MATTHEW

B E N N E T T

First Class Flyer

10-Year Ann iversary

MASTERING THE ART OF BUSINESS & FIRST CLASS AIR TRAVEL

VOL. 19 NO. 6 JUNE 2014

The Hot Ticket

Fare Sleuth

56 Interesting Options for Scoring Business

and First Class on an A380

Special Summer Business Class

Fares to Vacation Destinations
Under $900 to Mexico

Almost seven years from this behemoths debut flight, the plane still has
its own allure
The A380 is the opening venue for many new advances in Business and
First Class seats. The advent of the plane provoked a number of carriers into
reinventing First Class and most others to make serious upgrades. When Etihad
introduces its First Class, three-room apartment on the London-Abu Dhabi
route in December, it will do it on an A380. This First Classif you can call it
thatwill cost $40,000+ round-trip.
So, the planes a showcaseand thats why its a good place to look for the best
in-flight experience. At fares less than $40k, here are 56 ways to it, paying cash or
using miles, starting at just $235 or 57,500 miles one-way.

Paying Cash
The Top Four Low-Fare
Routes with Emirates
on an A380
Route

Cabin

Fare
(One-way*)

Auckland Sydney

First

$799

Business

$538

First

$557

Business

$235

First

$893

Business

$589

First

$426

Bangkok Hong Kong

Dubai Kuwait City

Fly a low-fare routethat usually means a

shorter route serviced with an A380
or fly off-season, usually the summer or the
holidays.
Low-Fare Routes (see chart to the left) are
usually less than 1,350 miles. For instance,
Bangkok to Hong Kong or Auckland to
Sydney on Emirates.

Seasonal Low-Fare Routes

Summer and the holidays are the best times to

Dubai get low fares on A380 routes to Europe. The
Mumbai
Business
$345
latter offers especially significant savings
*Based on a round-trip purchase; the USD
because business travelers tend to ground
rate can vary depending on the exchange
themselves over Thanksgiving and Christmasrate and fares include average taxes and
fees for the routes shown in the chart.
New Years, forcing airlines to dump premium
(continued on page 4)
seats, sometimes at prices that are less than coach.

Sample Premium Fares Under

$900 R/T From Major U.S. Cities
to Vacation Destinations
Special
Fare

Route

Airline

$661

Los Angeles - San Jose del Cabo

AA

$688

Miami - Cozumel

AA

$757

Seattle - San Jose del Cabo

UA

$758

Boston - Cancun

UA

$798

Chicago - Cozumel

UA

$801

New York - Cancun

AA

$900

Philadelphia - Cancun

AA/US

*Fares include average taxes and fees for the route.

AA = American, UA = United, US = US Airways.

Fare Games ...

by the numbers

75%

Rating Loyalty Programs

Transcon Upgrade Opportunities . . page 2
Little-Known First Class Anomaly
Fare Between the U.S. and Asia Nets
Savings of Up to 74% . . . . . . . . . . . page 6
. . . . . .

Getting the Best Seat to Hawaii

through Free, In-Class Upgrades .

. .

page 7
page 8

Booking Discounted Business

and First Class Child Fares
(Ages 2 to 11) to Europe . . . . .
Where to Find Upgrade
Opportunities Now . . .

. . . . . .

page 10

. . . . . . . . . .

Why Deltas Domestic Upgrades

Are Usually Irrelevant on Mid-Haul
Flights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When Redeeming Miles Is
Relatively Easy . . . . . . . . .

page 9

. . . . . . . . .

page 11
page 12

Savings on First Class

travel from New York to
Seoul. See page 6.

For First Class travel

from Dallas to Los Angeles.
See page 11.

74%

In this issue . . .

Premium Travel Quick Takes

Take advantage of special Business

Class fares from American, United, and
US Airways now. Weve uncovered a
number of routes where fares are
$900 and under. Fine print: Booking
code I for American, P for United, and A
for US Airways; 7- to 50-day advance
purchase required.

For Business Class travel

from Miami to Frankfurt.
See page 4.

62%

$537

Savings on First Class

travel from New York to
Hong Kong. See page 7.

$1,974
Savings on First Class travel
from San Francisco to Paris.
See page 4.

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

High & Inside with Matthew Bennett

Rating Loyalty Programs Transcon Upgrade Opportunities

Wildly different program benefits offer shocking results when placed under FCFs upgrade survey microscope.
The transcon, JFK to SFO and LAX non-stop, is Americas
glamour route. Its the one domestic route on which the
airlines strive to be equal (and more and more they do) the
international Business Class in-flight experience.
With Americans
completion of its premium
seat roll-out last month on
the LAX-JFK route; and
with JFK-SFO finishing
on June 12, its a good
time to re-examine how
U.S. airlines compare on
mileage award (free and
upgrade) opportunities
on this route.

Hang on another minute or three to see why this is so very

important.

