Shrewd Alternatives

April 2011
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Flying Lesser-Known Airlines Yields Big Business Class Savings

Special Fare / Class of Service Route Lesser Known Airline Alliance or Airline Partners Mileage Program Partners Miles Earned EQMs* Major Carrier with Next Best Fare Savings FCF Comments
$1,200 / Business New York / Milan Air Europa SkyTeam Delta / SkyMiles 1.5 1.5 American / $3,493 $2,293 / 66% Connection in Madrid. Seat stats: 170-degree recline, 20” wide, 56” seat pitch.
$1,349 / Business Miami / Santiago Copa Continental OnePass 1.5 1.5 American / $3,109 $1,760 / 57% Connection in Panama City. Using both B737-800 and B737-700 aircraft.
$1,649 / Business Boston / Oslo Icelandair Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan 1.25 0 Delta / $3,134 $1,485 / 47% Connection in Reykjavik. Seat stats: 120-degree recline, 20.5” wide, 39” seat pitch.
$2,148 / Business San Francisco / Papeete Hawaiian Airlines Delta SkyMiles 150% (Honolulu to Papeete) 0 Air France / $3,140 $992 / 32% Connection in Honolulu. Seat stats on B767: 18.5” seat width and an 8” seat recline.
$3,370 / Business New York / Hong Kong China Airlines Delta SkyMiles 1.25 0 Cathay Pacific / $6,500 $3,130 / 48% Valid May 9 through Aug. 31. Connection in Taipei and a stop in Osaka. Seat stats on B747: 140-degree recline (lumbar support, variable-angle leg rest), and 60 - 62” seat pitch.

* EQMs = 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>Special Fare \/ Class of Service<\/strong>","<strong>Route<\/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>"],["$1,200 \/ Business","New York \/ Milan","Air Europa","SkyTeam","Delta \/ SkyMiles","150%","150%","American \/ $3,493","$2,293 \/ 66%","Connection in Madrid. Seat stats: 170-degree recline, 20\u201d wide, 56\u201d seat pitch."],["$1,349 \/ Business","Miami \/ Santiago","Copa","Continental","OnePass","150%","150%","American \/ $3,109","$1,760 \/ 57%","Connection in Panama City. Using both B737-800 and B737-700 aircraft."],["$1,649 \/ Business","Boston \/ Oslo","Icelandair","Alaska Airlines","Mileage Plan","125%","0%","Delta \/ $3,134","$1,485 \/ 47%","Connection in Reykjavik. Seat stats: 120-degree recline, 20.5\u201d wide, 39\u201d seat pitch."],["$2,148 \/ Business","San Francisco \/ Papeete","Hawaiian Airlines","Delta","SkyMiles","150% (Honolulu to Papeete)","0%","Air France \/ $3,140","$992 \/ 32%","Connection in Honolulu. Seat stats on B767: 18.5\u201d seat width and an 8\u201d seat recline."],["$3,370 \/ Business","New York \/ Hong Kong","China Airlines","Delta","SkyMiles","125%","0%","Cathay Pacific \/ $6,500","$3,130 \/ 48%","Valid May 9 through Aug. 31. Connection in Taipei and a stop in Osaka. Seat stats on B747: 140-degree recline (lumbar support, variable-angle leg rest), and 60 - 62\u201d seat pitch."]]
<small><i>* EQMs = Elite Qualifying Miles.</i></small>