S. to Europe (34k Avios)

Iberia’s distance-based award chart offers excellent value for flights to Europe, especially during off-peak dates. You can book business class starting at 34,000 Avios for routes between 3,001–4,000 miles, like:

  • New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) or Barcelona (BCN)
  • Boston (BOS) to Madrid (MAD) or Barcelona (BCN)
  • Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD)
Iberia business class seats
Iberia business class. Credit: Iberia

You can transfer points to Iberia from programs like Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Iberia Plus
-
1 day
Iberia Plus
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Iberia Plus
3:1
3,000
1 day - 2 days
Iberia Plus
1,000:1,000
2,000
Unknown
HSBC Rewards
United States
Iberia Plus
1,250:1,000
-
Unknown
Livelo (Clube Livelo)
Iberia Plus
1,750:500
3,500
Unknown
Santander (Esfera)
Iberia Plus
-
1 day
Iberia Plus
1:1
-
Unknown

Additionally, Avios can be transferred between Iberia, British Airways, Finnair, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways, so that's another way to grow your account. And almost all of these airlines have a co-branded card open to U.S. applicants — the one exception being Finnair.

Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Bonus Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
The Iberia Visa Signature® Card members earn 3 Avios per $1 spent directly with Iberia, British Airways, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus, 2 Avios per $1 on direct hotel bookings, and 1 Avios per $1 on other purchases. Additionally, spending $30,000 annually on the card earns a $1,000 discount voucher for two tickets on the same Iberia flight. You pay no foreign transaction fees, and cardholders get a 10% discount on Iberia flights booked through a specific link.
  • 3X Avios per $1 spent on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL
  • 2X Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations
  • 1X Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Related: Best Cards for Earning Avios

United Polaris to Europe or Brazil (from 45k Avianca LifeMiles)

Avianca LifeMiles often offers incredible deals on award flights. And the program often sells miles for cheap. That's why it's pretty neat that you can book United Polaris business class from the northeast U.S. to the United Kingdom for just 45,000 LifeMiles each way!

Screenshot of LifeMiles website showing United awards from Newark to London for 45,000 LifeMiles one-way in business class
Credit: LifeMiles

Rather head south? LifeMiles also offers a business class sweet spot to Brazil for 50,000 LifeMiles each way.

LifeMiles award from ORD to GRU
Credit: Avianca

Outside of buying them outright, there are dozens of ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles. From co-branded Avianca credit cards to a slew of credit card transfer partners, your options are endless.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
100:100
1,000
Immediate
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
1,000:1,000
2,000
Unknown
3:2
500
Immediate
HSBC Rewards
United States
1,250:1,000
-
Unknown

Hawaiian Airlines First Class: U.S. to Hawaii (40k HawaiianMiles)

Hawaiian Airlines offers direct flights to Hawaii for 40,000 HawaiianMiles in first class. These flights present a comfortable and convenient way to reach the islands; there's no better way to start your Hawaiian vacation.

hawaiian airlines 40,000 mile award from sfo to hnl
Credit: Hawaiian Airlines

You can earn HawaiianMiles through Amex Membership Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, or the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®. And thanks to the Alaska-Hawaiian merger, you can also use Alaska miles to book these awards for the same rate, so you have plenty of options here as well.

Aer Lingus Business Class: U.S. to Ireland (45k Alaska Miles)

Aer Lingus offers fantastic value for travelers heading to Ireland through its partner, Alaska Airlines. Business class flights start at 45,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles. Dublin makes for a great European gateway, and it’s cheap and easy to connect onward with carriers like Ryanair.

For example, we found flights from New York (JFK) to Dublin (DUB) in February 2025 for 45,000 Alaska miles plus $19 in fees.

aer lingus award through alaska airlines for 45,000 miles
Credit: Alaska Airlines

