When it comes to domestic flights within the U.S., you don’t always need something fancy. For most, any old seat will do. But lately, the cost of flying in the front of the plane has been dropping, and it’s getting easier to book first class and lie-flat seats with points and miles, too.
What if I told you you could book lie-flat seats from just 26,000 miles each way, fly all the way to Hawaii in a lie-flat suite for just 40,000 miles each way, or snag a comfy recliner first class seat from just $287 roundtrip? You might start looking a little more seriously at the front of the plane, right?
Well that’s exactly what I’m telling you. The fanciest seats on domestic flights in the U.S. are getting cheaper – and aren’t much more than the price of economy for a much better experience.
No matter if you’re a front-of-the-plane-only snob or someone who’s just first class curious, we’ve found a glut of premium cabin flight deals for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members lately – and you won’t need a passport for any of them. Here’s what I’m talking about.
First Class Flights for $100 More than Economy
These seats aren’t lie-flat, but they’re a big step up from economy. You already know these 2-2 configured first class recliners. You see them on almost every plane you fly in and around the U.S. You walk by them on your way to row 29 and think, “I wonder how much these people paid for their seats.”
Here’s a clue: It’s not that much more than economy in some cases.
One of my big predictions for airfare in 2025 was that these first class recliners were going to get cheaper. Airlines like JetBlue and Frontier are investing in fancier seats at the front of the plane, helping drive down prices across the board. And airlines have admitted to selling them at much cheaper rates to increase revenue and decrease the number of travelers getting upgraded for free instead.
It’s already started happening like we expected, including this awesome flight deal to Washington, D.C. (IAD, DCA, BWI) this spring and summer – including Cherry Blossom season in the capital!
I’d be comfortable paying these fares in economy! But these are what you can find flying First Class.
It’s important to note that on flights shorter than 900 miles, there’s no meal service onboard. But you’ll almost always get a boarding drink and a snack onboard, not to mention the much comfier seat, the priority boarding, the free checked bags, and being the first off the plane.
Just a few days before that, we found a similar price drop on flights in and out of New York City (JFK, LGA, EWR) in the $200s, $300s, and $400s roundtrip!
This short Delta flight from Buffalo (BUF) won the lowest fare competition, connecting travelers to the big apple for just $287 roundtrip!
Long story short: Don’t write off a first class flight for your next domestic trip. Starting at just $100 more than economy, you could be flying in style instead of feeling cramped in back.
JetBlue Mint Business Class
There’s first class, and then there’s JetBlue Mint lie-flat business class. Honestly, “first class” in the U.S. is confusingly named, because these business class seats are…well…a class above any first class recliner.
And you can fly JetBlue Mint Business Class to some compelling destinations. How about this one down to Aruba (AUA) or Puerto Rico (SJU)?
Best of all: You can use some points and miles on these flights – saving on the $750+ fares that operate on this route. Just 26,000 Qatar Avios (transferable from British Airways, Amex, Citi, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Wells Fargo) are enough to secure these seats.
You can use your JetBlue TrueBlue points (or the Amex, Chase, or Citi points that transfer there), but Qatar Avios is a much better rate. Check out this fare we dug up when we sent this flight deal to our subscribers a few weeks ago.
If you’d rather fly to or from Florida and Arizona, you can snag a JetBlue Mint flight at the same rate, too!
The newest JetBlue Mint routes are between Boston and NYC and Bozeman, Montana (BZN), connecting east coasters to one of the most popular ski destination in the Rockies.
To book these flights, however, we recommended travelers head to Etihad’s Guest program, which charges just 40,000 miles and $42 in taxes and fees each way.
Finally, you can always book JetBlue Mint with cash, too, and sometimes it’s a great deal. If you can find a flight like this under $1,000 roundtrip – run, don’t walk, to book it!
Hawaiian First Class to Honolulu
When does a lie-flat seat flying in the U.S. make the most sense? On the long-haul over to the Hawaiian Islands, of course!
Luckily, our skies have been graced with the new Hawaiian Airlines First Class Suites, which we’ve flown and totally adore…especially when you can book them for just 40,000 points each way (or less!)
These suites are operated on select routes in Hawaiian’s network, which we’re always monitoring. Lately, the easiest way to find them has been flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL).
If you book with Hawaiian or Virgin Atlantic, you can snag these for just 40,000 points each way. Thanks to a new Chase-to-Virgin transfer bonus, however, just 31,000 Chase points turn into the 40,000 you need to book these seats.
Plus, you might be surprised by Hawaiian’s network of flights to the U.S. All of these Hawaiian outposts have lie-flat seats, even if all of them aren’t as fancy as the suites that fly from Los Angeles (LAX).
American Airlines First Class from Coast-to-Coast
Another time where it makes too much sense to fly lie-flat: A coast-to-coast transcontinental flight on American Airlines.
American Airlines has a Flagship First Class on its longest routes in the lower 48 between Boston (BOS) and New York (JFK) and the west coast.
You can book these seats using several different programs, including American’s AAdvantage miles, Alaska’s Mileage Plan program, and even through Finnair Avios!
All of these long-haul routes had first class availability on them. For our subscribers, we pulled together all the available dates into a list, too.
American Airlines first class flyers get Flagship Lounge access and all the trappings of a true, long-haul, international flight. It’s one of the comfiest rides across the country.
Bottom Line
You might be surprised how inexpensive it is to be one of those flyers in the front of the plane on your next domestic trip.
On many routes in and around the U.S. easy-to-book lie-flat seats and cheap first class recliners are out there for the taking if you know where to look.
