For those who like their egg nog best at 40,000 feet, the airlines have some year-end deals that will make holiday globetrotting in Business Class easy and relatively inexpensive. The generally benign fare environment on international routes offers excellent opportunities to achieve elite-status goals for the year ahead without breaking the bank. Here’s an airline-by-airline rundown. (Fares do not include taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges.)
American: Business Class fares from London to New York are as low as $1,400, making this a good mileage run as well as a holiday getaway. Purchase deadline is Dec. 26. Outbound travel window is Dec. 20-Jan. 2, 2009; return is Dec. 25-Jan. 9, 2009. Seven-day advance purchase; booking code I.
Other good mileage-run options are Mexico and the Caribbean. New York to Santo Domingo, for instance, can be as low as $948 in Business Class. On this route, American flies a B767 with its new Business Class seat.
Continental: Holiday promotional fares to Europe are much the same as American: $1,400 with a seven-day advance. Travel window is Dec. 20-Jan. 9, 2009. Also consider the Caribbean and South America for mileage runs.
Delta/Air France: Your best bet here is South America, as Delta offers some of the lowest fares to that continent. A New York to São Paulo I fare starts at $2,232 (seven-day advance; Dec. 14-Jan 3, 2009 travel window). This is basically Delta’s 50-day advance purchase fare (see FCF, Nov. 2008, page 8) with a few nips and tucks. The story is very different to Europe. Delta’s fares are much higher than Northwest’s, even though the two carriers have merged. Sample fares from New York to London start at $2,245; Chicago to Paris starts at $3,117. Air France and Delta both require a seven-day advance purchase.
Northwest Airlines/KLM: Northwest is offering Business Class holiday fares to Asia starting around $2,100 (booking code Z)—that’s 65% below the regular fare. Outbound travel deadline: Jan. 11. Six-day minimum stay, 30 day maximum stay, 21-day advance purchase required, valid Monday-Thursday.
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Business Class fares to Europe on Northwest and KLM start at about $1,400 from New York to London, and $2,734 from Chicago to Paris. Booking code Z, seven-day advance, ticketing deadline: Dec. 26. Outbound travel window, Dec. 20-Jan. 2; return, Dec. 25-Jan. 9. Minimum stay is a Sunday night; maximum stay is 30 days.
United Airlines/Lufthansa/US Airways: All offer either a seven- or 14-day advance-purchase Business Class fare (Z), with a Dec. 26 ticketing deadline. To Frankfurt from New York, fares start at $1,300; from Los Angeles, $2,100. Outbound window: Dec 20-Jan. 2. Return: Dec. 25-Jan. 9.
US Airways is also running a promotion offering discounts up to 20% or double Preferred qualifying miles on European routes (see page 7).
For United elites trying to reach the next level or re-qualify, one option is a mileage run to Hawaii in economy during the first two weeks of December, when traffic is slow and the chance for a gate upgrade is high. Fares are currently low, with Los Angeles-Honolulu (5,100 EQMs) starting at $300 round-trip. Also, when more than one aircraft covers a route remember to choose the one with the largest premium cabins.
Air Canada: Business Class holiday fares (Z) require no advance purchase and start at $1,458 from Toronto to London, and $1,621 to Frankfurt or Paris. Purchase deadline: Jan. 4. Outbound travel window: To London and Frankfurt, Dec. 21-Jan. 4; To Paris, Dec. 12-Jan. 4.
Swiss: Promotional holiday fares to Europe start at $2,000 (New York-Zurich). Purchase deadline: Dec. 15.
British Airways/ Virgin Atlantic: Seven-day advance Business Class fares on BA (code I) start at $1,666 from New York to London (ticketing deadline, Dec. 26; outbound travel Dec. 20-Jan. 2). Upgrade to First for only 50,000 Executive Club miles. The same route on Virgin starts at $2,138.
Both carriers offer the high-value alternative of true Premium Economy seats, rather than just enhanced economy. Enjoy either at the bargain fare of $496 (ticketing deadline, Dec. 3).