A Little Bit of Effort can Knock $15,000+ Off with American, British Airways, Cathy Pacific, and Qantas
When it comes to international First Class fares, the outlook is stark: Fares are high and they will stay there because inventory is low. First Class cabins are not large to begin with, and nowadays not every carrier even offers one, so the carriers that do can charge top dollar. This makes a First Class free award ticket the best way to use miles.
But what if you don’t have any miles or don’t have enough of them for a First Class ticket? Then the Alaska Airlines’ bonus miles buying promotion is for you.
Alaska Airlines: Industry Maverick and Gateway to 12 Major Airlines
It is not a member of any alliance, but is on good terms with many of the members. It offers mileage redemption with a variety of airlines, and in particular, a very good selection of those with international First Class: American, British Airways (at times for up to 140,000/47% fewer miles than BA charges), Cathay Pacific, and Qantas.
Limitless Opportunities
But the key element for the would-be First Class flyer is that Alaska imposes no limit on the number of miles you can buy in a given year, which means you can purchase the 100,000+ miles it usually takes for a First Class award ticket. Alaska also sells miles at the decent rate of 2.75¢ per mile, whereas many other airlines charge more than 3¢. (Delta and United, for instance, charge 3.5¢ per mile.) During the pro-motion miles are an even better deal: 1.96¢. Alaska does impose a limit of 40,000 miles per transaction, but transactions are unlimited. It charges a 7.5% tax fee per transaction.
More information: Alaska Link. (You can also transfer points into Alaska miles from Starwood or Diners Club.)
Example Savings: On American to Asia
Let’s say you are going from Washington, DC to Beijing on American Airlines. The published First Class fare is $18,171, which would warp many people’s credit card. Instead, purchase 135,000 miles, the cost of a First Class award ticket on American for this route from Alaska, and cash them in for a Partner Award. The cost is $2,750—$15,421 (or 85%) less.
Many other destinations yield similar savings, as the chart on page seven shows.