How savvy anglers reel in the best fares
It’s really saying something when one of our researchers says, “I’m having a hard time putting a fare chart into this report when there have been three fare changes already this week!”
And that was on Tuesday.
Welcome to fare fishing season, where prices are elusive, depth-changeable, and just as slippery as our scaled friends in the ocean.
I mean, nowadays, Business Class fares can be down around the $1,500 level to Europe one day, then slap you in the face with a $6,000 mullet the next.How savvy anglers reel in the best fares
It’s really saying something when one of our researchers says, “I’m having a hard time putting a fare chart into this report when there have been three fare changes already this week!”
And that was on Tuesday.
Welcome to fare fishing season, where prices are elusive, depth-changeable, and just as slippery as our scaled friends in the ocean.
I mean, nowadays, Business Class fares can be down around the $1,500 level to Europe one day, then slap you in the face with a $6,000 mullet the next.
How to Avoid Missing Out on the One That Got Away
This is really about fishing in the right spots when fares are high, so here are our FCF fare fishing tips:
- Know when to pay with cash or miles. Find more on that here.
- Know how to hold fares (because snap-frozen fish taste just as good when cooked).
- Check for refundable fares for the same cost or a little more. See more on that here.
- Be aware that many airlines are currently offering a “travel fee waiver,” including for award flights. That means it won’t cost you anything to cancel or change your ticket. Read more about it here.
- Check vacation packages if you can’t find low fares. There’s more about that here.
- Check out our last Fishing for Fares special report to learn more on the art of reeling in Business Class return fares for $2,000 or lower.
Stay ready for nibbles on the line with FCF’s fare alerts. They’re more important than ever when a silvery flash fare jumps out of the lake.
For example, July 14 we published an alert: Italy / Switzerland / Austria: New Business Class Fares from the U.S. from $1,512 R/T. We were gone — hook, line, and sinker. And then a day later those fares bounced back to gutting pre-flash fare levels.
Here are some other examples:
New York – Dubrovnik
A recent flash fare for a nonstop round-trip flight on United was $1,488. Now it’s between $4,188 and $6,188 nonstop.
Charlotte – Milan
Recent Star Alliance flash fares were $1,511. Now they’re between $3,774 and $7,761. That said, United does have a few dates in November and December with fares as low as $2,125. Smell something fishy?
Ft. Lauderdale – Athens
Recent Star Alliance flash fares cost $1,510, but this week they were $4,159 for the same dates. We found other dates for as high as $6,669. What the haddock is happening?
What About Mileage Upgrades?
Note that when fares are low it does not pay to upgrade with miles. For example, Chicago to Milan on United, you can spend $513 traveling in coach. Add the $1,100 co-pay and you end up with a total of $1,613 — plus the 40,000 miles round-trip to upgrade. Compare that to a $1,862 Business Class fare, and the answer is clear: Buy the Business Class fare.
Here’s the top 20 fares under $2,000 found at time of writing.
Business Class Fares Under $2,000
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Many other low Business Class fares can be found by visiting our FCF newsroom alerts as seen here:
London: New Business Class Fares from the U.S. from $1,934 R/T
Valencia: New Business Class Fares from the U.S. from $1,978 R/T
Amalfi Coast: New Business Class Fares from the U.S. and Canada from $1,962 R/T
Italy / Spain: New Business Class Flash Fares from the U.S. from $1,865 R/T