Miami to New York Business Class for $94

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I was in Orlando for a conference and had to get to New York for my New York Abu Dhabi flight in the Etihad First Class Apartment. Much to my surprise, I found an Orlando to Miami to New York Business Class ticket for $94.

I considered flying out the night before but even a cheap hotel near JFK was $225 a night. No, thank you. I was already paying for my room at the Disney Contemporary Resort, so I decided to chance it and fly out that morning.

Positioning to the airport is always a risky proposition when you have an international flight, especially during possible bad weather. Given that it is hurricane season, I was taking a big gamble. But it was a gamble that paid off and I scored a lie-flat business class seat for the price of coach.

Read: How to fly free for two years

The New York to Abu Dhabi flight was leaving at 3 pm. So I had to check-in at 12 pm (three hours in advance). Which limited my options.

Delta and JetBlue had non-stop flights. But without status with either airline, it would mean 2 1/2 hours in the back of the plane. Or I could fly on American where I have Executive Platinum status.

If you have American Airlines Executive Platinum status you can pick your seat in advance, select Main Cabin Extra, and possibly get upgraded to First Class, for free.

My choices were a flight that connected in Charlotte and arrived in New York at 11:05 am. Or a 7:20 am flight that connected in Miami and arrived in New York at 12:19 pm. However, the Miami to New York plane was a 77W, used for international flights.

So I chose the American Airlines flight that connected through New York. The cost of my ticket, $94. Here’s my review of American Airlines Miami to New York Business Class. I’ll cover the Orlando to Miami flight in another blog post.

Read: Secret Travel Hack: What to do if your flight is canceled

Airline Lounges at Miami International Airport

After getting off the plane and going to the gate, I didn’t have time to visit either of the American Airlines Admirals Clubs in Miami, American Express Centurion Lounge, or the Priority Pass lounges on this flight.

There’s an Admirals Club at Gate D-16 and Gate D-30 and an Amex Centurion Lounge at Gate D-12.

You can access the American Airlines Admirals Club lounges if you have a membership or buy a $59 Day Pass.

Pro-tip: You get free Admirals Club membership with the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard

To get into the Centurion Lounge at Miami you need:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express (free entry)
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (free entry)
• The Centurion® Card from American Express (free entry)
• To purchase a Day Pass if you have any other American Express card

A Priority Pass membership is required to get into a Priority Pass lounge.

Pro-tip: You can get a free Priority Pass membership with The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Here are all the cards that give you free airport lounge access.

Read: Star Alliance First Class Lounge Los Angeles LAX Review

Seat

Business Class for the price of coach

The 77W has a First Class, Business Class, and coach section for international flights. But the flight was being sold as First Class or coach. With the Business Class seats sold as coach.

The 52 seats in Business Class were in a one-two-one configuration. I choose seat 4D in the mini-cabin. Because it’s quieter and offers more privacy.

The seats are lie-flat just like the 8 First Class seats. The only difference is seat size and width.

Everything within easy reach

In-Flight Entertainment

Watch movies, play games, it’s your choice

The in-flight entertainment (IFE) was a large 15.4-inch touchscreen monitor with movies, TV shows, music, and games.

Miami to New York is a 2 1/2 hour flight so I was able to watch The Boss and the first 30 minutes of Central Intelligence.

There’s an outlet and several USB connections so you can keep all your electronics charged.

Food

Protein Snack Pack

Business Class seat but coach price so no food except for the buy on board options. I chose the protein pack which included dry salami, pita chips, spreadable cheese, cookies, and a mint.

Pro-tip: Executive Platinum and ConciergeKey members get a free meal and alcoholic drink when flying in coach.

Read: How to buy a ticket on these airlines and get a free hotel room

Conclusion

Why fly in coach when you can enjoy a lie-flat Business Class seat for the same price. Scoring a Business Class ticket from Orlando to Miami to New York for $94 can be done if you pick the right flight.

You’ll enjoy a comfy seat complete with a huge selection of movies, TV shows, games and music all within fingers reach. And you can charge your electronics.

The only downside: the flight is too short.

Stay tuned for a post on which American Airlines flights offer lie-flat Business Class seats for the price of coach.

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All information about The Centurion® Card from American Express has been collected independently by TravelingWellForLess. The Centurion® Card from American Express is no longer available through TravelingWellForLess.

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Capital One Venture X Business

With the Capital One Venture X Business the welcome offer is 150,000 mile bonus after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months.

 

My favorite perks about this card are free Capital One Lounge access, earning 2X points on all purchases, and transferring miles to over 15 travel loyalty programs.

 

Learn more about the Capital One Venture X Business and how to apply

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to get started in the world of miles and points. It is the first card you should get to start traveling for free because the welcome offer is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.You can get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel value: the 60k points are worth $750 when booked through the Chase Travel portal. And you get up to $300 in statement credits on travel booked through the Chase portal your first year.

 

My favorite perks about this card are earning 5X points on travel when booked through the Chase portal (2X if direct purchase), 3X points on dining, $50 yearly credit on hotels booked through the Chase portal, no foreign transaction fees, and transferring points to 13 airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest.

 

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and how to apply