The Top Ratings Go to American Airlines

First off, never make a mistake about it: Im not partial to any
airline, except as to how it
performs on value, which
Comprehensive Transcon Overview
is simply price times
See FCFs January 2014 article for a comprehensive overview of the
comfort. If youve known
transcon, from new seats and best published fares to stopover
me long you know this,
loophole strategies (SLS) and the best way to use miles on the five
and if you are new to the
airlines that fly this route, American, Delta, JetBlue, United, and Virgin
Upgrade Nation, then rest
America. The upgrade strategies can net savings of up to 88%.
assured that my analysis
is free of premium travel
bias.

Why? Because differences between loyalty program

benefits can make all the
difference.
FCF analysts checked the
transcons for travel from this
month through April 2015 to
understand how free and
upgrade mileage availability
stack up with American,
Delta, and United. We
discovered that over the past six
months, American and Deltas
mileage availability improved,
while Uniteds declined.

American gets a four-star rating when it comes to using miles

on the transcon. It offers free and upgrade award availability
in Business Class on both
routes, from September through
March15 or more days per
month.
It is also the only airline that still
offers a First Class cabin on the
transcon and, for this class of
service, it has a lot of free and
upgrade award space from July
2014 through March 2015.

Americans New Transcon First Class Seat

Getting American Miles: To

save a big bundle is not that hard.
(continued on page 3)

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

MATTHEW

B E N N E T T

Matthew J. Bennett has been tracking down airfare deals since his days as a minor league pitcher for the
Kansas City Royals. His specialty was uncovering bargain fares for teammates, which eventually earned
him the sobriquet the guy who doesnt pay retail for anything. Since then, Mr. Upgrade has gained
a reputation as the leading authority on how to upgrade, serving his readers and corporate clients by
providing advice on how to travel in comfort without spending a fortune. He is consulted often by top
publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Cond Nast Traveler, and other media
including CNN, MSNBC, NBC, and FOX News.

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

(continued from page 2)

Rating Transcon Loyalty Program Upgrades

You can buy up to 80,000 miles from American, transfer

points from Starwood, or use partner miles, which include
mileage programs like Alaskas Mileage Plan and British
Airways Exeutive Club. (FCF frequently reports on how U.S.
and non-U.S. residents can score miles cheaply, in order to
redeem them on partners, in this case American, to save up

through March 2015, while SFO-JFK is strong to JFK but not

that great to SFO. Deltas upgradeable fares are about twice
as much as American and United.

to 89%. See FCFs March 2014 for more on this strategy with

United Gets Three Stars

Alaska and FCFs Oct. 2013 for British Airways.)

Space-Hold Friendly: American allows you to hold free
award space for up to five days, which is far from trivial

Getting Delta Miles: Buy up to 60,000 from Delta or transfer

points from Amex Rewards or Starwood.
United has ZERO free award space from June 2014 through
April 2015, but still has strong upgrade space on both routes
during that time.

(see FCFs Sept. 2013 issue for more).

Using Miles to Save Up to 86% on First

and Business Class on the Transcon
When I did the deep-dive series on each airlines transcon
opportunities, I also outlined how you could save big when
using miles for an upgrade or award ticket. Please refer
back to the special intelligence reports on each airline
for more details and also other cost saving strategies:
American; Oct. and Dec. 2013 issues, Delta; Dec. 2013 issue,
United; Nov. 2013 issue.

United Transcon Business Class Seat

Delta Gets One Star

Delta continues to offer ZERO free award seats over the
next 11 months, according to FCF analyst research. But it
has, at least, opened up mileage upgrades on both routes.
LAX-JFK has strong upgrade award space from June 2014

Anyone Can Get United Miles: To save a bundle know that

you can buy up to 150,000 directly from the airline, or
transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards.

FCFs Upgrade Opportunity Ratings For

Premium Cabin Travel On the Transcon
Airline

Upgrade Awards

Free Mileage Awards

Overall

American

****

***

****

Delta

**

No Stars

United

****

No Stars

***

Share . . .

Deltas New B757 Business Class Seat

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

your successful upgrade experience with us and your fellow travelers.

If we publish your tip, well extend your subscription a yearour way
of saying Thanks! Write today: Mr.Upgrade@FirstClassFlyer.com
3

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

(continued from page 1)

56 Options for Scoring Business and First Class

Take Houston-Frankfurt on Lufthansa during Thanksgiving

last year: The round-trip Business Class fare was $1,974.
(A similar fare should come up again this year.) A coach
class ticket was $1,239, a difference of $735 for a 21-hour
round-trip flight, or only about $35 more per flight hour.

Over the last few years, most airlines have slashed summer
fares to Europe on A380 routes, too, dropping prices to
$2,965 round-trip from the East Coast. See the chart below
for sample savings on seasonal Business and First Class fares.

