How to save with wide-body flights to the Caribbean
I’m a snob. A seat snob. There, I said it.
Actually, I’m not just a seat snob, I’m a double snob. I’m a seat snob AND I’m a miles loophole snob.
Phew, that feels great to get off my chest.
Now, throw the Caribbean into that ultra-demanding mix and you’ve got yourself a super-snobernova. A rare event in the universe when you can go somewhere tropical in premium class comfort without spending much.
Snob Snooper Part 1:
It’s a Wide-Body Lottery Up There
This has come to a head because airlines are currently shifting aircraft around from route to route, more than usual. Could be for cargo reasons, could be inventory management — who knows? But it now means getting the best wide-body aircraft equipped with international lie-flat Business Class seats on routes to the Caribbean, which can otherwise be difficult.
So let’s attack the first item on our snobbish to-do list: Where, in fact, are those nice wide-bodied, internationally configured flights to the sunny Caribbean?
They’re right here in this chart. Shhhh. Keep it to yourself. You don’t want everyone to know about this.
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Vernon will meet me when the BOAC lands. Keys to the M.G. will be in his hands.
Adjust to the drivin' and I'm on my way. It's all on the right side in Montego Bay.
Montego Bay by Bobby Bloom
Miami - Montego Bay on American Airlines (not BOAC)
Fares for this trip range from $553 to $1,011 in Business Class. There are between one and three flights daily, one of which uses the internationally configured B787 aircraft. If you plan to pay cash, you can generally (except on most Saturdays) find the B787 international lie-flat Business Class seat aircraft at a lower fare than the B737 with standard recline seats. This is music to snobbish ears. A lie-flat seat for less than a standard one — just for being a savvy (and perhaps snobby) FCF reader. Screenshots follow.
Atlanta - Cancun on Delta
Fares range from $788 to $2,380, round-trip, with the lowest fare days to travel being Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There are generally up to five flights daily, one of which uses the international A330 configuration with lie-flat seats. Again, pay cash and, if you know which flight to look for, you can score the international A330 lie-flat Business Class seat, sometimes at a lower fare than Delta’s aircraft with standard recline seats.
Snob Snooper Part 2
Now let's get to the second snobby feature: getting these wide-bodied, comfy-seat flights for fewer miles.
The chart says it all. You could fly on American Airlines for the aforementioned Miami-Montego Bay trip and pay 40,000 miles round-trip. Or you can get smartly snobbish and pay just 25,000 miles with partner British Airways, which partners with Amex and Chase points.
The same applies to other routes as shown below.
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Ready to go? You’ll want to know what’s available. Here’s a snobbish availability chart, sir/ma’am.
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