New routes are a chance to save money and score award seats because the carrier often offers promotional fares to generate business, and it takes time for customers to find out about the new service. And this one—Air France’s A380 from Los Angeles to Paris, which commences on May 28, 2012—should be on your radar. The aircraft will offer nine First Class seats on the main deck and 80 Business Class and 38 Premium Economy seats on the upper deck. (Premium Economy is not offered on every Air France A380, so this is a big plus, given the flight time, about 13 hours.)
The Premium Seats
In First Class, the 21-inch-wide (82 inches of pitch) seat turns into a 78-inch-long bed, fitted with a mattress and duvet comforter. Business Class seats (21 inches wide, 61 inches of pitch) become a flat bed 77 inches long. Premium Economy seats recline 123 degrees, are 19 inches wide, and have 38 inches of pitch.
The Lowest Airfares
For First Class: Air France is not known for offering discounted First Class fares to
Europe. The cheapest First Class ticket is an around-theworld fare (RTW), $13,984, while the LAX to Paris round-trip will set you back about $17,000.
For Business Class: This route debuts on the verge of summer, when Business Class fares drop dramatically. Last summer, Business Class fares from LAX started at $2,450 plus taxes, 45% lower than the current lowest fares of $4,430. Summer Business Class fares usually go on sale in late January
or early February, and are typically valid from mid-June through the first week of September, so waiting here can save you substantially.
For Premium Economy Class: It’s the opposite of Business Class—summer is high season and winter is low. Fares currently range from $1,100 to $1,475 (plus taxes) and probably will go up (see table to the right).
Seasonal Savings in Premium Economy From Los Angeles to Paris on the A380
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Best Mileage Award Redemptions
For First Class: Skypass, from Korean Airlines (a Diners Club transfer partner), offers the best First Class redemption rate by far: 100,000 miles round-trip, the amount many airlines charge for a free Business Class award. (That’s in effect a free upgrade to First Class.) Otherwise, Air France is your only option, but it restricts First Class redemption to elite members and charges double mileage (250,000 miles) to boot.
[aside headline="How Anyone Can Get the Miles" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Credit card points can be transferred from Amex Membership Rewards and Starwood to Air France’s Flying Blue program and also to Delta and Alitalia. If you lack the points or miles you can buy them from Amex Membership Rewards at 2.5¢ each for up to 500,000 points, and from Starwood for 3.5¢ each for up to 20,000. (The 5,000-point transfer bonus brings the cost down to about 2.8¢ each.) Buying them directly from the airlines is more expensive: Air France charges 3.5¢ each for up to 40,000 miles, Alitalia 25 Euros (about $35) for each 1,000 miles (40,000-mile limit), and Delta 3.5¢ each for up to 60,000 miles.[/aside]
For Business Class: SkyTeam member Alitalia offers the lowest redemption at 80,000 miles, 20,000 fewer than Air France and Delta.
For Premium Economy Class: Only possible using Air France’s mileage program, Flying Blue, at 63,000 miles, but that is only 3,000 miles more than United charges for an economy ticket.
There are favorable odds for free award travel in Premium Economy for two passengers in June and August; and 50-50 odds for travel in September. Business Class on the other hand, is a long-shot for travel in the month of July.
Mileage Upgrade Awards
This is not a savvy option because most upgradable Air France fares are high. It’s smarter to gamble on a free ticket.
For First Class: Upgrades (150,000 miles round-trip, elite status not required) are permitted on full Business Class fares (booking codes D, C, and J), which usually start at $6,000 to $7,000 to Paris. Get a better deal by going via Madrid, where fares drop to about $4,500!
For Business Class: The best upgrade value is on a paid round-trip Premium Economy ticket (booking codes W and S, 33,000 miles required r/t), which usually starts at about $1,472 (plus taxes) at the end of May. Later in the year, for example the end of October, fares drop down to $1,097.
For Premium Economy Class: Upgradeable coach fares, including booking codes M, U, and K, start at $1,097, and cost 33,000 miles round-trip. Currently the lowest economy fare (booking code K) for the end of May starts at $1,472. Translation: It’s smarter to just buy the ticket.