Inconsistent and consistent; low and not low; predictable and not…
I first wrote about EasyUp fares, which FCF discovered between the U.S. and Asia and Europe, back in December 2012. The fares were so low, that the advice was not to meddle with advanced upgrade strategies and “Just Book Em.” EasyUp fares resembled Y-Up domestic fares which FCF has analyzed for 17 years, in that their “Fare Basis Code” included an “Up” within it. Airlines basically charged a flat fee to upgrade from a low economy fare (starting at $250 each way). Hence the new name, EasyUp.
At the time, Business Class EasyUp fares started at $1,222 on Delta for New York-Dublin, and First Class at $3,880 on American Los Angeles-Shanghai.
EasyUp (R)Evolution: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow—Or Worse
Since then, EasyUp fares have evolved—a lot—with the biggest change being the booking window. On many routes, the fares are available for such a short time—and I mean hours in many cases, not days—that I’ve come to call them Flash EasyUp Fares. Of course, the airlines offering them and the routes on which they’re available continually change, too, but that’s business-as-usual in the world of airfares.
What Remains the Same?
The essence of the fares: So low that they undermine the whole structure of the major carriers’ mileage loyalty programs. In other words, these fares can be so low that using miles for free tickets or upgrades is a waste of miles. Perhaps more notable: sticking to your elite-status carrier—rather than booking the lowest fares—can be much more costly than ever.
Recent Flash EasyUp Fares
One recent Business Class example of a Flash EasyUp Fare was Los Angeles and New York to Santiago, Chile, at $1,522 round-trip including taxes (see ), offered by American and LAN.
How Good Was the Deal?
The lowest advance-purchase Business Class fare from LAX to Santiago on American is usually $4,362, 187% higher than the Flash EasyUp Fare. The upgradeable economy fare from LAX on AA is $1,091 (plus $700 co-pay; plus 50,000 miles), which is $269 more than the EasyUp fare, not to mention the miles saved. A free Business Class mileage ticket costs 100,000 miles, yielding a measly 1.5¢ return per mile.
Why to Jump on Flash EasyUp Fares: A Recent Example Offered by American on LAX and JFK to Santiago.
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Europe Summer Business Class 2014 Update
For many years now, the airlines have reduced fares for summer travel by 25% + (depending on route and airline), and would put them on sale between December and February.
A closer look reveals that some fares this year, on a flash basis, have been starting in the $2,300 range: DallasBarcelona $2,351, Miami-Lisbon $2,313, Miami-Stockholm $2,406, and Houston-Madrid $2,785, just to name a few. (You must act fast when you see these fares posted in our newsroom.)
As I predicted in my crystal ball for 2014 (see FCF’s Jan. issue), “great Business Class fares will be here one day, and gone the next.” That’s going to be true for summer fares. In fact, the line between summer and Flash EasyUp Fares is blurring, and the only restriction that still keeps them apart is that summer Flash EasyUp Fares are only valid during certain summer months, whereas other Flash EasyUp Fares can be valid for longer periods.
So stay tuned for more special summer fares in the newsroom.
What to Avoid When Looking For Low Summer Business Class Fares
Strategic Premium Travelers can no longer sit back and assume every route will have the same summer discount for an extended time. Everything about summer Business Class fares is changing. Discounts can run as little as 25% or up to 76%, and fares from the same U.S. departure city can vary widely—$2,351 (Dallas-Barcelona) to $3,572 (DallasLondon)—on the same airline for the same travel dates to Europe, in this case by 52%.
So book and buy the trans-Atlantic flight you that offers the best deal then buy a separate ticket to your final destination in economy if you want to keep the cost down. Or as many enjoy, go by train.
[aside headline="For FCF Subscribers Who Live Abroad (or in U.S. Cities Not in the Examples)" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]No matter where experienced travelers live, they often don’t know whether an upgrade or an award is more valuable than EasyUp fares. This article’s comparison chart on page 3 of recent Flash EasyUp Fares versus upgrades or free tickets on routes originating outside the U.S. shows that Flash EasyUp Fares are often a better deal than using miles. Plus, Flash EasyUp Fares are not only for U.S. departures, but are offered from many different parts of the world.[/aside]
Book Now or Wait?
It all depends on the route and the airline.
Last November I published an article called “Buy, Hedge, or Wait to Book 2014 Premium Class to Europe,” in which I advised waiting to buy. I used a hypothetical traveler, Richard, to illustrate why.
If Richard was traveling Los Angeles-London this summer, his Business Class fare back in November on Virgin Atlantic would have cost $5,159. That same ticket now is $3,992, a difference of $1,167 (23%). The waiting game can pay off, if you must fly on a particular route or a certain airline.
On Low Fare Routes, Book Now or Wait?
The lowest Low Fare Route from Los Angeles to a European city, covered in the November issue, was Copenhagen at $3,330 in Business Class. It’s still the lowest Low Fare Route and the fare is still the same.
Low Fare Lesson I: Low Fare Routes (LFRs), at times, can be lower than summer fares—so, if you’re looking at flying on a LFR, when you book and fly is less important than it is on other routes.
Low Fare Lesson II: The rules can be inconsistent: Flash EasyUp Fares can be lower than Low Fare Routes.
Example: From Miami the lowest LFR to Europe back in November was Lisbon at $3,335 in Business Class. In February, the same route was $2,330, a difference of $1,005 (30%).
Takeaway: As you can see, summer premium fares to Europe are not clear-cut. It all depends on the route and the airline. So if you come across a good fare, say in the $2,200 to $2,500 range from the East Coast, or $2,800 and under from the West Coast, then grab it.
And, stay tuned for more Flash EasyUp Fares in our newsroom.