Top 32 Special Airfare Deals on the A380 in Business and First Class
Airline

Route

Class

Summer
2014 Fare

Lowest
Normal
Fare

Business

$3,225

$4,634

$1,409 /
30%

First

$6,094

$16,368

$10,274
/ 63%

Business

$4,175

$5,956

$1,781 /
30%

First

$7,004

$18,660

$11,656
/ 62%

Business

$3,475

$5,451

$1,976 /
36%

First

$6,164

$11,751

$5,587 /
48%

Business

$3,335

$5,678

$2,343 /
41%

$1,974

$5,678

$3,704 /
65%

$2,594

$5,678

$3,084 /
54%

First

$6,525

$10,178

$3,653 /
36%

$6,525

$10,178

$3,653 /
36%

$6,525

$10,178

$3,653 /
36%

Business

$3,335

$5,678

$2,343 /
41%

$1,974

$5,678

$3,704 /
65%

$2,594

$5,678

$3,084 /
54%

First

$6,525

$10,094

$3,569 /
35%

$6,525

$10,094

$3,569 /
35%

$6,525

$10,094

$3,569 /
35%

Business

$2,965

$3,425

$460 /
13%

Savings

Thanksgiving
2013 Fare

Lowest
Normal
Fare

$2,078

$4,634

Savings
$2,556 /
55%

Christmas
2013 Fare

Lowest
Normal
Fare

$2,546

$4,634

Savings
$2,088 /
45%

New York - Paris

Air
France

Doesnt usually offer holiday discount First Class fares

$2,918

$5,956

$3,038 /
51%

$3,083

$5,956

$2,873 /
48%

San Francisco - Paris

Washington, DC Paris

Houston Frankfurt

Miami Frankfurt

Doesnt usually offer holiday discount First Class fares

$2,498

$5,451

$2,953 /
54%

$2,664

$5,451

$2,787 /
51%

Doesnt usually offer holiday discount First Class fares

Lufthansa
New York Frankfurt

No A380 serivce
First

$6,075

$8,809

$2,734 /
31%

Business

$3,755

$5,808

$2,053 /
35%

$2,394

$5,808

$3,414 /
59%

$3,014

$5,808

$2,794 /
48%

First

$7,025

$10,308

$3,283 /
32%

$7,025

$10,308

$3,283 /
32%

$7,025

$10,308

$3,283 /
32%

San Francisco Frankfurt

*Fares include average taxes and fees for the routes shown in the chart. Summer fares are averages; the fares can be lower if an EasyUp fare is offered.

(continued on page 5)
Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

(continued from page 4)

56 Options for Scoring Business and First Class

Miles & More for Lufthansa flights. See chart at bottom for
mileage transfer partners if you need miles. Booking Business
Class using partner award space (e.g., flying Lufthansa using All
Nippon miles) sometimes reduces the number of seats available.

Free Mileage-Award Space on the A380

Here are 18 A380 routes with good availability of mileage
awards in Business and First Class. Redemption is based
on using miles on the operating airline. For example, using

Survey of Award Availability on the A380 for One Traveler*

Airline

Route

Class of
Service

Departure Availability
Handful

Decent

Go For It
Nov. to March

Nov. to March

Dec.

Nov., Jan., Feb.

Nov. to March

Los Angeles - Paris

Air France

New York - Paris

San Francisco - Paris

Business

Aug.

Los Angeles - Dubai

New York - Dubai

Houston - Frankfurt

Handful

July

Washington, DC - Paris
Emirates

Return Availability

First

New York - Frankfurt***

San Francisco - Frankfurt

Sept.

Aug., Oct.

July

Business

July, Aug., Oct.

Nov.

First

April

June to March

Business

June, July

Aug., Oct. to
March

First

Aug., Dec.

Sept.

Sept.

Sept.

Sept.

New York - Frankfurt

Oct.
Oct.

Nov.

Oct.
June to Feb.

Feb.

Aug., Dec., Jan.

June, July, Oct.

Sept., Jan., Feb.

June, July,
Oct., March

Oct., Dec., Feb.

July, Sept., Jan.

Dec.

Aug., Nov.,

June, Sept., Jan.,

Feb.

July to Oct.

June

July

Aug. to Oct.

First

June

Business

Aug.

June, July

Sept., Oct.

Aug.

First

Sept.

Oct., Nov.,
March

Dec. to Feb.

Aug.

Business

Aug.

Oct. to March

Aug., Sept., Jan.

Feb.

June, Sept., Oct.

Sept. to Nov.

Dec. to March

Aug.

Oct. to March

First

Aug.

July, March

Sept. to Feb.

Dec.

Sept., March

Oct., Nov., Jan.,

Feb.

Business

June to Aug.,
March

Dec.

Sept. to Nov.,
Jan., Feb.

June, Dec.

Sept., Nov.,
March

Oct., Jan., Feb.

First

Aug.

Sept.

Oct. to Dec.

Aug.

Sept., Nov. to
March

Los Angeles - Tokyo

Singapore

June, Sept., Oct.

July, Sept.

First

Business

Go For It

Aug., Sept.

