$1,800 Business Class to Europe this Summer: Book Right Now
Continental has a history of igniting summer fare sales to Europe, and this year it has lived up to its reputation. On January 9th it introduced a 60-day advance-purchase Business Class fare (booking code A), which American (booking code I) soon matched. By the time you read this, other carriers will probably have followed suit.From Newark to Amsterdam, Geneva, and London, fares start at $1,798 round-trip (plus taxes). That’s a very good fare—so good it’s worth paying cash rather than using miles. The tradeoff is the more restrictive advance-purchase requirement: 10 days longer than the current rule. The fare is valid from June 28th to Sept. 4th, with travel having to be completed by Sept. 11th. Minimum stay is a Saturday night or seven days.
If you opt for Continental, keep in mind that its Business Class seats are far from uniform. The best ones, offering 170-degree recline, are on the B777s; the worst ones, a 156-degree recline, are on the B757s. Continental uses both planes on the Newark-London route. The advantage of flying with American is that its European fleet has the carrier’s new Business Class seat, which reclines to 171 degrees.
A Continental ticket earns 150% EQMs, which are also good on SkyTeam members Delta and Northwest. American AAdvantage members also earn 150% EQMs. Link: http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/deals/offers/businessfirst.aspx
Just in: Continental is also offering a winter promotional fare to London starting at $1,978 (r/t, plus taxes) with a 14-day advance. Outbound travel window: Feb. 2- April 7. All major U.S. carriers have matched the special. British Airways, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Virgin offer similar fares with different ticketing deadlines.