Business Class fare trends to Europe on major carriers are rose-briar painful – in the $3,100 to $6,300 range — but those who are willing to fly lesser-known carriers or have destination-flexibility can still save
With summer only a few months away, Europe is as hot as a witch’s cauldron. This demand has helped drive fares higher than Jack’s beanstalk. It’s not uncommon to see $3,100 to $4,200 fares from the East Coast and $3,500 to $5,500 from the West Coast. For example, the New York-Venice route is often $6,300+ on Delta.
Needles in the Haystack:
On Smaller Airlines
London used to have the highest fares. However, we recently saw fares to London starting around $2,200, which can still be found on JetBlue from Boston, $2,449 to $2,905 from New York and many other U.S. departure cities. Otherwise, fares to London on major airlines have now crept up to around $2,900 from the East Coast and $3,500 from the West Coast.
Even typical carriers with low fares such as Aer Lingus, SAS, TAP, and Turkish aren’t as low as in years past from the West Coast, with current fares ranging from around $3,100 to $3,800. However, from the East Coast some good fares can be found for travel this fall and winter in the $1,855 to $2,700 range on TAP, a United partner. Turkish is also offering some low fares to Athens from Los Angeles and Washington, DC, for around $2,900.
Needles in the Haystack:
On Major Airlines
If you have to buy a Business Class ticket in cash because there’s no mileage availability and you’re not willing to fly a lesser-known airline, below are some of the best fares we found from the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast on major airlines. In the chart below for example, fares this spring from the East Coast to Geneva are as low as $2,326 on SWISS and United, and $2,419 from Los Angeles on United and Lufthansa’s Dallas to Riga for $2,354, which is pretty good.
Premium Fare Needles in the Haystack
on Major Airlines Under $3,000 This Summer
(and a Few Spring Specials)
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Wishes Granted: Some Routes With Low Fares Exist to Exotic Destinations Other Than Europe
If the European idea strikes you as a tale of woe for now, consider the destinations below to save or pay just a little more.
Africa
Nairobi from Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver for $2,625 to $3,400.
Johannesburg $3,500 from Washington, DC, and $3,900 from Miami on Qatar Qsuites via Doha.
South America
Rio de Janeiro from Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver for $1,838 to $3,111.
Will your 2023 travel fairy tale have a storybook ending or plop right into a witch’s cauldron? The choice is yours. Be creative with your booking strategy, check out FCF’s positioning flight strategy, and consider other exotic destinations.
Keep your eyes on those needles in the haystack, because they are out there waiting to be found!
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