Delta’s Two-for-One Leg Stretch Double Play
We’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of our Leg Stretch Strategy and so have many readers. When our team first concocted this Hall of Fame strategy, fares started at less than $2,500 in Business Class. In the shifting sands of the airline world, some of those fares have expired, some have flown the coup, and some even became lower.
And now our spotters report that low fares are back on some routes, starting at $2,531. So, do you lie back and ponder how clever you are to read FCF and know about this? No—you get onto it now because these fares come and go like a Craig Kimbrel fastball (that’s fast).
DOES THE LEG STRETCH STRATEGY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY PHYSIOTHERAPIST?
Absolutely not. Here’s a quick recap: FCF’s Leg Stretch Strategy (LSS) works best for the person who will travel (or would like to travel) to Europe at least twice in one year, and South America once. If you’re not considering those travel plans, maybe you should, because the prices are lower than coach in many instances (think free upgrade).
The strategy makes use of round-trip itineraries between two continents (in this case Europe and South America) with stopovers each way in a third continent (in this installment North America, specifically the U.S.). This last one is the “connecting continent.”
Now, one thing about the Leg Stretch Strategy is that it starts in Europe. So, obviously, you have to get yourself to Europe. A rowboat is problematic so we suggest getting a one-way ticket using miles. We’ve made that part easy with a special report, go here for One-Way Awards to Europe.
This itinerary has four discreet legs on one ticket (equivalent to two round-trips): Europe > U.S. > South America > U.S. > Europe, starting at $2,531 in Business Class on Delta.
It goes like this, starting with the U.S. departure:
- Book a one-way ticket to Europe (details here).
- Purchase a round-trip ticket on Delta from Europe to South America via the U.S. (the stopovers are free) and you can stop over for as long as you like.That is, as long as all travel on the ticket is completed within one year from your departure date.
- Then it’s off to South America.
- Back to the U.S. (the second stopover).
- Back to Europe, the final leg of the ticket.
- Decision Time:You can return home on another one-way ticket OR you can start the process again, returning to the U.S. as leg one of your next Leg Stretch Strategy ticket.
AN ELASTICALLY LOW-PRICED STRATEGY
Business Class for the price of coach or just a bit more than coach: A New York-to-Zurich return ticket in economy ranges from ~$600 to $1,100; and a New York-to-Rio de Janeiro return ticket in economy ranges from ~$1,100 to $1,800 on Delta. That’s $1,700 at a minimum to fly economy—and possibly $2,900 depending on your dates—while the Leg Stretch nets those same destinations in Business Class for $2,531.
Business Class two-for-one or better savings: Another way to look at the savings is that a New York-to-Zurich return ticket in Business Class ranges from ~$2,200 to $6,500; and a New York-to-Rio de Janeiro return ticket in Business Class ranges from ~$3,300 to $5,800 on Delta. That’s $5,500 at a minimum to fly Business Class—and $12,000 depending on your dates—while the LSS can net those same destinations in Business Class for $2,531.
CHF = Swiss Franc; Delta’s currency conversion to U.S. dollars:
IT’S NO STRETCH TO SAY THIS IS AMAZING
We’ve looked at a range of Europane/South American itineraries and found a stack of options. Here are 12 examples that come in at $3,000 or less, each with a link to the Google Flights page showing the deal. Easy to book from there is just a few clicks.
THE LEG STRETCH STRATEGY EXTRAPOLATED
We’ve crunched the numbers on a number of Europe/South America trips and found many options. Here are 12 examples that come in at $3,000 or less, each with a link to the Google Flights page showing the deal.
N.B. If links send you to a fare that’s much higher, play around with the dates, and more than likely you’ll find the same fare we did.
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