The State of First Class

September 2014
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It’s Florida! The Sunshine State has a bounty of low-priced domestic First Class fares. Here’s a round-up…

The research results are unequivocal: Florida has more low, domestic First Class fares to almost every major city in the country than any other state. And not just to/from Miami, either: These fares are available to/from almost all major cities in Florida, among them Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach, and others; and most of them are on Delta (booking class A and G).

As mentioned, the fares are also valid to Florida, so if you’re reading this in Denver or Houston and wondering, “What’s this got to do with me”, stay with us.

First Class domestic fares can easily run $1,000+ on mid-to short-haul flights and $2,000+ for coast-to-coast round-trips.

Here are 30 routes to and from Florida on which there’s a relatively good deal.

Low-Cost Upgrade Think

When domestic First Class fares are this low, the first thing to consider is how much the First Class upgrade actually costs. Let’s take Hartford-Orlando on Delta, which has an air travel time of almost six hours (non-stop on Saturdays from Oct. 4 to 11, round-trip) and a First Class fare of just $419. The lowest economy fare (X/T booking code) on that same route is $261.

That’s $79 more one-way to fly First Class, or only about $26 per-flight-hour.

After you figure the cost of a checked bag, preferred seating, and early boarding, the upgrade might amount to only $5 each-way.

Upgrade Math: Hartford-Orlando, $5 Each-Way

Upgrade Math: Hartford-Orlando, $5 Each-Way

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Sample Florida First Class Routes Starting at $419 Round-Trip

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Forget About Using Free or Upgrade Awards with these Fares

The value is less than one cent per mile, given that Delta charges 50,000 miles round-trip for a domestic First Class award. Save the miles for high-priced international trips.

[["","First Class","Economy"],["Fare","$419","$261"],["Fare Difference","$79 one-way","#colspan#"],["Checked Bag","$0","$25 first bag each-way"],["Economy Comfort*","$0","$49 each-way"],["Total Cost Round-trip","$419","$409"],["<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Fare Difference<\/strong><\/span>","$5 each-way","#colspan#"]]
<small><em>*Extra legroom and early boarding. </em></small>
[["Special Fare","Route","Airline"],["$419","Hartford - Orlando","DL"],["$425","Charlotte - Daytona Beach","US"],["$435","Boston - West Palm Beach","DL"],["$435","Detroit - Miami","DL"],["$435","Washington, DC - Tampa","DL"],["$443","New York, JFK - Miami","DL"],["$443","Pittsburgh - West Palm Beach","DL"],["$449","Norfolk - Orlando","DL"],["$451","Indianapolis - Tampa","DL"],["$455","Nashville - Jacksonville","DL"],["$481","Buffalo - Ft. Lauderdale","DL"],["$485","Philadelphia - Ft. Lauderdale","DL"],["$493","Dallas - West Palm Beach","DL"],["$495","Cleveland - Tampa","DL"],["$507","Kansas City - Orlando","DL"],["$527","Chicago - Tampa","DL"],["$529","Tulsa - Miami","DL"],["$548","Omaha - Orlando","DL"],["$553","San Antonio - Tampa","DL"],["$555","Milwaukee - Jacksonville","DL"],["$555","Minneapolis - Daytona Beach","DL"],["$581","Houston - Miami","UA"],["$582","Memphis - Ft. Myers","DL"],["$637","Albuquerque - Jacksonville","DL"],["$725","Denver - Miami","AA"],["$827","Portland - Miami","UA"],["$853","Los Angeles - Miami","AA"],["$868","Seattle - Orlando","DL"],["$871","Las Vegas - Tampa","UA"],["$902","San Francisco - Miami","UA"]]
<small><em>*Fares include average taxes and fees for the route; airline listed is the lowest fare, however <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">other airlines are often only $25 to $100 more.</span></strong> AA = American, DL = Delta, UA = United, US = US Airways. </em></small>