June, Sept., Oct.

Miami - Frankfurt
Lufthansa

Decent

*Space for two travelers is often available, also. **See page 12 for availability definitions. Availability is the same from Europe to the U.S. ***JFK-Frankfurt will not have the
A380 from Oct. 26 to March 28. Lufthansas transfer partner is Starwood. Air France, Emirates, and Singapore are transfer partners with Amex Rewards and Starwood.

How to Get Miles for these Flights?

Emirates First Class Suite

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

Airline

Credit Card
Transfer Partner

Alternatively, Using Miles with A380-Airline Loyalty

Program Partners:

Air France

AX, SW

Alitalia (AX,SW), Delta (AX, SW), Korean Air (UR)*

Emirates

AX, SW

Alaska (SW), Japan Airlines (SW), Korean Air (UR)

Lufthansa

SW

Air Canada (AX, SW), All Nippon (AX, SW), Asiana (SW),
Singapore (AX, SW), United (UR)

Singapore

AX, SW, UR

Air Canada (AX, SW), All Nippon (AX, SW), Asiana (SW),
Lufthansa Miles & More Group (SW), United (UR)

AX = American Express Rewards, SW = Starwood, UR = Chase Ultimate Rewards. *Only for Business
Class awards. Chart only shows major loyalty program partners; many other options exist.

MATTHEW

B E N N E T T

First Class Fl ye r

First Class Insider

Little-Known First Class Anomaly Fare Between the U.S. and Asia
Nets Savings of Up to 74%
A hidden EasyUp published fare gives you First Class for only $500 more than Businessand is often a much better
choice than free and upgrade mileage awards.
While often hidden, EasyUp Business
Class fares are available almost
year-round to the Caribbean and
intermittently to Asia, Europe, and
South America. FCFs special-fare
analysts have discovered a yearround anomaly fare to Asiain
First Classon an otherwise
hidden destination, Seoul. Not flying
to Seoul? More on that in a minute.
Of course, theres a catch. Actually
two. You have to fly to or through
Seoul, and you have to fly American.

Its based on the published fare for the class

below it, in this case Business Class, and it has a
built-in upgrade surcharge, $250 each-way.
This makes mileage upgrades useless because
they require a $1,100 surcharge plus 50,000
miles to upgrade from Business to First Class.
See chart below for sample fares that are only
$500 more in First Class. One route even offers
First Class for less than the price of Business!

The Better Deal: First

Class Anomaly Fare or
a Free Mileage Award
Ticket or Upgrade?
The return on your hard-earned
miles plummets with this
anomaly First Class fare; so
consider just paying cash.
Plus, with this fare, you have
surmounted the number one
problem in booking mileage
travel: Availability.

Again: with no availability

challenges.

So, its Easy To Upgrade without the light-tointense effort otherwise required to upgrade
through countless other ticketing strategies.

But that might not seem like a high

price to pay to get a deeply discounted First Class fareand
so reliablydepending on your final destination and how
wedded you are to your loyalty program.
This anomaly fare is
available year-round from
20+ U.S. gateways.

On New York-Seoul, for example,

American charges 125,000 miles and
$55 in taxes for a free First Class
award ticket. The EasyUp anomaly
fare is $3,491 (all in), which will
also earn about 25,000 milesworth
about $600+... making First Class to
Asia cost less than $2,891.

What Makes this an EasyUp Fare?

If you book the free award ticket,

your return on miles is about 2.3
($3,491 minus $55, divided by
150,000, minus the value of the miles
earned)well below the minimum 3 return on miles I
recommend. (Thats usually the cost to buy them back
directly through the airline or one of its multi-currency
partners.)

First Class Fares to Seoul That Are Only $500

More Than Business Class on American*
U.S. Departure City

Anomaly First
Class Fare

Business Class

Difference

Boston

$3,991

$3,491

$500

Chicago

$3,791

$3,291

$500

Las Vegas

$3,891

$3,391

$500

Los Angeles

$500

New York
San Diego
Seattle

$3,491

$2,991

$500
$500

$6,100

($2,609)

*Significant savings on First Class fares can also be realized from dozens of other
US cities, including Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, and Phoenix.
**Fares include average taxes and fees for the routes shown in the chart.

One more thing: Uniteds

Business Class fare from New
York is $3,008about the
same as AAsbut Uniteds
First Class fare is $13,767,
$10,276 (75%) higher. $500
seems cheap, no?