An easy way to earn Alaska miles is to apply for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. New applicants can earn 60,000 bonus miles + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ (from $122) after spending $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Annual Fee$95
Limited Time Online Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Additionally, receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account.
The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card offers cardholders 3 miles per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 2 miles per dollar on everyday purchases like gas, local transit including ride share, cable, and select streaming services. Other benefits include Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ annually from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $6K in the previous anniversary year, priority boarding, a free checked bag, a 10% reward bonus on miles for Bank of America account holders, and a $100 discount on Alaska Lounge+ Membership.
  • LIMITED TIME ONLINE OFFER-60,000 Bonus Miles + a 30% Flight Discount Code!
  • Receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. Additionally, earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
  • Get Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines flights booked on alaskaair.com.
  • Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your miles don't expire on active accounts.
  • Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account.
  • Free checked bag and enjoy priority boarding for you and up to 6 guests on the same reservation, when you pay for your flight with your card - Also available for authorized users when they book a reservation too!
  • With oneworld® Alliance member airlines and Alaska's Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem miles.
  • Plus, no foreign transaction fees and a low $95 annual fee.
  • This online only offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
  • Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
  • Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
  • Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Leveraging the Bilt Rewards program and Alaska's hotel transfer partners are additional ways to grow your account incrementally.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
3:1
3,000
1 day
Best Western (Rewards)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
5,000:1,000
-
Unknown
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
2,000
9 hours
Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
1,000:200
5,000
17 hours
IHG Hotels & Resorts (One Rewards)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
10,000:2,000
-
Unknown

Korean Airlines Business Class: Korean to Japan (15k SkyMiles)

So far, we've focused our examples on posts that touch the U.S. — which is where most AwardWallet readers are based. But there are plenty of great overseas redemptions that you can book for incredible rates using U.S.-based mileage currencies.

One of these is a route that AwardWallet Editor-In-Chief just flew: Korean Air's brand new Boeing 787-10 business class seat — which the airline is flying between Seoul and Tokyo, Japan at least daily.

Photo of Korean Air business class seats and cabin on the Boeing 787-10
Photo by JT Genter / AwardWallet

The airline also operates lay-flat business class seats on its Airbus A321neo between Seoul and a half-dozen Japanese airports, including Sapporo, Japan.

Photo of Korean Air A321neo business class
Credit: Korean Air

Do you need a lay-flat business class seat on a short ~3-hour hop between Japan and Korea? Probably not. But at a cost of just 15,000 SkyMiles, this ranks up there as one of the best ways to redeem Delta SkyMiles.

Screenshot of Delta website showing Korean Air business class award from Seoul to Tokyo for 15,000 SkyMiles one-way in business class
Credit: Delta

Qatar Airways Qsuites: Europe to Indian Subcontinent (42.5k AA Miles)

American Airlines AAdvantage® miles are a fantastic way to book partner awards, and Qatar Airways’ Qsuites are one of the most luxurious business class experiences out there.

A sweet spot in the AAdvantage award chart lets you book a business class flight between Europe and India for 42,500 miles. Qatar has world-class service and catering, so this is nothing short of a fantastic deal.

Qatar Q suites award availability HEL to BOM
Credit: American Airlines

The easiest way to earn AA miles is to apply for an American Airlines credit card and earn the sign-up bonus. However, with the right strategy, you can also earn a bundle of miles through AAdvantage eShopping.

Qatar Airways Qsuites: Asia to Middle East (40 AA Miles)

Speaking of great deals flying in Qatar Qsuite, you can fly between most parts of Asia and the Middle East for 40,000 AAdvantage miles each way. Stretched to the maximum, you can fly from Japan to Egypt — almost 20 hours in business class — for just 40k miles.

Screenshot of American Airlines website showing Qatar business class award from Sapporo to Alexandria for 40,000 AAdvantage miles one-way
Credit: American Airlines

Even better, if you're flying on a route with a first-class cabin, you can fly between these regions in first class for just 50k AAdvantage miles each way! For example, fly Qatar first class on a former Cathay Pacific aircraft from Hong Kong (HKG) to Doha (DOH), enjoy Qatar's incredible Al Safwa lounge, and then continue to Cairo, Egypt (CAI), all for 50k miles. That's an incredible deal for almost 12 hours in Qatar First Class — plus one of the best lounges in the world!

Screenshot of American Airlines website showing Qatar first class award from Hong Kong to Cairo for 50,000 AAdvantage miles one-way
Credit: American Airlines

Related: From Maldives in Qatar Qsuite to Sydney in First: My 9 Best Mileage Redemptions of 2024

Final Thoughts

Flying business class doesn’t have to cost a fortune — or a ton of miles. With some planning and creativity, these sweet spots make luxury travel more accessible.

Have you tried booking any of these deals? Let us know in the comments below!

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