Sometimes it’s the little things that count, and when it’s good fare news, we love to share it.
Case in point: Amex’s International Airline Program (IAP). Up until recently, if you purchased a full-fare First or Business Class ticket on its airline partners, you got another one for free on the same flight itinerary. All you paid were the taxes.
Old Program: Bad
Two-for-ones are nice but there was a problem with IAP: the fares were hyper-inflated and not really worth the trouble 90 percent of the time. What’s the point of paying $8,000 for a Business Class flight and getting a free ticket–in effect, costing $4,000 each–when you could do a little homework and find fares for $1,900 each?
New Program: Decent
The program now offers a fare discount of 8% to 12% on many published First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy fares.
So, when you’re browsing through FCF special fare alerts and spot a tasty $1,900 Business Class long-haul fare, call Amex and save another couple hundred dollars.
Use the money to upgrade your hotel room or splurge at an opulent restaurant. It’s taking already low fares to an even better place: lower.
Amex IAP Works Best for Delta, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic to Europe
Delta Business Class example: New York to Paris is currently running $2,805 round-trip. Via Amex IAP Travel it’s $2,472. These may not be thousand dollar savings, but this is a good deal made a great one. That’s a $333 or 12% savings. Air France also has the same fare and discount.
Virgin Atlantic Business Class example: New York to London is pricing at $3,398 round-trip. Via Amex IAP Travel it’s $3,128, a $270 or 8% savings. Delta also had the same fare and discount.
Air France First Class example: New York to Paris is $7,337 round-trip. Via Amex IAP Travel it’s $6,406, a $931 or 13% savings.
How to Book & DETAILS
- Call: 1-800-525-3355 for Platinum Travel Service or 1-800-553-9497 for Business Platinum Travel Service
- There’s a $39 booking fee per ticket
- You can buy up to eight tickets
- Valid for First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy
- Bonus: Earn 5x Membership Reward points by paying with an Amex card
- Yes, you still earn award miles.
Speaking of Small-but-Nice Discounts, Remember: If you fly often and like British Airlines, the AARP $200 discount (anyone can join for $16) and British Airways Visa credit card 10% discount can reduce already low-fare routes by another $400 to $500 to Europe, depending on the route.