How to win the competition for best value across the pond
We love award season here at FCF. Except for the long speeches, weird outfits, and people pretending to be happy for those who beat them for an award.
So we thought we’d cut to the chase on this one and simply say that the Best Premium Value Booking to Europe is…(drumroll)… TWO bookings in two different cabins!
Yes, I can hear shocked gasps in the audience.
The winners are First Class on your night flight out and Business Class on your return flight on two different airlines.
We call it Horses for Courses and wrote about it here, here, and here for published fares. Critics gave it five stars.
So let’s talk about using miles for this glittering mixed-cabin strategy.
To Europe and Back
With Miles Using the Horses Strategy
The airlines that have First Class mileage award availability are American Airlines to London, Lufthansa to Germany and beyond, Emirates to Athens and Milan and Singapore to Frankfurt.
And you can return in Business Class — where you don’t really need to worry about getting the best seats because they are day flights — on Iberia for just 34,000 miles, American for around 72,000, Singapore for 56,700 (KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes promo award) and United for around 60,000.
Of course not all of you are flying to England, Germany, Italy, or Greece, and returning home from England, Germany, or Spain (also known as an “open-jaw strategy” because you return from a different location than the one you arrived in, thus making an open-jaw shape. I always envision a hippo). But I hope it gets you thinking about the Horses for Courses strategy, especially since European cities are so close to each other and easy to get to with a short flight, or even a scenic train journey. Plus, most itineraries require a connection anyway.
Comfort-wise, the Horses strategy pays off, as it means investing more on your overnight flight and less on your return flight where sleep and jet lag don’t factor as much.
Example #1
Fly Emirates First Class Overnight,
Iberia Business Class Daytime
Here, you can get to Milan or Athens in Emirates’ First Class luxurious shower flight (a lifetime bucket-list buster), and return from Madrid in Business Class on Iberia to save enough miles to offset the splurge in First on Emirates.
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As you can see, the net cost of the two isn’t any more expensive — if not less — than your typical American or United round-trip in Business Class (and way less than Delta Biz). Love it!
Example #2
Fly American First Class Overnight,
Singapore Business Class Daytime
Here, you get to London in First Class spaciousness. You do your veddy British thing before flying (or connecting) to Frankfurt and heading home on a day flight in Business Class.
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Example #3
Fly Lufthansa First Class Overnight,
American Business Class Daytime
This example shows a Lufthansa First Class flight to Frankfurt or Munich (or beyond), before taking a return flight on American in Business Class from London. In case you’re wondering, the Frankfurt-to-London flight is just under 2 hours, around the length of The Godfather.
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Example #4
Fly Singapore First Class Overnight,
United Business Class Daytime
This example shows a Singapore First Class flight to Frankfurt (or you can catch a connection beyond) before you return in Business Class on United from London. Again, the Frankfurt-London flight takes just 160 minutes — according to ChatGPT, that’s a leisurely hike, a roast dinner, or playing nine holes — so easy you could do it in your sleep. Plus, most itineraries require a connection anyway.
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And the Best Picture Award Goes To…
If you’re stuck on availability and wondering what the best value purchase with miles to Europe is, I’d have to say Emirates from New York to Milan in First Class. And if you’re short on miles, you would return on Iberia Airlines in Business Class.
Runners Up
First Class Overnight Flight: If Emirates doesn’t work for you, know that you can find availability First Class on American’s Dallas or New York-London route for 84,000 one way and Lufthansa’s Chicago-Frankfurt, Boston-Munich, Chicago-Munich, New York-Munich, and Washington, DC-Munich routes for 91,000 one way or Singapore’s New York-Frankfurt route for 97,000 miles one-way.
Business Class Daylight Flight: If Iberia doesn’t work for you, know that you can find decent availability returning in Business Class on United’s London-New York route for 60,000 one way and American’s London-Los Angeles route for about 72,000 one way or use Singapore’s Business Class promo award from Frankfurt to New York for 56,700 miles one-way.
Box Office Flop
When returning in Business Class on American, Delta, or United on routes other than the aforementioned, there’s little to no low-cost availability from most European destinations to the U.S. on the day flight.
First Class Availability
Refer to FCF’S Worldwide Roundup of First Class Price Trends for availability on American, Emirates, Lufthansa, and Singapore.
Business Class Availability
Iberia
You can find availability for up to two travelers on Iberia’s Chicago, Dallas, and Miami routes. Los Angeles also has a handful of days with single-seat availability searching far out in December and January. Washington, DC, has a handful of days with single-seat availability in both directions in August.
When looking for more than one award seat, it’s best not to use their partner American as lately we have only seen single-seat availability there, plus the cost is lower using Iberia.
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I love the Horses for Courses strategy because it’s not default thinking, it’s smart thinking. You get to arrive at your First Class destination well-rested and in the most comfortable way possible, where sleep really matters. If you’re on Emirates you can even take a shower at 30,000 feet to arrive most refreshed. On the way home, the day flight is best for catching up on emails or movie binging.
Either way, you’re maximizing value, and that’s definitely worthy of an award.
Related FCF Reads:
Spanish Fly Part 2: How to Get Even More Value From Iberia’s Cheap Business Class Strategy to Europe
Opportunity Travel: How to Stretch Your Budget Into a Higher Class of Service
Positioning Flights: FCF’s Mindset on Getting Where the Getting is Good
The Art of Skipping Stones & What We Can All Learn from the Boise to Budapest Premium Traveler
Stop “Booking Backwards”: Use FCF’s Forward-Thinking Deals to Book Dream Trips Every Time
Is the Value of a Mile the Same on Overnight Flights as on Daytime Flights?
Classy Moves. How Changing Cabins Can Change the Way You Fly First Class to Europe.
Solo Yolo Fomo: Single Travelers to Asia Rejoice That the First Class World Was Made For You