Brian Crist, founder and CEO of Business-class.com, wants travelers to fly in Business or First Class. And he’s found a way to provide award-winning client service with significant savings. It’s called Business-Class.com, a forward-thinking agency that is quickly setting a new standard in the travel industry. Whether it’s a meet and greet service at the airplane, chauffeur pickup and drop-off or booking the perfect hotel, Business Class always knows what to provide. Haute Living magazine caught-up with Brian Crist and Philip Li of Business-class.com to discuss their travel technology, 24/7 live service, and fully customized travel experiences.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Business-Class
What made you get into the travel agency in the first place?
As a young entrepreneur I often found myself flying across the globe – primarily, to Asia and Europe. Every time I walked down the aisle toward my not-so-exciting economy seat (in the very back of the plane), I would pass the business class section. It was always so spacious and orderly – and the passengers there were reclined with drinks before I even had my seat. I suddenly had a new goal: to become a business class flyer. When I finally did, I realized there were all kinds of people who were like me. Traveler friction is a real thing. I spend over 30 weeks out of the year on a plane. It must be enjoyable and comfortable or I won’t do it.
What sets Business-Class apart from other similar companies/services in the industry?Â
I would say it’s the marriage between cutting-edge technology and the human element. Many websites and agencies simply allow algorithms to deliver cookie-cutter offerings to their clients. It’s fast, but not necessarily a time-saver for customers. In most cases, this requires multiple searches and more research. Don’t get me wrong, the tech is great; but it can only go so far. We put all that technology in the hands of professional travel agents. Travel – whether for business or pleasure – is never a one-size-fits-all experience. Our agents know this, and they’re available to our clients 24/7 by sms, phone or app of their choice.Â
Another aspect that differentiates Business-Class.com is we shoot all of our own content. We hired well-known filmmaker, Philip Li, as our creative director. When Philip is not shooting Post Malone or French Montana or making appearances at the major festivals, you can find him shooting in the first class cabin or hanging off a yacht in Turkey to get that perfect shot. We don’t sell services that we don’t try ourselves, and we feel it’s important to capture these images and videos ourselves. No hired actors or closed-off sets; this content is the real deal – and all ours. Our clients know it and appreciate it.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Business-Class
In this day and age of booking everything via computer systems, how important is it to bring travel agents back into the picture?Â
How important? In a word, essential. That’s where our agility comes in. Many agencies have lost sight of the fact that an agent can listen, understand and customize an itinerary based on the nature of the trip – business or a vacation, for example. A person’s travel plans are usually quite unique and, often, even complex. So, offering a trip based on price, destination and date just don’t suffice in most cases. Having an experienced travel consultant who can help you plan and then book your trip based on your individual needs is rare these days. And, frequently, clients report significant savings – up to 60% off the published airline price. There’s no comparison. Our professional travel agents are the cornerstone of our business model and the reason our travel community has grown to 50,000+ members so quickly.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Business-Class
What can current clients expect from Business-Class.com?
Our current clients dictate the direction of the business, in a sense. Having personal interactions with your clients, rather than throwing computer-generated recommendations at them, allows you to serve them better. This is how we began establishing new partnerships and developing our VIP travel experiences. It speaks to our mission – of exploration and discovery. We’re partnering with some of the world’s top hotels, resorts, and live events promotions across the globe to deliver truly unforgettable experiences. We’re actually now in the process of producing a series of short films highlighting our exciting VIP tours. These films will be shown exclusively to our clients.Â
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Business-Class
What can existing users or new clients expect from Business-Class next?Â
They can, of course, expect the same incredible customer service going forward. In fact, they expect us to expand upon this. We’re currently developing a personal travel concierge team to provide high-level service not only during the planning and booking process, but from the time you leave your home to the time you return. It’s an extensive and fully customizable VIP service that includes meet and greet, airport transfer, virtual closet delivery and 5 star hotels all at a significant discount. There are some amazing travel services out there and we are testing them one by one and integrating them into our platform. We expect to launch our new platform of services by 4th quarter this year.Â
