Trade-off Think: FCF’s One-Stop, Non-Stop Guide to Europe for Travel Through March and Beyond

November 2021
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You’ve probably heard the quality-fast-cheap rule. It basically says you can’t have all three. If you play your cards well, you get to pick two.

There's a similar paradigm with premium airfares, only with more levers. There’s the number of stops, cheap, your preferred airline, route, and date. You’re seldom going to get all those planets aligned.

For example, you might get a great price to the city you want on your favorite airline, but dang, it’s going to have to be a week or month later. Or the dates fit and the price is higher than you’d like, there’s another trade-off you'll have to consider. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city that has lower fares, then you increase your odds.

THINKING ABOUT BUSINESS CLASS PRICING DIMENSIONS TO Europe

This report is your one-stop guide to non-stop Business Class travel to Europe. It’s only here (in the charts below) that you’ll find the following comparisons: 
  • Non-stop routes that have high fares all year round
  • Routes for travel through March that charge more for non-stops
  • Non-stop fares for travel through March vs non-stop fares for travel in April and beyond
  • The lowest one-stop fare routes for travel through March that have a non-stop and charge almost nothing more for it
  • Non-stop vs one-stop fares for travel in April and beyond
  • One-stop fares for travel through March vs one-stop fares for travel in April and beyond
  • Routes You Should Go a Long Way to Avoid (say it like it is)

EXAMPLES OF Non-Stop Routes With High Fares All Year Round

Some non-stop routes have high fares all the way through August, which leads us to the following conclusion: Don’t book for next summer right now; wait for the fares to drop to reasonable levels.

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EXAMPLE Routes for Travel Through March That Charge More for Non-StopS

Comparing one-stop versus non-stop, these routes for travel through the end of March cost more for the convenience of flying non-stop.

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Comparing non-stop fares for travel through March vs non-stop fares for travel in April and beyond

It’s a different story towards the end of March when fares jump sharply. The price increase is 16% to 42% for the 15 Business Class non-stop routes shown, in addition to many others. That’s like waking up to a nightmare.

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EXAMPLES OF Low-Fare Routes for Travel Through March That Have a Non-Stop and Almost Charge Nothing More for It

That said, here’s the good news. The 12 best non-stop Business Class deals we dug out (for travel through the end of March, 2022) are outlined in the chart below. Deals and good fares aren’t easy to come by these days, but most are under the $2,500 mark and were particularly appealing. Here they are:

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Comparing Non-Stop Vs One-Stop Fares for Travel in April and Beyond

For travel in April and beyond when fares jump sharply, the fares are close to the same if not the same for routes whether you make a stop or not. Interesting right? In other words, if you're looking at a route that doesn't offer a non-stop, say Boise to Budapest, for travel later next year, there's no incentive to book now. Wait for fares to drop!

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Comparing One-Stop Fares for Travel Through March Vs One-Stop Fares for Travel in April and Beyond

Again, near the end of March fares jump sharply on these one-stop routes. The price increase is 19% to 42% for the 20 Business Class one-stop routes shown, in addition to many others.

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EXAMPLES OF NON-STOP Routes to Avoid

Athens is great, but not at these prices on non-stop routes. Save the Acropolis for another time – it’ll still be there. Same goes for Munich: $6,573 sure doesn't float my boat at this time. And the gladiatorial cost to get to Rome from Atlanta? That’s a sacrifice I’m not willing to make.

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Now you're much more prepared to think through your next ticket to Europe, and what trade-offs to make.