Connecting in Seoul?
Seoul isnt the worst
connection-point for travel
throughout the Asian continent.
If your departure city is not
listed in the chart to the left,
consider making a connection
by buying a separate ticket.
(continued on page 7)

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

MATTHEW

B E N N E T T

First Class Fl ye r

First Class
Anomaly Fare
(continued from page 6)

If not flying to South Korea, there are countless connection

opportunities, which half of travelers must take one way or
another.
Asian Connection Example: If flying to Siem Reap to visit
Angkor Wat, or the Maldives, you have to make a connection
in Asia anyway, so why not go through Seoul and get this
amazing anomaly fare, as you can get there from Seoul, with
a half-decent connection.
Domestic Connection Example: Flying New York-Hong
Kong in First Class? The lowest non-stop fare on a major
airline, Cathay Pacific, is $18,835 versus a $4,909 fare on
American with a connection in Seoul ($3,491 for AAs ticket
to Seoul and $1,418 for the second ticket on Cathay in
Business Class to Hong Kong)a savings of $13,926 (74%)
and a second city for free (Seoul), if you want it.

Premium Travel Quick Takes

Air France: On May 7 it unveiled its new First Class suite,
which starts rolling out this September on B777s. See
Air Frances link for more information.

My Take: The seats are not cheap and cannot be had with
Delta miles, as Delta doesnt have a First Class cabin to
reciprocate. Youll have to work on elite status with Air
Frances FlyingBlue program.
Philippine Airlines: New A330s offer 18 flat-bed Business
Class seats, more than six feet long and almost two feet wide.
See Philippine Airlines link for more information.
My Take: The carriers fares are usually much lower than
competitors, so it should be interesting to see the effect. The
drawback: Philippine doesnt belong to an alliance. It hasnt
announced what route gets the new seats first yet.

Qantas: A oneworld member, on Sept. 29 it starts flying an

A380 on Dallas-Sydney with a First Class cabin.
See Qantass link for more information.
Singapore Airlines: Announced a new partnership with
Chase Ultimate Rewards. (Other Chase partners include
British Airways, Korean, United, and Virgin Atlantic.) See
Singapores link for more information and the Chase transfer

option page here.

My Take: Always good to have more transfer partners, but
thats not enough to make the Chase program more than your
third multi-currency option, behind Amex Membership
Rewards and Starwoods Starpoints, both of which offer
access to Singapores program (see April issue for more).
Transcon Fare Changes on Delta and United:
Uniteds New Transcon Business Class Fare is Up to 49%
Lower. Back in January, when I did my last installment on
the transcon survey, Uniteds Business Class fare on
Los Angeles-JFK came in at $4,374, with a 14-day
advance-purchase requirement. The fare is now $2,218, a
drop of $2,156, almost half (booking code P). Not trivial.
Deltas New Transcon Business Class FareNo Date or
Time Restrictions: Back in January, Deltas lowest Business
Class fare on the Los Angeles-JFK had a date and time
restriction, and came in at $2,446. Now the fare starts at
$2,238 (booking code Z) and the time and date restrictions
have been dropped. Not trivial.
My Take: Thank you, Jet Blue, which starts flying the route
this month and offers a flat-bed seat. Now lets see what
American does.
Turkish Airlines: Started Boston-Istanbul service on May
12. Boston is the carriers sixth U.S. gateway. See Turkish
Airlines link for more information.

Qatar: A oneworld partner, on May 15 it launched allBusiness Class service between London and Doha using an

My Take: Turkish Airlines is a Star Alliance member, as is

United, so this gives you another route on which to earn and
redeem miles. Note that Turkish Airlines newest Business
Class seat is only offered on the B777 and A330, neither of
which is used on Boston-Istanbul (an A340).

A319, with 40 seats configured in a 2x2 layout. See Qatars

link for more information.

FCFs Personal Upgrade Help Desk has scored big time

through these partnership opportunities.

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

MATTHEW

B E N N E T T

First Class Fl ye r

Seat Beat

Getting the Best Seat to Hawaii through Free, In-Class Upgrades

A rundown of routes with superior seats... to Build your Itinerary Around the Seat (BIAS).
Theres a big difference between a seat in First Class
and a first-class seat. On domestic U.S. flights, the twain
(almost) never meet. On most domestic routes, the seats up
front are worse than many international Premium Economy
seats. On a three-hour flight that may not matter much; but
the bottom line is different when youre flying to Hawaii,
especially on flights from the East Coast, which are 20+
hours round-trip.
But on some Hawaii routes, U.S. carriers offer a real
premium seat experiencean international Business Class
seatand a real score.

Where to Find International Business Class

Seats to Hawaii
Airline

Route

Aircraft

Flight Numbers
(Departure/
Return)

Current
Schedule

AA5, AA123;
AA8, AA102

June to
April

AA7, AA6

June to
April

Dallas - Honolulu
American

B767
Dallas - Maui
Atlanta - Honolulu

A330

DL837, DL636

June to
April

Los Angeles Honolulu

B767

DL611, DL612

June to
April

UA15, UA14

June to
April

UA73, UA72

June to
April

UA145, UA144

June to
Aug., Feb.,
March

Delta

Newark / New York Honolulu

San Francisco Honolulu

United

Washington, DC Honolulu

B767

*For all bookings, re-check aircraft type at time of booking. Flight numbers change
often, aircraft change often as well.

