Advance-purchase Business Class tickets to this region cost $2,500-$3,000, well within the range that forces a choice on you, miles or money? We examined four airlines, two domestic, and two international, serving four different South Pacific Islands from Los Angeles.
Here are the grades:
Air France / Flying Blue: D
Requires 78,000 miles round-trip from LAX to Papeete, and only allows upgrades on higher-priced economy fares (K, B, and Y). During low season (Jan. through May, and Nov. through Dec.10) fares start at $1,350; in high season (June through Oct., and Dec. 11 through Jan. 6) rising to $1,550. A 30-day advance purchase Business Class fare starts at $2,500 (if you use miles, that’s a return of 1.5¢), and ranges up to $3,500 with a 14-day advance purchase (a 2.5¢ per-mile return), which answers the miles/money question. Pay for the former, cash in miles for the latter. (We advise getting 2.5¢ per-mile, since that’s the replacement cost with most airlines.) Miles can be transferred from Amex Rewards and Starwood.
Air New Zealand / Airpoints: D-
Miles required depend on the destination. The carrier charges a flat 3,260 miles round-trip from LA to Auckland for a “confirmed upgrade” (only available with certain economy fares), and tacks on another 700-1,430 miles to go from Auckland to the islands. Upgrades from Premium Economy to Business Class require fewer miles (2,300 to New Zealand), and there’s still a cheaper option, “standby upgrade”. It is valid with any published economy fare and costs only 1,460 miles to Auckland, plus the extra charge to the islands. As pointed out in last month’s issue, the drawback with Air New Zealand is getting Air New Zealand miles. The only way to accumulate them is to fly Air New Zealand, as the carrier doesn’t sell miles and has only one transfer partner, Starwood. But the exchange rate is extortionate: 65:1.
Continental / OnePass: C
Requires 50,000 miles round-trip and allows upgrades with any fare, but imposes a surcharge of up to $1,000. Currently the lowest upgradeable economy fare from LAX to Nadi (Fiji) is $800 (code G), which comes with a $900 surcharge. The carrier’s lowest Business Class fare on the same route is about $3,000, so this is not a bad deal—the return is about 2.6¢ per mile. Miles can be obtained via point transfers from Amex Rewards and Starwood, or purchase from Continental, but only up to 25% of the miles needed.
Hawaiian Airlines / HawaiianMiles: D-
Requires 110,000 miles round-trip and allows upgrades with any economy fare. Economy fares on LAX-Papeete are $1,100 to $1,200, a lot lower than Hawaii’s Business Class fare, $2,150 to $2,350. Still, you’re barely getting a return of one cent per mile, so we say spend the money, unless you have miles to burn. Miles can be obtained via point transfers from Amex Rewards, Starwood, and Diners Club, or bought directly from Hawaiian.
Lowest Upgradeable Economy Fares for Travel to the South Pacific
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