What better way to thumb your nose at impending economic gloom than to upgrade your flights to business class? And the good news is that there has never been a better time to find out what it's like to turn left on boarding. As companies slash executives' travel budgets, the airlines - which have invested heavily in expanding and updating their business class cabins over the last few years - are offering unprecedented discounts to tempt leisure travellers up front.

"It's getting ridiculous," said Nikki Davies, marketing manager at Trailfinders. "Before Christmas a business class return to Australia would cost around £4,000. Now it's under £2,000, even on leading direct airlines such as British Airways and Qantas."

British Airways and Virgin are also offering major reductions on club class fares to America. Business returns to New York - complete with fully flat beds and including all taxes, which alone account for £300, not to mention as much champagne as you can drink - from £1,049, down from a normal fare of around £2,450.