Good Upgrades Versus Great Upgrades

Uniteds Business Class Seat

Networking, Connections, and Upgrades

Mainland Connections: If you live in Cleveland and have
to make a connection en-route to Honolulu, why not book
a schedule on American through Dallas, instead of United
through Denver or Los Angeles? If you do, youll get a free,
in-class seat comfort upgrade, along with a much more
pleasurable 20+ hours in the air.
Inter-Island Connections: Flying from Los Angeles to Maui,
take Delta 611and 612 from Los Angeles to Honolulu, and
book a separate inter-island flight (about $160 round-trip)if
in-aircraft comfort is very meaningful to you.

Building the Itinerary Around the Seat (BIAS)

See chart (top right) for routes to Hawaii with significantly
superior seats, which we have a strong inclination toward.
Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

Good Seat Upgrades: Americans old international

Business Class seats (171-degree recline) are still far
superior to Alaskas, Hawaiians, and US Airways domestic
standard First Class seats. Fly these three only if you have no
choice (i.e., due to flight schedule or price).
Great Seat Upgrades: Youll find greats seats with Delta and
United, as their seats are new international Business Class
flat-beds.

The Bad Seats, Good Seats, and Great Seats to

Hawaii
Seat Comfort
Airline

Not Good

Good

American*

Alaska

Delta*

Hawaiian

United*

US Airways

Best

*Routes and flight numbers not mentioned in the chart above also only offer a
standard domestic First Class seat product.

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

8 Questions About

Booking Discounted Business and First Class Child Fares

(Ages 2 to 11) to Europe
Which airlines often offer a child discount on discounted
Business Class fares?
There is no set rule. The discounts vary by destination, by
departure city, and by airline.
For example, American Airlines (from many U.S. cities) to
London offers a child discount from New York and Chicago,
but not from San Diego. Delta offers a special rate for
children to London, but not to Frankfurt or Paris. Whereas
United does not differentiate against origins or destinations
unlike American or Deltafor travel to Europe, for restricted
Business and First Class air travel, as it offers no discount.
Three airlines: Three very different results.
What is the typical child discount in Business Class?
20% to 25%, depending on the airline and routeor
$435 to $735.
For example, American, British Airways, Delta, Finnair,
Iberia, and Virgin Atlantic offer a discount to London from
many U.S. cities. Scandinavian Airlines to Budapest, British
Airways and Iberia to Istanbul, British Airways and Finnair
to Moscow & St. Petersburg, and British Airways to Kiev.
See the chart below for savings examples, which are based on
the lowest published Business Class fares to Europe for this
summer.

Sample Child Fares to Europe in Business Class

Route

Airline

Child Fare

Summer
Fare

Atlanta - Istanbul

British Airways

$3,287

$4,022

$735

Chicago - Kiev

British Airways

$3,295

$4,030

$735

Dallas - London

American

$3,378

$4,080

$702

Newark - Budapest

Scandinavian

$2,650

$3,218

$568

New York - Moscow

Finnair

$1,901

$2,336

$435

Savings

*Fares include average taxes and fees for the route.

What about savings in First Class?

25% on British Airways and American, to London; and on
Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

BA to some Eastern European cities.

For example, Americans year-round First Class fare from
New York to London is $4,978 for an adult (booking code P)
and $4,032 for a child, a savings of $946.
When is the best time for travel with a child discount in a
premium class to Europe?
Any time during the year, but especially when Business or
First Class fares offer a special rate, such as seasonal fares
like the current summer fares, or Thanksgiving and Christmas
faresand EasyUp fares.
Whats the one big caveat to booking a child discount in
Business or First?
Check to see if the discount is offered on the lowest published
premium fare. Some airlines give a discount only on higher
premium fares, yet the discounted fare is often a better deal
than the child fare.
What major airlines dont offer child discounts in
Business and First?
Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, United, and US
Airways.
What if the child is under two?
Many airlines consider children under the age of two to be
a lap child, meaning that he or she is not using a seat; the
charge is only 10% of the adult fare (plus taxes).
How do I search for child fares?
Contact a good travel agent given all the rules and exceptions
these fares have. Or, do it yourself on airline websites and
other booking engines. (Too many rules and exceptions
prevent us from printing them all here.)

Attention International Residents

This informationjust like most of FCFs dealscan also
apply to you, as you can get a child discount coming from
Europe (or Australia, etc.) to the U.S. in premium class on
airlines such as American, British Airways, and Delta.

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

The Route Scout

Where to Find Upgrade Opportunities Now

New routes, new seats, and aircraft changes oftentimes
mean good to wide-open availability for a short time. Take
advantage of them while you can.
Air Canada - Businesss Class
New Route Opportunity: Toronto-Rio starts Dec. 11.
Easy Connections From: All over Canada.

Departure Availability

Return Availability

Handful

Decent

Go For It

Handful

Decent

Go For It

Aug., Oct.

March

July, Nov.
to Feb.

Nov

July, March

Dec. to
Feb.

