Money Management

Flying business class could make your journey a lot more comfortable. See how to make sure you’re doing the right thing by paying for that upgrade. [[{“value”:”

Flying has become a bit of a nightmare these days thanks to overbooked planes, cramped seats, and a glaring lack of amenities. After all, in some cases, you’re not even guaranteed to be able to stash a backpack in an overhead bin.

Because of this, it’s easy to see why so many people are willing to pay a small fortune for business class. With a business class seat, you can spread out, relax, get some sleep, and enjoy a good meal without having to bang elbows or share hip sweat with your seatmate.

But the cost of business class can be so high that it may be the sort of thing you can only do on rare occasions. Case in point: A roundtrip flight from the New York City area to London on United costs $607 for basic economy, $1,053 for refundable economy, and $7,819 for business class the week of Sept. 8 (note that prices might differ depending on the time of departure).

Even if we take the difference between refundable economy and business class, that’s a cost of over $6,700 — enough to pay for an entire trip itself. So if you’re going to upgrade to business class, it’s important to make it count. Here are three questions worth asking yourself before you spend the extra money.

1. How important is it to get sleep on the flight?

If you’re flying from the U.S. to Europe on an overnight flight, getting some shut-eye on the plane could spell the difference between enjoying your first day at your destination or spending the bulk of it in a groggy haze. If your travel schedule is such that it’s important to get a decent amount of sleep on the plane, then charging a business class ticket to your credit card could be worth it.

But let’s say you’re flying from New York to California at 10 in the morning. You may get bored on the plane, but you probably also don’t desperately need to sleep during that six-hour flight, since it coincides with when you’d normally be at work or going about your day. So in that case, you may want to save the money instead.

2. What will I have to give up during my trip to upgrade my ticket?

The cost of a business class upgrade won’t always be $6,700 like the example above. But you can bank on paying a fair amount more for business class. So before you spring for that costlier ticket, ask yourself what you’ll need to give up during your trip to cover the higher price tag.

If paying for business class means having to stay at a less convenient hotel for six or seven nights, you may decide to deal with a less comfortable flight but enjoy a nicer stay at your destination. Similarly, if skipping business class means having more money for great meals and excursions, you may decide you’ll suffer the seven hours or so on the plane but enjoy seven days of fun.

3. Will a ticket with extra legroom suffice in keeping me comfortable?

One perk of flying business class is getting to enjoy a nice meal, as opposed to the stingy little snack your economy class counterparts may be getting. But in many cases, the primary benefit of flying business class is the more comfortable seat. Before you pay for one, think about whether upgrading your economy ticket to a seat with extra legroom will get the job done.

Remember that ultimately, a business class dinner is one you’re eating on a plane. If you hit a bout of turbulence while chowing down on your filet mignon, it’s probably not going to be any more enjoyable than the bag of pretzels you’d get in economy. So figure out if paying for extra legroom is enough to make your flight bearable.

A business class seat can make your next flight more comfortable, but it’ll come at a cost. So think carefully before handing over that money. And if you do decide to fly business class, see if you can redeem points from a travel rewards credit card to offset the cost.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Did you know that Costco offers exclusive small business benefits? Well, now you do! Read on to learn more about them. [[{“value”:”

Small business owners, rejoice! There are plenty of places to get services for your business, but few offer as many different services in one place as your neighborhood Costco. Yes, that’s right — Costco Business Services is designed to make your job easier and inch you a little bit closer to some of that work/life balance all the kids are talking about.

Of course, Costco is also about saving money, which can be great in an economy like what we’re facing right now. So let’s take a look at just how Costco can help you today.

1. Payment processing

Believe it or not, Costco is a great place to shop for both payment processing services and point-of-sale equipment. Through Costco’s partnership with Elavon, Executive Members save an average of $1,574 per year on processing fees alone. Elavon also offers discounts on smart terminals, point-of-sale systems, online merchant payment solutions, and mobile payment processing. Rentals start at just $8 per month.

Elavon offers several types of payment processing solutions for Costco members, including “built around you pricing,” which offers a single swiped rate for all card types; credit card surcharge pricing, which allows you to charge customers a surcharge for using their credit cards instead of their debit cards; and tiered pricing that gives one rate for swipe and chip transactions and another for online transactions.

Companies processing over $1 million in annual transactions may be eligible for additional custom pricing solutions directly from Elavon.

2. Business health insurance

Costco’s partnership with the CBC Health Insurance Marketplace team ensures that your business health insurance options are both accessible and easy to understand when it’s time to evaluate your options.

Offering specific coverage options tailored to small businesses, large businesses and enterprises, and level funded advantage plans, CBC can help you find the right coverage for your team. Small Business insurance plans are for companies with under 50 employees (under 100 in some states), and give your team protection against serious illness or injury even though they don’t work for a Fortune 500 company.

You’ll get real-time quotes and access to online tools that can make it easier to choose between the options that meet your basic criteria for health coverage. Licensed healthcare insurance specialists can then help both your company and your employees complete enrollment in the chosen plan, as well as help resolve any issues that may occur throughout the year.

3. Bottled water delivery

There’s nothing like a little water cooler action when you’re working in a physical location together. Besides, hydration is so important, since we’re 70% water to begin with. If you’ve got a water cooler in your office or you’re considering adding one, Costco can help with that, too.

Costco members get special savings on spring and purified water in 5-gallon bottles, and alkaline water in 3-gallon bottles, as well as great pricing on purchases and rentals of hot and cold water dispensers. Once your contract is set up, your water will be regularly delivered to your company and the old water bottles will be removed for recycling.

Not everything your company spends money on has to be huge — sometimes just having nice water in your office can be a great perk.

4. Checks, forms, and stamps

Although you may not accept many checks these days from customers, you probably still write them to your own vendors, and that means you need a steady supply of paperwork. Costco’s relationship with Harland Clarke makes it easier and cheaper to get the checks, stamps, and stationery that you need to do business.

From business checks in binders to address labels, tax forms, envelopes, ink stamps, and deposit tickets, there’s little in the world of paper that Costco can’t deliver to your business’s front door to make your accounting, payroll, and other departments run more smoothly.

Costco for hot dogs, Costco for your business

Costco may be famous for its static hot dog pricing, but it should also be recognized for perks that benefit customers who own small businesses. We all know budgets can be tight, but sometimes membership has its advantages. Next time you’re at Costco, ask about perks for your small business, or check out the website for even more benefits you may be passing up!

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Kristi Waterworth has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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