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[["From \/ To","#colspan#","Fares for Travel Through the End of March","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","Difference","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Airline","Non-stop","Airline","One-stop*","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Atlanta","Amsterdam","Delta","$2,909","American","$2,323","$586","25%"],["Chicago","Frankfurt","United","$3,935","American","$2,686","$1,249","47%"],["Houston","Amsterdam","KLM","$3,359","American","$2,341","$1,018","43%"],["#rowspan#","Frankfurt","United","$3,935","American","$2,696","$1,239","46%"],["Los Angeles","Frankfurt","United","$4,235","United","$3,331","$904","27%"],["New York","Madrid","Delta","$4,445","United","$2,655","$1,790","67%"],["Philadelphia","London","American","$3,969","United","$2,770","$1,199","43%"],["Seattle","Amsterdam","Delta","$3,109","American","$2,323","$786","34%"],["Washington, DC","Amsterdam","United","$3,309","American","$2,375","$934","39%"],["#rowspan#","Frankfurt","United","$3,885","American","$2,646","$1,239","47%"]]
<small>*Most fares also available during Easter</small>
[["From \/ To","#colspan#","Fares for Travel Through March","#colspan#","Fares for Travel in April and Beyond","#colspan#","Difference","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Airline","Non-stop*","Airline","Non-stop","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Chicago","Amsterdam","United","$3,359","United","$4,261","$902","21%"],["#rowspan#","Madrid","Iberia","$2,195","Iberia","$3,795","$1,600","42%"],["Dallas","Frankfurt","American, Lufthansa","$2,485","American","$3,885","$1,400","36%"],["Houston","Amsterdam","KLM","$3,359","United","$4,011","$652","16%"],["#rowspan#","London","British Airways","$2,570","American","$3,174","$604","19%"],["Los Angeles","London","British Airways","$2,520","American","$3,777","$1,257","33%"],["Miami","Barcelona","American","$2,390","American","$3,740","$1,350","36%"],["#rowspan#","London","American","$2,570","American","$3,727","$1,157","31%"],["#rowspan#","Madrid","Iberia","$2,228","American","$3,745","$1,517","41%"],["New York","Barcelona","American","$2,090","American","$3,440","$1,350","39%"],["#rowspan#","Madrid","United","$2,150","American","$3,445","$1,295","38%"],["#rowspan#","Milan","American","$2,097","American","$3,447","$1,350","39%"],["#rowspan#","Paris","American","$2,196","American","$3,546","$1,350","38%"],["Seattle","London","American","$2,369","American","$4,077","$1,708","42%"],["Washington, DC","Amsterdam","United","$3,309","United","$5,311","$2,002","38%"]]
<small>*Most fares also available during Easter</small>
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<small>*Most fares also available during Easter</small>
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[["From \/ To","#colspan#","Fares for Travel Through March","#colspan#","Fares for Travel in \nApril and Beyond","Difference","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Airline","One-stop*","One-stop","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Atlanta","Madrid","Delta","$2,940","$4,284","$1,344","31%"],["Chicago","Milan","United","$1,826","$3,815","$1,989","52%"],["#rowspan#","Porto","United","$2,459","$3,829","$1,370","36%"],["Houston","Paris","American","$2,323","$3,877","$1,554","40%"],["#rowspan#","Amsterdam","American","$2,341","$3,867","$1,526","39%"],["#rowspan#","Frankfurt","American","$2,696","$3,396","$700","21%"],["#rowspan#","London","American","$2,570","$3,174","$604","19%"],["Los Angeles","London","American","$2,520","$3,777","$1,257","33%"],["Miami","Barcelona","American","$2,390","$3,740","$1,350","36%"],["#rowspan#","London","American","$2,562","$3,727","$1,165","31%"],["#rowspan#","Madrid","American","$2,395","$3,748","$1,353","36%"],["New York","Barcleona","American","$2,090","$3,440","$1,350","39%"],["#rowspan#","Lisbon","Delta","$2,698","$3,479","$781","22%"],["#rowspan#","Madrid","Delta","$2,690","$4,586","$1,896","41%"],["#rowspan#","Milan","American","$2,097","$3,447","$1,350","39%"],["#rowspan#","Paris","American","$2,196","$3,546","$1,350","38%"],["Seattle","London","American","$2,369","$4,077","$1,708","42%"],["#rowspan#","Paris","Delta","$3,197","$4,783","$1,586","33%"],["Washington, DC","Amsterdam","American","$2,375","$3,827","$1,452","38%"],["#rowspan#","Frankfurt","American","$2,646","$3,396","$750","22%"]]
<small>*Most fares also available during Easter</small>
[["From \/ To","#colspan#","Ultra High Non-stop Summer Fares","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Airline","Dates","Non-stop Fare"],["Atlanta","Athens","Delta","April to July","$6,512"],["#rowspan#","Barcelona","Delta","May to September","$4,740"],["#rowspan#","Munich","Delta","June to September","$6,573"],["#rowspan#","Rome","Delta","April to September","$6,512"],["Chicago","Athens","American","May to August","$5,204"],["Los Angeles","Munich","United","April to September","$5,515"],["Newark","Edinburgh","United","April to September","$4,933"],["Philadelphia","Athens","American","May to September","$4,354"],["#rowspan#","Edinburgh","American","April to July","$4,941"],["#rowspan#","Lisbon","American","May, June","$6,001"],["#rowspan#","Paris","American","April to July","$5,846"],["#rowspan#","Rome","American","March to June","$6,512"],["Washington, DC","Rome","United","May to July","$5,262"]]