Last year, my local news did a two minute report on purchasing first-class tickets at a discounted price. Basically, tickets with the Y class or Q class, generally called Y-Ups or Q-Ups, are first-class seats with a coach seat price.  So I am shouting it from the mountain tops, emailing my friends and telling you now: You can fly first-class for cheap. Go to the FareCompare web site for all you need to know. Many airline websites will not allow you to search by booking class, but if you book tickets over the phone, ask them to search for a ticket with Y or Q booking class. Happy travels!