* See page 12 for availability definitions.

How to Nail It (Round-Trip):

With Alitalia Miles: Even better: 100,000.

Air Canadas Aeroplan Miles: 95,000; search here.

Amex Rewards Points-to-Alaska Miles: 100,000.

Amex Rewards Points Transfer: 95,000.

Starwood Points-to-Alaska Miles: 80,000.

Starwood Points Transfer: 80,000.

Survey of Award Availability on Air Canada for

One Traveler: Toronto-Rio De Janeiro
Departure Availability

Survey of Award Availability on Delta for One

Traveler in Business Class: New York-Zurich

Return Availability

Handful

Decent

Go For It

Handful

Decent

Feb.

March,
April

Jan.

Jan., Feb.

March,
April

Go For It

* See page 12 for availability definitions.

With All Nippon Miles: Even better: 85,000.

Amex Rewards Points-to-All Nippon Miles: 85,000.
Starwood Points-to-All Nippon Miles: 70,000.
Delta - Business Class
New Route Opportunity: New York-Zurich starts June 16.
Easy Connections From: Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami,
among many other U.S. cities.
Fly Beyond Zurich: Athens, Istanbul, Johannesburg, or
Rome can sometimes be tacked on for no cost (for Europe) or

Emirates
New Route Opportunity: Dallas-Dubai starts Oct. 1.
Easy Connections From: Many other U.S. cities.
Fly Beyond Dubai: Find Emirates destinations here.
How to Nail It (Round-Trip):
Emirates Skywards Miles: 165,000 for Business and 247,500
for First Class; request award space online here.
Amex Rewards Points Transfer: 248,000 for First and
165,000 for Business Class.
Amex Rewards Points Purchase: Cost is 2.5 per point; get a
First Class ticket for $6,200, which is otherwise $22,839.
Starwood Points Transfer:135,000 for Business and 200,000
for First Class.

Survey of Award Availability on Emirates for

One Traveler: Dallas-Dubai
Departure Availability

15,000 more miles (for Africa). Find Deltas destinations here.

How to Nail It (Round-Trip):
Deltas SkyMiles: 125,000; search here.
Amex Rewards Points Transfer: 125,000.

Class

Handful

First

Oct.

Business

Oct.

Decent

Go For
It

Return Availability
Decent

Go For
It

March

Oct.

March

March

Oct.

March

Handful

* See page 12 for availability definitions.

Amex Rewards Points Purchase: Cost is 2.5 per point; get a

Business Class ticket for $3,125, which is normally $3,934.

With Alaska Miles: Even better: 180,000 round-trip in First

Starwood Points Transfer:100,000.

Starwood Points-to-Alaska Miles: 145,000 in First, 120,000

in Business Class.

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

and 145,000 in Business Class; search here.

10

MATTHEW

B E N N E T T

First Class Fl ye r

Mileage Upgrade Pro

Why Deltas Domestic Upgrades Are Usually Irrelevant

on Mid-Haul Flights
When it comes to domestic travel, the carriers mileage upgrades often cost more than First Class.
Over the last couple years, Delta has offered very low
domestic First Class fares on mid-haul routes (three to four
hours each way); the flight-time that makes many start
considering upgrading more seriously.
Thats a good thing, to be sure. In fact, its a great thing and
its a reason to buy those tickets. (Choosing to earn miles
for those flights in Deltas SkyMiles program or another
SkyTeam mileage program is another story for another time.)

Again take Minneapolis-Seattle: The upgradeable K fare is

$596 ($120 more than First Class) plus 25,000 miles, which
costs up to $900 to replace if you buy them. Thats crazy.
See the chart below for more routes on which it doesnt make
sense to use miles for an upgrade.

Sample of Delta Routes Where First Class is

Cheaper than an Upgradeable Economy Fare

Delta is a leader in offering published economy fares with a

built-in cost to upgrade to First Classwhich FCF refers to
as EasyUp fares.

First
Class
Fare

Route

Upgradeable
Economy
Fare (K)

$440

New York (JFK) - Miami

$492

$52 / 11%

Butand its a big butoften Deltas upgradeable

economy fare costs more than a published First Class fare!
That makes the use of miles for an upgrade worthless.

$476

Minneapolis - Seattle

$596

$120 / 20%

$522

Denver - New York (JFK)

$618

$96 / 16%

$534

New York (JFK) - Minneapolis

$746

$212 / 28%

$535

Miami - Chicago

$614

$79 / 13%

$537

Dallas - Los Angeles

$585

$48 / 8%

$569

Los Angeles - Houston

$678

$109 / 16%

$612

Dallas - New York (JFK)

$918

$306 / 33%

$683

San Franscisco - Kansas City

$692

$9 / 1%

$742

Atlanta - Salt Lake City

$924

$182 / 20%

Deltas Mileage Upgrades Are Different

Delta differs from the other major U.S. carriers (American,
United, and US Airways), in that it doesnt allow domestic
upgrades on any economy fare. Instead, Delta only allows
upgrades on K or higher fares (25,000 miles round-trip),
which is generally $150 to $500 more than the lowest fares
(X, V, T, U, and L). The other three charge a modest co-pay;
Delta does not charge one.

Deltas Domestic First Class Fares

While Deltas domestic EasyUp First Class fares are often the
lowest economy fare, plus the built-in upgrade surcharge of
$80 to $500, published First Class fares can start around $476
for mid-range flights such as Minneapolis to Seattle, whereas
the upgradeable K fare can start at $596.

The Delta Quagmire:

First Class fares are often less than
ugradable economy
With Delta offering low First Class fares on many routes,
and the mileage-upgrade program based on only allowing
mid-range economy fares, Delta, in effect, has turned the
upgrade equation upside down on many routes.

Copyright 2014 First Class Flyer, Inc.

Savings When
Buying First
Class*

*Plus, you save 25,000 miles.

Other Issues When Using Miles for an Upgrade

Availability: Limited number of upgrade seats.
Fewer Miles Earned: K fares earn 100%, whereas deeply
discounted First Class tickets earn 150%.
Fewer Medallion Miles Earned: K fares earn 100%, First
Class tickets 150%.

When to Use Miles for an Upgrade

Most always on major long-haul, non-stop routes, especially
the Transcon, or when EasyUp fares arent offered and fares
are otherwise very high.

Conclusion
Always check the published First Class fare against Deltas
upgradeable K fare before deciding to use miles for an
upgrade. That may sound simplistic, but most people fail to
take this easy, money-saving step.

11

MATTHEW

First Class Fl ye r

B E N N E T T

The FCF Worldwide Mileage-Seat Locator

When Redeeming Miles Is Relatively Easy

Departure Availability

Airline / Mileage
Program
American /
AAdvantage and
Dividend Miles

Delta /
SkyMiles

United /
MileagePlus

US Airways /
Dividend Miles
and AAdvantage

Handful

Decent

Return Availability

Route

Class

Go For It

Handful

Decent

Dallas - Madrid

Business

Los Angeles - Shanghai

First

New York - Paris

Business

Jan., Feb.

Jan., Feb.

Detroit - Beijing

Business

Aug. to Oct.

Sept., Oct.

Los Angeles - Tokyo

Business

June, Dec.,
Feb., March

Nov., Jan.

July to Oct.

Seattle - Tokyo

Business

Dec.

July, Nov.

Aug. to Oct., Jan.

Chicago - London

First

July, Aug., Oct.

to Dec., March

Feb.

June, Jan.

Chicago - Sao Paulo

First

June, Aug.

Sept.

Jan., Feb.
Nov., Dec.

Jan., Feb.

Jan., Feb.

Nov. to Feb.

New York - London

First

Oct.

Nov. to March

Philadelphia - Dublin

Business

Oct., Nov.

June, July

Dec. to Feb.

Philadelphia - Paris

Business

Feb.

Jan.

Philadelphia - Madrid

Business

March

Go For It

June, Aug.,
March

Sept., Oct.

July, Aug.,
Nov., Jan.

Sept., Oct.

July, Aug., Oct.

to Dec.

April

June, Jan. to
March

June

July

Aug., Sept.

July, Aug.

June, Nov.

Dec. to Feb.

March

Jan., Feb.

July

Oct. to March

Jan. to March
Jan., Feb.

Major Credit Cards and Their Airline Point-Transfer Partners

American Express Membership Rewards: Delta. Chase Ultimate Rewards: United. Diners Club: Delta. Starwood Preferred
Guest: American, Delta, United*, and US Airways. *Not recommended due to 2-to-1 exchange rate.
Handful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months
indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if youre flexible.
Decent: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the
months indicated.
Go For It: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the
months indicated.

PUBLICATION GROUND RULES

Everybody knows how frequently airfares change: Some estimates claim that there are up to
500,000 fare changes daily. Because thats a few too many for FCF to keep up with, we cannot
guarantee that all fares discussed will be available when you make a booking. Also, for the sake
of a quick and easy executive summary format, all fare rules and restrictions cant possibly be
included. Fares quoted usually include approximated taxes.

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Organization

Exp. Date

FIRST CLASS FLYER

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Monterey, CA 93940
www.firstclassflyer.com
PUBLISHER
Matthew J. Bennett
MANAGING EDITOR
Ellen Dootson
CONSULTING EDITOR
Gary Walther
DESIGNER
Phillip T. Ben
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Judy Pinney
EDITORIAL CONTACT
Please send your questions,
comments, and suggestions to:
Matthew Bennett, Publisher
First Class Flyer
2511 Garden Road, Suite B-150
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone (831) 644-9990
Fax (831) 644-9991
info@firstclassflyer.com
Copyright 1996-2014
First Class Flyer, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproducing
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is a violation of federal copyright
law and is strictly prohibited.
12