This article has no intricate ticketing strategies to impart or mileage-partner backflips to recommend—just low fares and easy upgrade math. It’s simply about jumping on the lowest published fares right now before they expire.
Free and Low-Cost Upgrade Math
When Business Class fares are this low, it’s interesting to figure out which fares offer the most for your money. Just do “a cost-per-flight-mile comparison.” Simply divide the fare by the flight distance to find out how many miles you get per dollar. The lower the cost-per-flight-mile, the better the deal, especially when you’re earning miles and elite credit. Sometimes the difference between economy and Business Class is only 4¢ per mile—or $100 each way to upgrade.
Take for example Boston-San Jose del Cabo on United, which is 5,204 flight miles (connection in Washington, DC) and has a Business Class fare of just $638 round-trip. That yields a cost-per-flight mile of about 12¢. A low-cost economy fare (T class) on that same route is $438 and has a cost-per-flight-mile of about 8¢. So, Business Class costs only 4¢ more or $200 more round-trip—about $15 per flight-hour.
Cost-per-Flight-Mile Comparison on United: Boston-San Jose del Cabo
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After you figure in all the extra fees economy class travel can involve (checked bags, meals, preferred seating and checkin) the cost to upgrade can often be close to zilch or even less.
Forget About Using Free or Upgrade Awards
Why Not Free Awards? Because the value is only about 1¢ per mile on many routes—American charges 60,000 miles round-trip (for travel booked before March 22, 2016; as of March, the rate is 50,000) for a Business Class award to Mexico while Business Class tickets can often be under $1,000. For example, on the Minneapolis-Cancun route it charges $728 round-trip; giving you a return of 1.2¢. You get much more value by using miles to higher-priced destinations, such as Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific.
Why Not Upgrade Awards? Because buying an economy ticket plus paying a co-pay can be more than a published premium fare on many Mexican routes, especially once you add in the replacement value of the miles used for the upgrade.
Low Premium Fares are Elite Status Seeker’s Fast Track
You don’t have to wait to do an elite status run. You can use a quick winter getaway to start or complete your elite status goal. (I’m not suggesting elite status programs are advisable, as you know if you’ve been reading FCF for long, but they do work for some.)
American Example: Minneapolis-Cancun goes for $728 round-trip and earns 150% Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or 5,622 EQMs, about 23% of the elite miles needed to get entry-level status or to move up to mid-tier.
Delta Example: Los Angeles-Ixtapa Zihuatanejo goes for $680 round-trip and earns 150% Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) or 4,606 MQMs, almost 19% of the elite miles needed for entry-level status or to move up to mid-tier.
United Example: Boston-San Jose del Cabo goes for $638 round-trip and earns 150% Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs) or 7,806 PQMs, about 31% of the elite miles needed for entry-level status or to move up to mid-tier.
Sample Premium Fares Starting at $614 R/T From Major U.S. Cities to Mexico
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How to Get a Second City for Free
American is the only airline of the three U.S. majors that allows a free stopover en-route—the only cost is a few more dollars in tax—on its lowest Business Class fares to Mexico. Meaning, if you have to make a connection, use it as a side trip for business or pleasure.
American stop-over hub cities include Miami, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Philadelphia. Take the Minneapolis-Cancun route for example, where American offers a connection in Chicago, Dallas, Charlotte, Miami, or Phoenix. The cost difference is only $4 ($728 to $732).