I’m often asked a question which has nothing to do with premium fares or upgrades. It’s whether the strategies outlined in
First Class Flyer’s monthly newsletter and our daily alerts can be used for “travel originating outside of the U.S.”
Mostly, the answer is Si, Oui, Sim, Ja, Da, Hai, Ndylo, Gee, Oo, Na’am, Haan, Ano, Egen, Evet—and any other form of “yes” that you know.
Here’s a short recap of recent articles in which the concepts can be applied no matter the departure city. And for those of you in the U.S., it’s a reminder of pieces you may want to go back to.
- When to Pay Double Miles for an Anytime Award (October 2012)
This discrepancy explains when and why paying double miles can be worth it, especially when booking First Class. We identified United as the airline with the best return on miles in First (320,000 miles required) from the Continental U.S. to the South Pacific. The return is just as good flying from the South Pacific to the U.S. That might sound like a lot, but
FCF frequently demonstrates how to get miles fast and easy—so you don’t even need to have the miles on hand to slash your premium fare cost.
- Best Mileage Programs for Business Class Upgrades to Europe (Sept. 2012)
This evaluation rated the major mileage upgrade pro-grams to Europe. But the ratings also apply to departures from Europe to the U.S., since the co-pay and upgradeable fares allowed are the same in either direction, and is valu-able intelligence regardless of your departure city.
- Business Class Seat Profiles (Aug. 2012)
This piece identified the carriers with the newest Busi-ness Class seats on routes to Europe, but it works in the other direction, too.
- How to score the Best A380 Deals with Cash and Miles (Aug. 2012)
The special report revealed the A380 routes from the U.S. and highlighted 15 mileage redemption strategies to use to book the big plane.
FCF details how to
save up to 51% on Qantas in First Class by booking it through Alaska Airlines, a deal that works from Australia or New Zealand.
- Six Ways to Fly Premium for the Price of Worst Class (July 2012)
This gem highlighted mileage promotions that offered Business Class to Europe for almost the price of coach (50,000 miles round-trip) and Asia (70,000 to 75,000 miles round-trip). These rates are valid coming from Europe and Asia, as well; often with these strategies you don’t even have to have loyalty program miles to reap the dividends—if you follow our advice.
- Cracking the Mileage Upgrade Fare Code (June 2012)
This detailed examination explained why upgrading from the lowest fare is often not the smartest way to score an international Business Class seat. The concept can be used on any route that offers low B fares. This has been a favorite strategy of mine for many years, and often works no matter what the departure country.
- The Premium Traveler’s Best Friend (March 2012)
This intelligence emphasized the benefits of one-way mileage awards and included a comprehensive chart of the airlines that offer them. Master this article’s strate-gies—no matter where you live—and you’ll be well on your way to getting much more for your premium invest-ment. I personally refer back to this chart more than once a month; it can be invaluable for travel originating from almost any city—the world over.
- FCF Defines Premium Economy (March 2012)
This special report puts Premium Economy (PE) under the microscope, revealing that PE is a two-caste system of “Lite” and “Elite.” It includes a
seat guide to every airline with a Premium Economy cabin, so that the next time you pay for Premium Economy, you get the real thing, no matter your departure city.
- Mileage Award Chart Anomalies (February 2012)
This one sounds complicated, but it’s really not.
It tells you how to use partner-airline redemption programs to lower the miles you spend for Business or First Class. Works from most any departure city around the globe.
