Shrewd Alternatives

August 2011
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Flying Lesser Known Airlines Yields Big Business Class Savings (Make a Connection and Save a Bundle)

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
$1,100 / Business New York - Lisbon Air Europa SkyTeam Delta / SkyMiles 1.5 1.5 CO / $3,472 $2,372 / 68% Connection in Madrid. Seat stats: 170-degree recline, 20" wide, 56" of pitch.
$1,241 / Business Las Vegas - Paris XL Airways France none none none none Delta / $4,168 $2,927 / 70% Offered only on the A330-200 from Las Vegas (non-stop service). Seat stats: 19.7" wide, 36.2" seat pitch, and 13-degree angle when fully reclined.
$1,324 / Business Washington, DC - Buenos Aires Avianca** none none none none Delta / $5,096 $3,772 / 74% Connection in Bogota, with a forced over-night on the return.
$2,668 / Business San Francisco - Sydney Hawaiian Airlines Delta SkyMiles 150% *** 0 Qantas / $7,438 $4,770 / 64% Connection in Honolulu. Seat stats on B767: 18.5" wide, at an 8" recline.
$2,950 / Business Atlanta - Shanghai Air Canada Star CO, UA, US 1.25 150% (CO, UA) Delta / $6,830 $3,880 / 57% Connection in Toronto. Seat stats: 180-degree recline (flat-bed),21" wide, 75" of pitch.
[["<strong>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>"],["$1,100 \/ Business","New York - Lisbon","Air Europa","SkyTeam","Delta \/ SkyMiles","150%","150%","CO \/ $3,472","$2,372 \/ 68%","Connection in Madrid. Seat stats: 170-degree recline, 20\" wide, 56\" of pitch."],["$1,241 \/ Business","Las Vegas - Paris","XL Airways France","none","none","none","none","Delta \/ $4,168","$2,927 \/ 70%","Offered only on the A330-200 from Las Vegas (non-stop service). Seat stats: 19.7\" wide, 36.2\" seat pitch, and 13-degree angle when fully reclined."],["$1,324 \/ Business","Washington, DC - Buenos Aires","Avianca**","none","none","none","none","Delta \/ $5,096","$3,772 \/ 74%","Connection in Bogota, with a forced over-night on the return."],["$2,668 \/ Business","San Francisco - Sydney","Hawaiian Airlines","Delta","SkyMiles","150% ***","0%","Qantas \/ $7,438","$4,770 \/ 64%","Connection in Honolulu. Seat stats on B767: 18.5\" wide, at an 8\" recline."],["$2,950 \/ Business","Atlanta - Shanghai","Air Canada","Star","CO, UA, US","125%","150% (CO, UA)","Delta \/ $6,830","$3,880 \/ 57%","Connection in Toronto. Seat stats: 180-degree recline (flat-bed), 21\" wide, 75\" of pitch."]]
<small><em>Taxes and fees not included; $700+ depending on region. CO = Continental, UA = United, US = US Airways. * EQM = Elite Qulifying Miles. **In the process of joining Star Alliance. ***Honolulu to Sydney only.</em></small>