Shrewd Alternatives

March 2011
Read Offline

Flying Lesser-Known Airlines Yields Big Business Class Savings

Route Fare / Class of Service Lesser Known Airline Alliance or Airline Partners Mileage Program Partners Miles Earned EQMs* Major Carrier with Next Best Fare Savings FCF Comments
Los Angeles - Bangkok $3,188 / Business Philippine Airlines No major U.S. airline None 0 0 Thai Airways / $4,987 $1,799 / 36% Connection in Honolulu and Manila. Seat
stats: Flat recline with a 15 degree angle,
about 20” wide, and 59 to 60” seat pitch.
Miami - Buenos Aires $1,560 / Business Aerolineas Argentinas No major U.S. airline None 0 0 American / $3,139 $1,579 / 50% Non-stop service: All travel has to be completed
by June 30: Ticketing deadline March 4.
New York - Dusseldorf $2,046 / Business Air Berlin No major U.S. airline None 0 0 Lufthansa / $2,940 $894 / 30% Non-stop serivce on an A330-200. Seat stats:
150-degree recline, about 19” wide, and a 53” seat pitch.
New York - Lisbon $1,100 / Business Air Europa SkyTeam Delta / SkyMiles 1.5 1.5 Continental / $3,072 $1,972 / 64% Connection in Madrid. Seat stats: 170-degree
recline, about 20” wide, and a 56” seat pitch.
New York - Shanghai $3,099 / Business Air Canada Star CO, UA, US 1.25 150%(CO, UA) Continental / $5,590 $2,491 / 45% Connection in Toronto or Vancouver. Seat
stats: 180-degree recline, 21” wide, and a 75” seat pitch
CO = Continental, UA = United, US = US Airways. * EQM = Elite Qualifying Miles

PUBLICATION GROUND RULES

Everybody knows how frequently airfares change (some estimates claim that there are up to 500,000 fare changes daily). Because that’s a few too many for me to keep up with, I cannot guarantee that all fares I discuss will be available when you make a booking. Also, for the sake of a quick and easy reading “executive summary” format, all fare rules and restrictions can’t possibly be included. Fares quoted usually don’t include taxes, either.

[["<strong>Route<\/strong>","<strong>Fare \/ Class of Service<\/strong>","<strong>Lesser Known Airline<\/strong>","<strong>Alliance or Airline Partners<\/strong>","<strong>Mileage Program Partners<\/strong>","<strong>Miles Earned<\/strong>","<strong>EQMs*<\/strong>","<strong>Major Carrier with Next Best Fare<\/strong>","<strong>Savings<\/strong>","<strong>FCF Comments<\/strong>"],["Los Angeles - Bangkok","$3,188 \/ Business","Philippine Airlines","No major U.S. airline","None","0%","0%","Thai Airways \/ $4,987","$1,799 \/ 36% ","Connection in Honolulu and Manila. Seat\nstats: Flat recline with a 15 degree angle,\nabout 20\u201d wide, and 59 to 60\u201d seat pitch."],["Miami - Buenos Aires","$1,560 \/ Business","Aerolineas Argentinas","No major U.S. airline","None","0%","0%","American \/ $3,139","$1,579 \/ 50%","Non-stop service: All travel has to be completed\nby June 30: Ticketing deadline March 4."],["New York - Dusseldorf","$2,046 \/ Business","Air Berlin","No major U.S. airline","None","0%","0%","Lufthansa \/ $2,940","$894 \/ 30%","Non-stop serivce on an A330-200. Seat stats:\n150-degree recline, about 19\u201d wide, and a 53\u201d\nseat pitch."],["New York - Lisbon","$1,100 \/ Business","Air Europa","SkyTeam","Delta \/ SkyMiles","150%","150%","Continental \/ $3,072","$1,972 \/ 64%","Connection in Madrid. Seat stats: 170-degree\nrecline, about 20\u201d wide, and a 56\u201d seat pitch."],["New York - Shanghai","$3,099 \/ Business","Air Canada","Star","CO, UA, US","125%","150%(CO, UA)","Continental \/ $5,590","$2,491 \/ 45%","Connection in Toronto or Vancouver. Seat\nstats: 180-degree recline, 21\u201d wide, and a 75\u201d\nseat pitch."]]
<small>CO = Continental, UA = United, US = US Airways. * EQM = Elite Qualifying Miles</small>