Nab great Australia fares with FCF’s Whack-a-Mole alerts
Good morning students. Last month we told you about fare volatility when flying to Europe and just how close some Business Class prices had dipped toward Premium Economy ones.
This month, the alluring South Pacific caught our gaze (Australia specifically). Typical Business Class fares to that region are pretty high right now, up in the $6,938 to $10,600 range, and typical Premium Economy fares range from $4,202 to $7,503 on United’s Los Angeles-Sydney route, for example. But that’s not always the case, as we just saw. If that part of the world is on your bucket list, you need to be ready to move fast, like the reader below did.
By signing up for FCF’s fare alerts on our Rare Fares page, you would have scored these fares that were around for less than 24 hours. As Homer Simpson would say, “Doh!” Luckily, some smart FCF readers spotted ‘em and reaped the rewards.
Here’s an email I received from a member who saw the alert and scored!
“Hi Mr. Upgrade,
Multi-year subscriber here, just thought I’d let you know that the flash fare LAX-Sydney/Brisbane/Melbourne, etc. in today’s email is by far the biggest savings you’ve ever helped me capture.
I fly back and forth to Brisbane almost every month and Business Class fares hover around $12K. I just booked three flights across the rest of the year LAX-SFO-BNE for $3,900 each or a savings of about $7,500 per flight x 3 flights.”
Just to put that into perspective: for our reader, that’s a savings of $22,500!
Sample Flash Fare Alert
Business Class Flash Fare on United Los Angeles-Sydney for $3,489
With fares this low, even if the itinerary is not 100% ideal, these prices are hard to pass up. Refer to FCF’s TUM (The Upgrade Mindset) and consider your trade-offs. Or, if you already have a ticket and paid much more, you can always upgrade.
Here’s an example of the savings snagged with Flash Fares:
Business Class to Sydney on United for Less than the Price of Premium Economy
This example shows a one-class upgrade. Why fly Premium Economy from Los Angeles to Sydney (which goes for $4,202 to $7,503), when you could fly in Business Class for $3,489, or $713 less?
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Simply put, when you score Business Class fares like these at lower than Premium Economy prices, you get an upgrade without doing anything but buying a ticket. As we say in the hallowed halls of FCF…
But Bennett… I Missed the Deal, What Now?
Just in case you missed it, because United is notorious for making award seats available close to departure… if you are a bags-packed traveler or looking for a last-minute upgrade, you can get Business Class award seats for 100,000 miles one way. No miles? No problem. You can buy United miles for typically around 1.8 cents each when on sale.
Not everyone can be that flexible. Just because you already booked a flight doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to monitor the deals. You can usually grab the better deal, and use credit for your first booking later. Just make sure to check the rules of your ticket.
For more South Pacific options, see this month’s Take the Family special report.
See you up front.