Shiny West Coast Needle Found in Rare European Haystack—Nonstop First Class

A lockdown-ending celebration for West Coasters longing for a euro fix in comfort.

One of our researchers put it bluntly:

“We haven’t seen availability from the West Coast to Europe on nonstop flights for a very long time. We’re constantly checking. Nothing!”

And then a flash of First Class gold caught our eye like a flare on a moonless night: American Airlines’ miles availability in First Class for poor, typically-overlooked West Coasters.

Party Like It’s 1849

This all comes about in the tumult of airline lockdown antics. When covid came onto the radar the airlines got super generous. Then they backtracked. Lately, good opportunities have been drying up faster than morning dew in the Arizona sun.

And the West Coast is even tougher. There aren’t many West Coast-Europe nonstop flights to begin with. Most have connections for obvious reasons. East Coasters enjoy up to 30+ nonstop flights a day between New York and London alone. So to find availability using miles on a nonstop flight in First Class, AND from the West Coast, is like tripping over a pure gold nugget on the sidewalk.

What Kind of Seat Seeker Are You?

Do you require only the best available? Do you think about the seat quality based on how long your flight is? Check out the table below and see where you stand. It’ll affect how you look at this American deal–up to 51% off–from the West Coast to Europe.

Seat Seeker Matrix

[table_opt id="6134" style="gray-header" header_rows="2" width="narrow" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

Availability. That’s Rare.

Before we get TOO excited, American’s First Class is a little dated these days. But compared to its new Business Class, it’s way more spacious. Privacy is a big bonus, and the seats are nice and wide. That said, with the overall steady decline in demand for a First Class cabin, you can only find it on routes to London from Dallas, Miami, New York, and Los Angeles.

‍

Although there are just a handful of dates each month, we have seen the cost for this opportunity as low as 153,000 American miles, round-trip, or just 76,500 one way. This is typically available with four seats for three days each month and with two seats for seven days each month (on average). But any number is good because there’s often nothing available. So given that the dates are looking like prime post-lockdown timeslots, we say this is a red-hot opportunity. When lockdown ends, people will be jumping on opportunities like this. You can do it right now.

[table_opt id="6135" style="gray-header" header_rows="2" width="default" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

[table_opt id="6137" style="gray-header" header_rows="2" width="default" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

Special Notes to Keep in Mind

The Web Special price is 153,000 miles vs 251,500. A Web Special booking cannot be modified BUT it can be canceled and the miles reinstated with no fee through Dec. 31, 2020. This allows for rebooking if your plans change. However, if you do cancel and rebook, all segments will be subject to available inventory upon rebooking.

Availability: A Day-to-Day Proposition

We checked availability about two weeks ago on American Airlines and found a decent amount of space. We checked again the following Monday and space was still there. Then we checked a few days later and space was completely gone! Not one seat. And now, just before publication, space is back again. So the lesson is clear: if you don’t see space, keep checking as availability on American is a roller coaster ride at the moment.

No American Miles? No Worries.

Simply buy miles when they’re on sale. Sales come up often and they can cost as low as 1.7 cents each. So, for the 153,000 needed here, it will cost you $2,601 for the miles and $326 in taxes. Given the normal Los Angeles-London round-trip fare is $6,000, you save $3,073 / 51%.

American Airlines First Class

7 Reasons to Book Flights to London for 2021

1. Wimbledon – June-July 2021
2. The Chelsea Flower Show – May 2021
3. You can get free connecting flights on AA partners all over Europe from London
4. The British Open – July 2021
5. Paris is 2 hours away
6. The Royal Ascot Races – June 2021
7. Attend a live soccer game