FCF’s Wrestling Move Pins Down *Two* Round-trips on *One* Ticket in an Epic Post-Lockdown Price Slam

Ever see wrestlers do that thing where they bounce off the ropes and slam their opponents?

Scientists marvel at how, despite the laws of physics, wrestlers actually pick up speed as they bounce from rope to rope. It’s called the bounceback effect.

At FCF, we have a physics-defying move of our own. It’s called the Leg Stretch Strategy. And in the world of travel, it’s undefeated in its awesomeness.

Coming to Grips with the Leg Stretch

Just as a wrestler bounces off the ropes to be propelled to amazing distances, so does our Leg Stretch Strategy – and for up to 60% off the normal Business Class cost it normally takes to cover the same ground.

We discovered it almost by accident, because at first glance it didn’t seem to involve the U.S. But on closer inspection it does, so this is a move that’s well worth learning. In a single booking body slam, you can use it to save thousands of dollars on travel across a 12-month period.

The Leg Stretch Strategy: How It Works

There are different ways to do the Leg Stretch, which we’ve covered in the past. They previously involved travel among three continents, with the connecting continent always being the U.S.

Today, the Leg Stretch involves South America and Europe. If, over a 12-month period, you can plan to visit South America twice and Europe once (or would go if the price was dirt cheap), you can connect the trips into one airline ticket and save yourself a heavyweight load of money. And keep in mind that you can spread the trips out within that 12-month timeframe, so you don’t have to do it all at once.

It works like this. A “Leg Stretch” (our name) ticket includes four legs of a trip:

1. South America to the U.S.
2. The U.S. to Europe
3. Europe to The U.S.
4. The U.S. back to South America

The reason I say it doesn’t seem to involve the U.S. at first glance is because it starts and ends in South America.

And it’s one airline ticket!

But the savings are so crazy-great, that it more than covers a round-trip to and from South America (or two one-way flights) to take advantage of this Leg Stretch. You could even launch off the ropes into another Leg Stretch trip. WHACK! BAM!

And here’s the thing, those stops in the U.S. (your homecoming visits) can be for as long as you like, as long as the total trip takes place within 12 months. Make sense? If you were to go to South America for a trip, then go to Europe on another trip, the combined cost is way more than combining it all into a Leg Stretch.

Here’s how all the flight segments look on a map:

A Leg Stretch *Sample* Itinerary

Our example involves São Paulo, London and a range of U.S. cities. As outlined below, it involves four legs:

1. São Paulo to the U.S. (the stopover/home)
2. U.S. to London (your vacation or business destination)
3. London to the U.S. (the second stopover/ home)
4. U.S. to São Paulo (the start of your next trip)

Here’s the Powerslam: that entire trip starts at just $2,506 in Business Class on United Airlines (at the time of writing), a bit more on American at $2,962, (and lots more on Delta at $14,000, so forget I mentioned it.)

$2,506 divided by four equals $626 per long-haul flight in Business Class! I challenge you to match that.

South America-U.S.-Europe Leg Stretch in Detail

This Leg Stretch is on United Airlines and connects São Paulo with London via (either) Chicago, Newark/New York, or Washington, D.C., and on American via (either) Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, or Raleigh.

So, as you can see, there are plenty of options in the U.S., while São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and London, among others, are gateway cities to the rest of their respective continents. (Our chart below shows many different FCF-pre-baked itinerary options with both American and United.)

Here’s how it plays out. As mentioned, you have to get to South America to “kick off” the Leg Stretch. But the savings received from this Leg Stretch are so high that the additional cost of getting to and returning from South America at the end still makes it well worth it.

TICKET #1 (Getting to the Leg Stretch Starter City)

One segment: New York (or other complying U.S. city) to São Paulo one-way. Use miles or book a great published fare. Check out ideas on getting that initial one-way cheap.

TICKET #2 (The Leg Stretch)

São Paulo to London round-trip — four segments on one ticket — by stopping in the U.S., both coming and going

Segment #1: São Paulo to New York (the free stopover as part of the São Paulo-London Leg Stretch). Stay at home as long as you’d like before your trip to Europe — as long as you complete the entire itinerary in 12 months.

Segment #2: New York to London. Stay for a week or more and have an awesome time in Europe.

Segment #3: London to New York. Go home and relax.

Segment #4: New York to São Paulo (the final leg of the Leg Stretch).

TICKET #3 (Getting Home from the Leg Stretch)

Now it’s decision time. You can return home on another one-way ticket OR you can start the process over again, returning to the U.S. as Leg 1 of your next Leg Stretch ticket from São Paulo to another great destination (with stopovers in the U.S.). 

And the winner is: United Airlines at $2,506. That’s an Atomic Drop with a Double Knee Armbreaker at just $626 per leg for Business Class! That’s a deal you won’t find anywhere else.

American Airlines takes the silver medal (Chokeslam with a Guillotine Drop) at $2,962. It’s $456 more than United, but still amazing value at $741 per leg.

And Delta takes the…tin medal. Carried out of the ring in humiliating fashion, again.

Comparing the Leg Stretch with Round-Trip Tickets

A Raleigh-London ticket in economy typically ranges from $664 to $1,629 round-trip. Raleigh-São Paulo in economy ranges from $822 to $1,347 on American. That’s possibly $2,976 to fly in economy — depending on your dates — while the Leg Stretch nets those same destinations in Business Class for as little as $3,084. That’s $108 more than two round-trips in economy or $2 per flight to upgrade to Business Class.

Another way to look at the savings is that a Miami-Rome ticket in Business Class typically ranges from $3,773 to $4,223 and a Miami-Rio de Janeiro return ticket in Business Class ranges from $2,487 to $3,169 on American. That’s $6,260 minimum to fly Business Class — and as much as $7,392 depending on your dates. Meanwhile, the Leg Stretch can net those same destinations in Business Class for $3,599.

That’s a Business Class trip at better than two-for-one savings.

Here are SAMPLE itinerary options FCF has pre-baked for you, valid at the time of writing: