MATTHEW B E N N E T T First Class Flyer 10-Yea r An n iversar y

VOL. 20 NO. 11 • NOV. 2015 MASTERING THE ART OF BUSINESS & FIRST CLASS AIR TRAVEL

Hot Ticket Fare Sleuth

British Airways’ New Flat-Fee Holiday Business Class to Europe
from Canada Starting at
Cash Upgrade CA$2,623 / US$1,999
New fare category and big discounts for leisure travelers booking Take advantage of these fares to Europe
which are up to 29% less than regular
150 days in advance.
fares. Fine print: departure window Dec.
In the August issue, page 2, FCF announced two new EasyUp fares—one in 24 through Dec. 31; 3-day advance
Business and one in First—that marked an evolutionary step in the category for purchase; minimum stay, a Saturday
night; maximum stay, 12 months;
travel to Europe. ticketing deadline Nov. 9; booking
code varies by airline.
Then, in the October issue (page 5), FCF reported on similar changes at
American, which now offers upgrades to First from Business for as little as
$250 round-trip on select non-stop routes to Europe. Sample of Special Holiday
Business Class Fares to Europe
British Airways New First Class Fare R / T Fare
(USD) Route Airlines
Now, British Airways is stepping up the game. It has taken two huge steps in
Montreal, Toronto -
lowering First Class fares on most U.S.-London routes. It is now offering $1,999
Barcelona, Madrid
upgrades to First from Business starting at $850 round-trip (in August $2,196 Montreal, Toronto - Dublin
AC, AF,
the upgrade ranged from $1,000 to $1,500) on its lowest 150 day advance $2,204 Montreal - Copenhagen AZ, DL,
Business Class fare (in August the upgrade was only offered on higher KL, LH,
$2,258 Vancouver - Milan, Rome
LX, OS,
Business Class fares). $2,318 Calgary - Rome UA
$2,381 Montreal - Zurich
The result of offering a lower
$2,549 Vancouver - Brussels
upgrade surcharge—step one—and
AF = Air France, AC = Air Canada, AZ = Alitalia,
having the upgrade on its lowest DL = Delta, KL = KLM, LH = Lufthansa,
LX = SWISS, OS = Austrian, UA = United.
Business Class fare—step two—is a
$1,215+ fare drop in First Class. For
example, on the Philadelphia-London
Fare Games ...
route, First Class now goes for $3,972 by the numbers
round-trip, while the lowest Business
$1,200
First Class travel
Class costs $3,122—only a $850 fare Los Angeles - Maui.
British Airways First Class See page 5.
difference.

86%
(continued on page 11)
Savings on First Class travel
from Los Angeles to Tokyo.
See page 4.
In this issue . . .

$1,877
Business Class travel
How the Latest New Transatlantic Business Class Loopholes in Boston - Madrid.
Business Class Fare Category Impacts Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance See page 10.
The Upgrade Mindset . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2 Loyalty Programs, U.S. to/from
Southern South America . . . . . . . . . page 8

36%
How Anyone Can Save Up to 86%
on All Nippon’s First Class Suite . . . . . page 4 How to Combine an Old Deal with Savings on Business Class
Some New EasyUp Fares to Bring travel from Washington, DC
American Matches Delta and Business Class to Europe Down to to São Paulo. See page 9.
United’s Already-Deeply-Discounted Unbelievable Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10
First Class Fares to Hawaii . . . . . . . . . page 5

$2,152
150-Day Business Class Fare Alert . . page 11 Business Class travel
Best and Worst Oneworld Award Philadelphia - Dublin.
Programs Between the U.S. and Asia When Spending Miles is
for First Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6 Relatively Easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12 See page 11.
 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

High & Inside with Matthew Bennett

How the Latest New Transatlantic Business Class Fare Category
Impacts The Upgrade Mindset
The “2-to-8 Rate” is the latest EasyUp fare innovation. Crossing the pond with family or friends? Learn about
this new airfare category to get unpublicized discounts of up to 47%.

I have to hand it to the airlines on this one for exploiting a

market niche: two-to-eight travelers on the same
itinerary (AKA the family, extended family, or group of
friends). That’s why FCF calls these fares “2-to-8 Rates.”
They’re reminiscent of American Express’ International
Airline Program (IAP), which offers a free companion ticket
with the purchase of a full-fare premium ticket. But the IAP
cost is usually more than buying two discount tickets if you
plan ahead, so most people don’t even think about it (more
on when you should consider Amex’s IAP coming soon).
Almost Unlimited Range of Usage
New 2-to-8 Rates Moreover, this new fare is available across all three
These new EasyUp Business Class fares give you up to alliances and most major airlines (Air Canada, Air France,
47% off in return for booking just 50 days out and having Alitalia, American, Austrian, British Airways, Brussels,
two or more travelers. See screenshot below; a $3,749 fare Delta, Finnair, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, and United).
that drops by $1,750 when two travel together versus singly. Besides the 50-day advance purchase, here is the other
In other words, two tickets cost nearly the same as one. fine print: 10-day minimum stay, three-month maximum
(The new fare could start a new version of “throw- stay, April 8 ticketing deadline (which may change); but no
away ticketing”!) departure or return window!

Valid European Destinations: Amsterdam, Barcelona,

Bucharest, Budapest, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Dublin,
Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Nice, Oslo, Paris, Prague,
Rome, Shannon, Sofia, Stockholm, and Warsaw, just to
name a few.

U.S. Departure Cities: Almost all, among them Atlanta,

Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami,
Memphis, New York, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix,
(continued on next page)

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

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 doesn’t 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 by top
publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, and other media
including CNN, MSNBC, NBC, and FOX News.

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 2

 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

(continued from page 2) New Transatlantic Business Class Fare Category

Pittsburgh, Raleigh Durham, San Francisco, and Seattle. Upgrade Mindset Q & A
• How do 2-to-8s compare to Flash EasyUp Fares?
Business Class Fare for Everyone
Flash EasyUp fares under $2,000 are often a better deal,
It seems the airlines have found a way to have something for
but they don’t last long (often only hours) and are not
every traveler—and that requires a new Upgrade Mindset.
always offered by all airlines or on all routes. 2-to-8
• Traveling by yourself, and not willing to gamble on flash
Rates are more constant and has a broader range of airlines
sale fares, then book 150+ days out to get the lowest price,
and destinations.
see August page 2 for more.
• How do 2-to-8s compare to new 150-day advance fares?
• Two or more travelers, and not willing to gamble on flash
Varies by route; at times about $200 to $400 less, at times
sale fares, book 50-days out on the same flight itinerary to
the same, at other times about $200 or more. Seems
get the new 2-to-8 Rates. More sample savings here, here,
negligible, but there are a lot more people—especially
here, and here.
the gambling type—who’d much rather hold out seven
In other words, these work for single or travel companions
weeks, rather than play it safe 21 weeks in advance.
not willing to gamble and wait for Flash EasyUp sale fares—
• Are 2-to-8s upgradeable to First Class?
generally starting from $1,400 and more recently we have
Airlines that allow an upgrade on discounted Business
even seen fares as low as $1,216 to London from the West
Class fares—which include American, British Airways,
and East Coast; see Oct. 15 alerts here and here.
and United—allow an upgrade on these fares with miles.
• Do 2-to-8 fares earn miles? Yes, based on discounted
Sample of New Business Class 2-to-8 Rates Business Class fare rates; and elite status bonuses, too.
Discounted Up to 47%
Difference
Single Between
Traveler 2-to-8 and EasyUp Airfare Refresher
Route 2-to-8 Rate Fare Single Rate Airlines Discovered in late 2012. We predicted that they would be the
Chicago - AF, AZ, death knell of upgrading as we know it. FCF coined the name
$1,999 $3,749 $1,750 / 47%
Madrid DL, KL
“EasyUp” because the fare structure was similar to domestic
Boston - “Y-UP” (pronounced why-up) fares, a term popularized in the
$2,144 $3,894 $1,751 / 45%
Barcelona
1990’s based on the “UP” letters in the fare basis code.
Baltimore -
$2,221 $3,721 $1,500 / 40%
Madrid The name also referred to the fact that these fares were
Pittsburgh -
$2,298 $3,798 $1,500 / 39% no-brainers: Pay cash for a fare not much more than coach,
Madrid
save the miles for another day. The challenge: The fares
Raleigh Durham don’t usually last very long, in some cases only hours.
$2,347 $3,847 $1,500 / 40%
- Madrid
Kansas City - AA, AC, But the fares have gone mainstream, minus publicity, in part
$2,426 $3,926 $1,500/ 38%
Madrid AF, AY, because fares this low—frequently 40% less than the lowest
AZ, BA,
Atlanta - Helsinki $2,618 $4,818 $2,200 / 46% published fares—upset airline corporate customers that pay
DL, IB,
Salt Lake City - KL, LH, Full Fare. That’s one reason why they are seldom advertised.
$2,706 $4,456 $1,750 / 39%
Barcelona LX, OS,
SN, UA Recent EasyUp fare evolutions have included:
Charlotte - Paris $2,744 $4,944 $2,200 / 45%
Miami - • American and United Wave the White Flag on First Class
$2,781 $5,275 $2,494 / 47%
Amsterdam Fares to Asia, page 2, and
Houston - Nice $2,885 $5,085 $2,200 / 43% • Two New Transatlantic Fare Versions Just Discovered, 31%
Dallas - Paris $2,912 $5,018 $2,106 / 42% to 72% Off Business and First Class, page 2, and
San Francisco - • United Joins EasyUp Fare Revolution With New First Class
$2,922 $4,672 $1,750 / 37%
Barcelona Fares Slashed to South America, page 2, and
Seattle - Madrid $3,146 $4,879 $1,733 / 36% • EasyUp Business Class fares as low as $1,216 to London;
*Fares are based on a 50-day advance purchase and are per person. AA = see Oct. 15 alerts here and here, and other recent alerts.
American, AC = Air Canada, AF = Air France, AY = Finnair, AZ = Alitalia, with Flash EasyUp fares here, here, and here to Europe.
BA = British Air-ways, DL = Delta, IB = Iberia, KL = KLM, LH = Lufthansa,
LX = SWISS, OS = Austrian, SN = Brussels, UA = United.
Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 3
 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

The Suite Spot

How Anyone Can Save Up to 86% on All Nippon’s First Class Suite
The Suite: Eight semi-enclosed suites (no privacy doors) on Step Two: Log in to your All Nippon account (get one here).
B777-300ERs, arranged in a 1x2x1 layout. Each has a private
Step Three: All Nippon will not hold mileage award space
closet, 77-inch-long lie-flat seat, and 23-inch-wide LCD
unless you have the miles needed in your account. If you
monitor. More here.
have the miles, book award space here.
Routes with the First Class Suite Step Four: Transfer the necessary points
To/From Tokyo: Chicago,
Two Ways to “Buy Miles to Fly from Amex Rewards or Starwood. For
Houston, Los Angeles, New York,
in Style”—at Up to 86% Off information on getting All Nippon miles,
San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Simply by purchasing Amex Rewards go here (page 10).
Flying Beyond Tokyo: All Nippon’s points, at 2.5¢ each (up to 500,000 per year
permitted), First Class will cost you about Step Five: As soon as points have
destinations in Africa, Asia, and the
$3,750 to $4,125 round-trip (including transferred, go back to the site and
Middle East can be added for more taxes)—for a seat that otherwise goes for book the award.
miles. as much as $27,792.

Sky-High Fare Equals

Great Mileage Opportunity Sweet Redeems Survey:
Published First Class Fares: Normally All Nippon First Class to/from Tokyo
$19,027 round-trip (14-day advance) to U.S. to Tokyo Tokyo to U.S.
U.S.
$27,792 to Tokyo from JFK, for example, Departure Handful Hopeful Hooray Handful Hopeful Hooray
making this a prime route for using miles. Nov. Dec.,
Nov., Dec.,
Chicago Dec. Nov. Dec. Jan. to June,
Jan. to Sept.
Mileage Cost: Starts at 150,000 through July, Sept.

All Nippon; more here. Dec.,

Nov., Dec., Nov., Dec.,
Houston Nov. Jan., Feb., Nov. Jan. Jan., Feb.,
March
March March
No All Nippon Miles? No Problem.
Transfer Starwood Points to ANA: 120,000 Jan., Feb., March,
Los Angeles March April to Sept. Jan., April
Feb. May to Sept.
to 135,000 (see April page 10 for more),

Transfer Amex Reward Points to ANA: Los Angeles -

Jan. to Sept. Jan. to Sept.
to Haneda
150,000 to 165,000.
Jan.,
Jan., Feb.,
No Amex Card to Buy the Points and March March, April,
Jan., Feb., Feb. to June,
New York March, May, July, Aug.,
no Starwood Points to Transfer? to May May, June to
Sept.
June Aug., Sept.
Sept.
No Problem.
Jan., Feb.,
Consider buying LifeMiles from Avianca (see March Jan. to June, March March, May,
Dec.,
San Francisco Dec., Feb. to June, July, Aug., to May, June, July,
Dec. 2013 page 1 for more). This can net New Aug. Sept.
April
July, Aug., Sept.
York-Tokyo in First Class for just $4,145. More Aug.

on LifeMiles magic here. Nov., Dec., March, Jan.,

Washington Jan. to April, April, July, Feb., May,
Nov. May
D.C. May, June to Aug., Aug., June, Sept.
Five Steps to Booking Award Space Sept. Dec. Dec.
Step One: Survey the chart to the right for *See page 12 for “availability” definitions. Months in black at least one seat available; in blue at least
award space. two seats.

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 4

 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

Domestic Fare Trends

American Matches Delta and United’s Already-Deeply-Discounted

First Class Fares to Hawaii
Now upgrade for as little as $23 per flight hour.

For the last few years Delta has been offering some of Valid Departure Dates: To Honolulu, now through Nov.
the lowest First Class fares to Hawaii—$1,100 to $1,300 18; Nov. 26 through Dec. 11; and Dec. 29 through March 12,
round-trip—from many West Coast cities, including 2016 (dates vary to other islands). Peak seasons start at $150
Los Angeles and San Francisco. United matched Delta’s more—still way below historical levels.
fare last May. (At that time, American’s First Class fare was
Valid Return Dates: From Honolulu, now through Nov. 27;
around $3,335.) The only airlines that came close to Delta
Dec. 3 through Dec. 27; and Jan. 8 through March 10, 2016.
and United’s fares were Alaska and Hawaiian.
Advance-purchase Requirement: None.
American’s New First Class Deal
Without any fanfare, American has matched Delta’s and Minimum / Maximum Stay: None.
United’s First Class fares, but only from Los Angeles:
Booking Code: P
It’s charging $1,200 round-trip to Honolulu, Maui, Kauai,
and Kona. Delta and United still charge about $100 less
from SFO to these destinations. Depending upon the Comparing Cost-Per-Hour to Upgrade:
Los Angeles - Honolulu on American
travel date, the fare difference from Los Angeles ranges
First Class Economy
from $100 to $300.
Fare $1,200 $600
See FCF Oct. 8 alert for more sample fares on American. Hours in the air (round-trip) 11.5 feels like 15+
Cost to upgrade with no extras $600
Cost-per-Hour to Upgrade Upgrade Cost-Per-Flight Hour $52
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of Los Angeles-Honolulu One checked bag R/T $0 $50
on American. As you can see from the chart to the right, the Premium Economy Seats R/T $0 $180
First Class fare is $1,200 and the economy fare is $600, a Meal and drink R/T $0 $30
difference of $600, or $52 per flight hour. Difference in miles earned value $0 $74
Total cost including the common extras $1,200 $934
However, once you figure in all the extra costs economy
Cost to upgrade when extras are in play $266
class travel can incur, such as fees for bags and economy-plus
Upgrade Cost-Per-Flight Hour $23
seats, the potential difference declines to only $370, or $32
*Fares based on Nov. 30 departure and return on Dec. 7.
per-flight-hour.
Use Miles Instead?
If you figure in other extras, such as meals and drinks
For most, no; American charges 75,000 miles round-trip for
($30) and the difference in miles earned (maybe $74),
a free award ticket from LAX to Hawaii. If you have miles
the difference is only about $266 or $23 per-flight-hour.
to burn, use them, knowing that the return is only about 1.6¢
A compelling figure, and a great perspective to have. per mile. The return per mile on an upgrade is about the same.
The lowest economy fare is currently $600 (Q class) from
American’s Fare Restrictions to Keep in Mind: LAX, plus $350 co-pay and 30,000 miles (replacement cost is
Valid Travel Days: Monday through Thursday (otherwise
about $885).
pay as little as $150 more).

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 5

 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r
FCF Report Card

Best and Worst Oneworld Award Programs

Between the U.S. and Asia for First Class
How the mileage programs compare—and why having the right credit card(s) makes such a HUGE difference.

This is part five in FCF’s latest mileage-award comparison American miles than you would pay if you booked the ticket
series, in which we grade major alliance mileage programs by through Cathay Pacific.
how much they charge for a free award ticket in Business and
A Note on the Grading System
First Class to/from various regions of the world.
It’s very simple, A through F, just like in grammar school.
In October we focused on Star Alliance in Business Class The lower the mileage requirement, the higher the grade; and
between U.S. and Asia (page 8); oneworld Business Class for this report card, FCF rates not only each airline’s
U.S. to/from southern South mileage requirements, but also
America in September (page 8); grades partner-flight rates. The
No Miles? No Problem.
Star Alliance First Class U.S. grades are based on four sample
For detailed information on getting miles in the airline
to/from Asia in July (page 5), and routes (see chart page 7), as it is
programs in this article, please see our April 2015 special
oneworld Business Class U.S. impossible to account for
report (page 10). It includes not only tips on transferring
to/from Asia in June (page 7). For points, but also ways to buy miles, and it offers insights on every route. FCF didn’t include
this installment, we examine six mileage-transfer time for each airline program. some airlines, such as Air Berlin,
oneworld airline loyalty programs Finnair, Iberia, LAN, or Qantas.
Buy Miles to Fly in Style
for travel between U.S. and Asia The reasons vary from not
The “buy miles” strategy works when published fares are
First Class. offering First Class awards, or
high ($5,000+ in general) or a non-stop is a must. We don’t
recommend it when fares to Asia are on sale (recently offering them at a ridiculously
Mileage Cost Discrepancies starting from $3,591 to $4,869), as cited in our recent high rate (e.g.we’re not going
Flying to/from Asia allows you to September report, page 2. to tell you about every F), or a
take advantage of award-chart foreign carrier without a points-
discrepancies between airline transfer partner (Finnair), which
partners. Having the right credit cards, meaning one from makes the award largely inaccessible.
Amex Rewards, Chase, Citi ThankYou, or Starwood (full
report in FCF’s March issue, page 2) enables savvy travelers The Grades
to leverage these discrepancies. Make sure you have a handle American: A / A
on this. The only North American airline in this report card that
charges the same for its own and partner flights to/from Asia.
Many Asian carriers (and some European carriers) use a It divides Asia into two regions, 125,000 and 135,000 miles
flight-distance award chart (mileage required is determined round-trip, which is a great price, and thus received the
by the distance between departure and destination cities), highest score for both its own and partner rates. (More details
whereas most North American carriers use a regional here and for partner travel here.) Transfer partner: Starwood.
chart (a flat rate from one region to another; also known
as a zone chart). British Airways: D / D
Uses a flight-distance chart and flies between Asia and the
Sometimes you can book a regional award through a U.S. via London. Mileage cost is high because of the routing,
North American carrier for use on an Asian carrier at and partner awards to/from Asia aren’t competitive, either.
a much lower rate, such as getting First Class on Cathay
(Details here.) Transfer partners: Amex Rewards, Chase,
Pacific from Chicago to Hong Kong for 85,000 fewer
and Starwood.

(continued on next page)

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 6
 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

(continued from page 6) Best and Worst Oneworld Award Programs

Cathay Pacific: C- / C but on other routes it charges more than partner American.
Uses a flight-distance chart. Asian routes are through its Hong B for new rates, B+ for partner rates. (More details here and
Kong hub, and mileage cost tends to be slightly above the here.) Miles can be transferred from Starwood.
average price to Hong Kong. Points beyond Hong Kong are
Malaysia Airlines: D
charged separately, so the total
Uses a flight-distance chart, but
cost can be high. (More details Why Starwood Is King
(and Amex Rewards Is Queen) it’s a non-starter, as it does not
here.) Transfer partner: Amex
As you can see in our chart below, American only charges 125,000 fly from the U.S. and its partner
Rewards, Citi ThankYou,
miles in First Class between Tokyo and any of its North American flights cost more than other
and Starwood.
gateways. One of the lowest First Class awards to Asia, it costs oneworld carriers. (More details
Japan Airlines: B / B+ even less if you have a Starwood account: only 100,000 here.) Transfer partner: Citi
Divides Asia into five regions. Starpoints—30,000 fewer miles for First Class than United
ThankYou.
charges for Business. In other words, if you have a Starwood
Rates shown are JAL’s new
card and book via American, as opposed to the person using a Qatar: D
prices as of Nov.1, which United credit card and making a direct booking, you’re getting a Flies to/from Asia via Doha and
increased 30,000 to 40,000 free upgrade.
uses a flight-distance chart, but
miles round-trip. Partner
currently offers no First Class
awards are based on flight
cabin from the U.S. Its partner flights also cost more than
distance using the “partner award chart” and start as low as
many oneworld carriers. (More details here.) Transfer
115,000 round-trip for Los Angeles-Tokyo. That’s the
partners: Citi ThankYou and Starwood.
lowest cost for any oneworld partner award on this route,

Round-trip Award Costs to/from Asia > oneworld Airlines > First Class
Own Flight* Partner Flight*
Airline /
Mileage Boston - Chicago - LAX - New York FCF’s Boston - Chicago - LAX - New York - FCF’s Getting
Program Shanghai Hong Kong Tokyo - Singapore Grade Shanghai Hong Kong Tokyo Singapore Grade Miles / Points
Transfer:
American /
135,000 125,000 135,000 A 135,000 125,000 135,000 A Starwood; or
AAdvantage
Purchase
British Does Transfer:
Airways / not fly Amex, Chase,
340,000 374,000 D 400,000 280,000 200,000 320,000 D
Executive this Starwood; or
Club route** Purchase
Transfer:
Cathay Amex, Citi
Pacific / 260,000 220,000 250,000 270,000 C- 180,000 220,000 180,000 260,000 C ThankYou,
Asia Miles Starwood; or
Purchase
Japan
Transfer:
Airlines /
160,000 140,000 170,000 B 155,000*** 115,000*** 155,000*** B+ Starwood; or
JAL Mileage
Purchase
Club
Transfer: Citi
Malaysia /
Does not fly these routes N/A 264,000 D ThankYou; or
Enrich
Purchase
Transfer: Citi
Qatar /
ThankYou,
Privilege No First Class service N/A 300,000 255,000 300,000 D Starwood; or
Club
Purchase
*Mileage cost based on the Continental U. S. **Does not include Los Angeles-Tokyo because flights to Asia are via Europe, a routing that doesn’t make sense from
the West Coast. ***Based on JAL’s partner award chart rate. ****Hong Kong to Shanghai and Singapore flights with Cathay are in Business Class; partner rate New York-
Singapore is based on JAL flights via Tokyo (JAL flight Tokyo-Singapore is in Business Class).

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 7

 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

Mileage Upgrade Pro

Business Class Loopholes in Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance

Loyalty Programs, U.S. to/from Southern South America
These anomalies can net Business Class for only 5,000 more miles than coach—and at up to 36% off.

U.S. domestic airlines charge 100,000 to 125,000 miles for miles than AA requires for an economy ticket. (Note that
a Business Class ticket between the U.S. and southern South transfers can take up to seven days, so choose dates with good
America—Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. But here’s the deal: availability—so availability changes are likely not an issue).
Combine a little-utilized loyalty program with our favorite
credit card points, from Starwood Preferred Amex, and you More Sample Savings with Japan Airlines to
can get Business Class starting at just 55,000 miles round- Southern South America
trip—just 5,000 more than American and United charge Operating
Airline Japan
for coach. Mileage Cost Airlines Cost
(not including (not including Partner
Three Best Deals—by Alliance Operating Starwood Starwood Strategy
Routes Airline bonus) bonus) Savings
See chart (immediately below) for sample savings for each
Dallas -
alliance (details follow). Santiago
Miami -
Buenos Aires
Best of the Best to Southern South America Miami -
By Alliance: Rio de Janeiro
Operating Normal Miami - 35,000 /
65,000
Alliance Carrier Mileage Cost Best Deal Savings Santiago 35%
oneworld American 100,000 65,000 35,000 / 35% Miami -
São Paulo
SkyTeam Delta 125,000 90,000 35,000 / 28% American 100,000
New York -
Star United 110,000 70,000 40,000 / 36% Rio de Janeiro
New York -
The Japan Airlines + Starwood Opportunity São Paulo

