Happy Holidays, Sort Of

How to get the best out of dozens of comfort options

As we announced in a subscriber alert in August, Continental has published its holiday fares to Europe, and, as usual, it has done so before every other airline. The fact that the fares were released two months later than last year leads us to believe that Business Class isn’t as dead as the mainstream media keeps asserting. The good news: Fares haven’t gone up; Continental’s start in the low one thousands.

Camp Followers: On many routes we find that other airlines (such as Air France, American, Delta/Northwest, KLM, Lufthansa, United, and US Airways) have also come out with special Business Class holiday fares that range from 10% to 46% more than Continental’s, depending on airline and route. For example, take New York-Dublin: Continental’s Business Class fare is $1,190 round-trip (plus taxes and fees) during Thanksgiving and $1,408 during Christmas, while American is charging $1,602 for travel during both holiday periods (saving $1,079, or 40%, compared to the airline’s normal 50-day advance at $2,681).

How to Get Free Upgrades: The key is knowing which routes and aircraft have better seats than you would have fallen into otherwise, and the airline partnerships that are convenient.

[aside headline="Upgrade to First Class" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Upgrade American Airlines’ Business Class seat via Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program for as little as 60,000 miles round-trip (up to 85,000 from the West Coast), with no cash surcharge, from many major U.S. cities to Europe. Upgrades are not offered in AA’s own program on these deeply discounted fares. Asia Miles is a transfer partner with Starwood, and with its 25% transfer bonus, you only need 50,000 Starwood Starpoints to upgrade to First Class—to what could otherwise be a $15,000+ ticket.[/aside]

Oneworld

American’s best Business Class seat, with a 171-degree recline, is on its B767s and B777s. Iberia has newer seats, but, as in past years, is not taking part in the holiday fare promotion (yet). British Airways has joined in with a holiday promo, but, as always, fares are higher

than American’s (and AAdvantage members cannot earn miles from the U.S. to Europe).

SkyTeam

Delta offers its best seats to Europe on its Atlanta-London/ Heathrow flights DL9 and DL10, but don’t expect the new seats network-wide, as the airline has just started rolling them out this summer. Otherwise, look for Northwest A330s or B747s, which offer seats that recline 176 degrees. For flights to Amsterdam, KLM’s B747s and B777s offer seats with a 175- degree recline. Even though all of Air France’s aircraft from the U.S. to Paris offer seats that recline 180 degrees, their steep angle makes them difficult to recommend.

Star Alliance

United offers the best Business Class seat in the alliance: A flat-bed, which can be found on all its B767s and most of its B747s (all 24 B747s are due to be completed by the end of 2009). Continental (joining Star Alliance Oct. 27) is another good option with 170-degree reclining seats on its B777s, which fly from Houston to Amsterdam and London, and Newark to London. Its new flat-bed seats with 180-degree recline will appear on B777s in the fall of 2009. Other aircraft options to keep in mind when earning miles on Star Alliance partners are: Lufthansa which offers a 171-degree recline on most flights, with the

exception of its all-Business Class service on B737s with seats reclining to 175 degrees, and its A319s which are equipped with seats that recline to 170 degrees. US Airways B767s are another decent option, with seats that recline to 170 degrees.

[aside headline="Elite Status Insurance" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]

If there’s a chance you might fall short of earning your elite status level for next year, consider booking one of these comfortable, low-cost holiday flights. On a per-mile basis, these are some of the lowest fares you’ll find, plus, on most carriers, Business Class travel nets handsome bonuses.

Both American’s and United’s elite programs are offering their members double EQMs for travel through Dec. 15 (registration required). United Elite members, however, also earn a 50% EQM bonus when buying a Business Class ticket (codes C, D, Z). That means, for example, a roundtrip from Chicago to London on United earns 19,765 EQMs.

[/aside]

Routing: If you can’t find a heavily discounted fare for your preferred itinerary, consider

buying a ticket to a promo-fare destination in Europe and then buying a separate ticket to your final destination, or travel by train. At the same time you might look at fares from other U.S. gateways and book a separate ticket from there.

Holiday Fare Update to Asia, South America, and the South Pacific

Asia: We’ve found holiday fares on American ranging from about $2,675 (Houston and New York to Tokyo) to $2,930 (Los Angeles to Hong Kong). This is about $600-$800 less than the current lowest Business Class promotional fare.

South America: Holiday fares for this region are priced the same as 50-day advance fares, offering no savings yet.

The South Pacific: Not a region known for holiday fares since it is high season in the South Pacific. But keep an eye out as we have seen some unusual promotions this year.