More Transcon Routes Get Flatbed Seats

April 2015
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United: How to Save Up to 51% on Business Class Using Miles

From July 2 to Aug. 17 United will fly its Transcon aircraft, B757 p.s. Premium Service, on Los Angele’s Boston.

Mileage Upgrade Awards: Our research revealed that United offers many more upgrade seats than free award seats—the latter are scarce. Upgrade availability is good, meaning there are at least two seats 12 days in July—in both directions and six days in August.

Award Availability Comparison: Upgrade vs. Free Tickets: Los Angeles - Boston

Travel Month
# of Days with Upgrade Availability
# of Days with Free Award Availability
Difference in # of Days Available Between Free Tickets & Upgrades
July 12 1 12%
August 6 1 6%

*Based on two passengers.

United allows upgrades to Business Class (40,000 miles round-trip) on any economy fare. Fares usually starting at about $532 (fare basis code TAA07AHN), plus a co-pay of $150 round-trip.

Published First Class fares range from $1,393 to $2,500+ round-trip.

Good Connections: Don’t live in Los Angele’s or Boston? You can still take advantage of United’s new seats by using this Transcon route as your “bridge.” For example, if you’re flying Boston Monterrey Boston, connect at LAX for the Transcon rather than flying via San Francisco. This will net you a huge, In-Class Seat Upgrade

Elites can request an upgrade on this flight, which is normally not possible on p.s. Premium Service LAX/SFO-JFK.

Air Canada: How to Save Up to 52% on Business Class Using Miles

Air Canada now offers four international aircraft on Transcon routes: B787, B777, B767, and A330, all of which have flatbed Business Class seats: Toronto to Calgary, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco; and Montreal to Vancouver. Find more on Air Canada’s Transcon service.

Free Award Tickets: One of the best ways to get Air Canada’s Transcon round-trip in Business Class is by using miles for an award ticket. Air Canada charges 50,000 miles. One stopover is allowed on trips within Canada or to the U.S.; so you could get two cities for the price of one. Cost is $1,250 if purchased from Amex Rewards in the U.S. Miles take up to one day to post. Canadian Amex cardholders can buy up to 25% of the points required for an award at the time of booking, at 3¢ each.

Compare that to the carrier’s lowest Business Class fare on Los Angele’s Toronto at $2,596—or $1,346 (52%) less. Add in the good free-award availability (see chart below).

Survey of Transcon Award Availability: Air Canada Flatbed Business Class Seat

Route From / To To / From
Handful Hopeful Hooray Handful Hopeful Hooray
Toronto - Calgary June, July, Sept., Oct., Dec. April, Aug., Nov., Jan., Feb. Oct. Dec. April, Nov., Jan., Feb.
Toronto - Los Angeles July, Oct. May to Feb., June, Aug., Sept., Nov. to Feb. July, Aug., Oct., Dec., Jan. Aug., Sept., Feb. Sept.
Toronto - San Francisco May to Aug., Sept. Oct., Nov., Dec. Sept., Dec. to Feb., Jan., Feb. Oct., Dec. Dec. Nov., Jan., Feb.
Toronto - Vancouver May, June July, Aug., Nov., Dec. July to Nov., Sept., Oct., Jan., Feb. June July to Feb., July to Nov., Jan, Feb.
Montreal - Vancouver Oct. Dec. to Feb. Nov. Oct. Nov. to Feb.

Handful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible.

Hopeful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated.

Hooray: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated.

Months in black at least one seat available; in blue at least two seats.

Booking Through Air Canada’s Partners

Singapore Miles: Brings cost down to 40,000 for the routes above. Transfer 35,000 Star points or 40,000 Amex, Chase, or Citi Thank You points.

[["Travel\nMonth","# of Days With\n<strong>Upgrade<\/strong>\nAvailability","# of Days With\n<strong>Free Award<\/strong>\nAvailability","Difference in # of Days\nAvailable Between Free\nTickets & Upgrades"],["July","12","1","1200%"],["August","6","1","600%"]]
<small><em>*Based on two passengers.</em></small>
[["Route","From \/ To","#colspan#","#colspan#","To \/ From","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Hopeful<\/strong>","<strong>Hooray<\/strong>","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Hopeful<\/strong>","<strong>Hooray<\/strong>"],["Toronto -\nCalgary","June,\nJuly,\nSept.,\nOct.,\nDec.","April,\nAug.,\nNov.,\nJan.,\nFeb.","","Oct.","Dec.","April,\nNov.,\nJan., Feb."],["Toronto -\nLos\nAngeles","","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July,\nOct.<\/strong><\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>May <\/strong><\/span>to\nFeb.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>June,\nAug.,\nSept.,\nNov. to\nFeb.<\/strong><\/span>","July,\n<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Aug.,\nOct.,\nDec.,\nJan.<\/span><\/strong>","Aug.,\nSept.,\nFeb.","Sept."],["Toronto -\nSan\nFrancisco","May to\nAug.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Sept.<\/strong><\/span>","Oct.,\nNov.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Dec.<\/strong><\/span>","Sept.,\nDec. to\nFeb.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Jan., Feb.<\/strong><\/span>","Oct.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Dec.<\/strong><\/span>","Dec.","Nov.,\nJan., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Feb.<\/strong><\/span>"],["Toronto -\nVancouver","May,\nJune","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July,\nAug.,\nNov.,<\/strong><\/span>\nDec.","July to\nNov.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Sept.,\nOct.,\nJan., Feb.<\/strong><\/span>","","June","July to\nFeb., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July\nto Nov.,\nJan, Feb.<\/strong><\/span>"],["Montreal -\nVancouver","Oct.","Dec. to\nFeb.","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.<\/strong><\/span>","Oct.","","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.<\/strong><\/span> to\nFeb."]]
<small><span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Handful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hopeful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hooray:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated. <em>Months in <u>black</u> at least one seat available;</em> <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong>in <u>blue</u> at least two seats.</strong></span></small>