Japan Airlines uses a flight distance chart, meaning the miles Dallas -
Buenos Aires
required are based on the distance between departure and Dallas - 20,000 /
80,000
arrival cities, whereas U.S. carriers use a zone chart, which São Paulo 20%

divides the world into zones with a set mileage cost for each. New York -
Buenos Aires
Japan Airlines is a Starwood partner. If you’re not a Starwood
Miami -
player, but do have Amex Rewards points, then you can still Buenos Aires 35,000 /
65,000
save 20% with Cathay Pacific, see details on next page. Miami - 35%
LAN 150,000km
Santiago
Upgrade to Business Class for only 5,000 Miles New York -
80,000
20,000 /
Santiago 20%
Sample savings with Japan Airlines
*Routes that cost 65,000 miles on Japan Airlines cost 80,000 miles with Cathay
New York-Rio de Janeiro Business Class goes for 100,000 Pacific. **Starwood conversion rate to LAN is 1.5 kms for 1 Starwood point, so
150,000 kms equals 100,000 Starpoints, not including the Starwood bonus.
miles round-trip on American; but if you use Japan Airlines
miles and its partner award chart, the ticket, for the same Don’t have Starwood Points, but do have Amex
exact flights, costs only 65,000 miles. (Note that departures Points? Save 20% on Cathay Pacific.
from other U.S. cities require more miles or purchasing a Cathay uses a flight-distance chart and offers lower rates
separate ticket to the gateway cities in the chart to the right.) than American and LAN on some routes. Rates are not as
To take advantage of this award chart discrepancy, transfer
(continued on next page)
just 55,000 Starpoints to Japan Airlines, only 5,000 more
Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 8
 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

(continued from page 8) Business Class Loopholes to South America

low as Japan Airlines—many routes that cost 65,000 miles on
Japan Airlines cost 85,000 on Cathay—but the latter has
more credit-card transfer partners, Amex Rewards, Citi
ThankYou, and Starwood. Transfer time is as short as one
day, so the odds can be better for award space if you transfer
points. (For information on getting miles with any of the
oneworld airlines listed, see special report here, page 6.)
miles than Business Class via United MileagePlus (and
Chase Ultimate Rewards) and only 10,000 more miles than
coach. To take advantage of this discrepancy, use just 60,000
Starpoints. The cost is valid from anywhere in the U.S. and
Canada, so note that the routes in the chart top right are just
examples. If you are originating in Atlanta, New York, or Los
Angeles, the price is still 70,000 miles.

