FCF’s new favorite upgrade strategy
Only last month we reported that Lufthansa’s First Class is back in the game to Europe with prime routes once again offering First Class seats. Wunderbar! Even better, FCF discovered First Class availability as far as 28 days in advance of departure instead of the usual 14.
That’s HUGE because it multiplies the upgrade options plus the peace of mind of having the ticket much sooner. Time to uncork a bottle of crisp riesling. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the old policy of 14 days will return when travel peaks again so, as always, get while the getting’s good.
The best way to leverage the deal is via Air Canada, which we covered in detail last month, is an Amex and Chase (as of August 3) points partner. More on this in last month’s report and below.
Here are the transatlantic routes with First Class availability to/from Frankfurt and:
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York/Newark
- New York/JFK
- Houston returns September 1
Now let’s talk about some juicy Germanic upgrades, tastier than a bratwurst.
Who Can Benefit from the Deal Only
Available 28 Days Prior to Departure?
- The Last-Minute “Opportunity” Traveler, who we describe here.
- The You-Already-Have-an-Award-Ticket-in-a-Lesser-Class Dude. More on that here.
- The Can’t-Find-a-Round-Trip-in-First-Class Flyer. Fly Lufthansa First Class on your night flight and return in Business Class for your day flight on an award booking.
- The First-Class-Fares-Are-Steep-So-You-Purchased-Business-Class Traveler. More on that here.
- The First-Class-Wasn’t-Available-So-You-Booked-a-Business-Class-Award Person. More about that here.
You can also use this plan to kick-start our spectacular Leg Stretch Strategy to Europe. I love telling people about this. Read more about it here.
One Way to Look at It:
Upgrade Lufthansa from Business to First Class for $299 Each Way
Here’s a choice: Spend 77,000 United Miles on a Lufthansa Business Class flight, or 100,000 Air Canada miles for a Lufthansa First Class flight.
That’s right, just a difference of 23,000 miles for a vastly different experience in pond hopping comfort. Some say First Class is only 10 yards away from Business. I’d call it a million miles.
Let’s put some sauerkraut on that sausage: If you were to buy 23,000 miles during Air Canada’s sales promo at 1.3 cents each (it just ended, but it’ll come up again), they would cost you $299, meaning the entire upgrade from Business to First, each way, costs just $299. That’s a darn good deal, in any language.
Air Canada’s regular selling price is 3 cents per mile with a maximum purchase of 250,000 per year. If you missed the promo you can still save by buying Amex at 2.5 cents per mile, saving $500 over Air Canada’s regular 3-cents-per-mile price.
The published First Class fare on Lufthansa’s Chicago-to-Frankfurt route is $8,109 one way. OUCH.
But via Air Canada’s recent 1.3 cents purchase strategy, you could pay $1,300 instead (that price excludes ~$55 outbound, or ~$187 return in award taxes), netting you a savings of $6,809 (84%). WOW.
With Air Canada’s Aeroplan program you can use your miles to also pay for the award taxes. For 107,042 miles each way, nearly the same amount of miles required to book through Singapore Airlines, you can save up to ~$1,223 R/T versus booking with Singapore Airlines. And you don’t spend a dime if you have Air Canada or transfer partner Amex or Chase points.
Don’t Miss the Next Sale
Recent FCF Sweet Redeems alerts here and here outlined the aforementioned Air Canada Aeroplan 1.3¢ deal, which included taxes and processing fee, through an up to 80% bonus miles buy promo, which ended on July 31.
Don’t despair. Watch for future buying opportunities because those can be an upgrade game-changer. Here’s a link to buy miles.
Columbus to Copenhagen. An Eye-Opening Discovery
By making a multi-city booking (see the screenshot below), you can travel from Columbus to Copenhagen via Chicago and Frankfurt for 117,814 miles or $1,531 if you purchased Air Canada points during the recent sale.
In this example, our traveler, let’s call him Christopher the “Columbian,” flies from Columbus to Chicago on an economy flight (only an hour-plus flight time). He then settles back in First Class comfort for a luxurious 8+ hours (he might even have wished it were longer) to Frankfurt. He might spend some time there (he loves exploring) or continue on to Copenhagen, this time in Business Class, all for 117,814 miles, and in his case, $1,531 because he jumped on that sale.
That’s crazy-good. Compare that to a purchased fare of $8,591. Note that the connecting flights may be in economy or Business Class. The trick is to search for the long-haul segment first, since that’s the one you want to be comfy in. More on that here.
Queen Isabella would be proud of Christopher of Columbus. Here’s all the screenshot proof you need.
Connecting Flights in the U.S. and Europe
You can add U.S. connecting flights for as little as 6,000 miles. Save time, money, and hassle (nobody wants to recheck their bags) by having all your flights on one ticket. And when you jump the pond, Star Alliance, with its 26 member airlines, offers a starburst of flights beyond Germany.
Risk and Reward
Due to covid uncertainty, Air Canada is currently offering a “travel fee waiver” for award flights through August 31 (and probably longer as airlines are updating this on a month-to-month basis). That means it won’t cost you anything to cancel or change your ticket for international travel. More on that here.
Miscellaneous Annoyances
Germany not your preferred destination? We’ve got you covered here.
Only one award seat available? Have a seat and read this.
How to Book in 5 Steps
- Keep an eye out for FCF Sweet Redeems alerts that are on top of availability for you.
- Sign-in to Air Canada’s Aeroplan website.
- Click “Flights” and “Points.” Fill in your details. Click “Find.”
- If your date is available choose your flight, then click “Select” for the Lowest Reward.
- If your date is not available, click ”Modify” (see screenshot below) and make another date selection. Click “Find.” Note that if Business Class is the highest option shown, First Class is not available and you must choose another date.