Five Fast Steps to Booking Upgrade for 5,000 Miles Don’t have Starwood Points, but do have Amex
Step #1: Find award seats on American or LAN via their Points? Still Save 20% with All Nippon
websites. All Nippon uses a flight-distance chart with lower rates than
Step #2: Create a JAL account (in 5 minutes here). United on some routes. The routes in the chart on top cost
Step #3: Check award space via JAL for American online, or 88,000 All Nippon miles; the cost goes up from other U.S.
call (800) 525-3663 for travel on LAN. cities. Rates are not as low as on Asiana Airlines, but All
Step #4: Transfer the necessary points from Starwood to JAL. Nippon has Amex Rewards as a credit-card transfer partner in
Step #5: When you have the JAL miles, book your award. addition to Starwood. Transfer time is usually instantly, which
ups the odds for getting award space on transfer. (For more
Star Alliance Upgrades for 10,000 Miles on getting miles with any of the Star Alliance airlines listed,
Differences also occur in programs within the same alliance
see our special report here, page 10.)
that use a zone chart. Here, the partner to use is Asiana
Airlines, a Starwood partner, or All Nippon, an Amex Five Fast Steps to Booking Upgrades
Rewards partner. for 10,000 Miles for Travel on United
Step #1: Find award seats here on United.
Sample savings with United: Chicago-São Paulo
Step #2: Create an Asiana Airlines account (5 minutes here).
Business Class starts at 110,000 miles round-trip. But if you
Step #3: Call Asiana Airlines at (800) 227-4262 to verify
use an Asiana Airlines partner award, the ticket—for travel
United award space.
on United—costs only 70,000 miles round-trip, 40,000 fewer
Step #4: Transfer the necessary points from Starwood to
Asiana Airlines.
Upgrade to South America for Just 10,000 Miles Step #5: When you have the Asiana miles, call (800)
with Starwood and Star Alliance
227-4262 to book.
Operating
Airline Asiana
Mileage Airlines SkyTeam Deals: Good, but not as good
Cost (not Cost (not
including including Partner
Differences also occur within partner award programs even if
Operating Starwood Starwood Strategy the airline is not part of an alliance, but still has partners that
Routes Airline bonus) bonus) Savings
are members and use a zone chart.
Chicago - São Paulo
Houston - Sample savings with Delta: Atlanta-Buenos Aires Business
Buenos Aires
Class starts at 125,000 miles round-trip. But a Virgin Atlantic
Houston -
Rio de Janeiro United
110,000
70,000 Miles
40,000 / partner award for travel on Delta costs only 90,000 miles,
Miles 36%
Houston - Santiago 35,000 fewer miles than via SkyMiles, and only 30,000 more
New York - São Paulo miles than coach. It takes just 75,000 Starpoints or 90,000
Washington, DC - Amex Membership Rewards, Chase, or Citi ThankYou points.
São Paulo
*All routes in chart are 88,000 miles with All Nippon miles, an Amex Rewards
partner. (continued on next page)

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 9

 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

(continued from page 9) Business Class Loopholes to South America

The price applies from anywhere in the U.S. The routes to the
right are just samples. From Minneapolis, San Francisco and Sample SkyTeam Savings to South America
Seattle, the price is still 90,000 miles. Business Class Via Partner Programs
Virgin
Five Fast Steps to Booking Partner Flights Operating Airline Atlantic Cost
Mileage Cost (not including Partner
with Virgin Atlantic Miles Operating (not including Starwood Strategy
Routes Airline Starwood bonus) bonus) Savings
Step #1: Check the Delta website for award space.
Atlanta -
Step #2: Create a Virgin Atlantic account (5 minutes here). Buenos Aires
Step #3: Call Virgin Atlantic (800) 365-9500 to check for Atlanta -
Rio de Janeiro
Delta award space.
Atlanta - 35,000 /
Step #4: Transfer the necessary points from Amex Rewards, Santiago
Delta 125,000 Miles 90,000 Miles
28%
Chase, Citi ThankYou, or Starwood to Virgin Atlantic. Atlanta -
Step #5: When you have the Virgin Atlantic miles, call (800) São Paulo
New York -
365-9500 to book. São Paulo

The Dealer

How to Combine an Old Deal with Some New EasyUp Fares to Bring
Business Class to Europe Down to Unbelievable Levels
Among the benefits of AARP membership are $400 off
British Airways First and Business Class fares. There’s no
age requirement to join AARP (membership is just $16
annually and can be had instantly).

Four hundred dollars is not a lot of money, which is why

FCF stopped covering this deal, which has been around for a
long time. However, with British Airways increasing
expansion into EasyUp fares, which start at $1,400 round-trip
between the U.S. and Europe in Business Class, knocking off What We’re Seeing BA Do More Of: Compete
another $400 can bring the ticket down to the cost of coach. The most recent example of such savings is a $1,616
That’s worth doing, and the program has just been Business Class fare BA offered from Boston, Charlotte,
extended for another year. Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose,
The discount also applies to the new 2-to-8 Business Class Seattle, Washington, DC to London (go here for details).
fares (see page 2). Combining the current 2-to-8 fare and the Add in the $400 discount and the fare dropped to an
$400 AARP discount nets a 50-day advance Business Class unbelievable $1,216 round-trip.
Boston-Madrid ticket for $1,877 (see screenshot to the right).
The discount also applies on BA code-share flights to Europe
(American and Iberia). AARP membership can also reduce
hotel prices, rail tickets, cruise, and more, go here for details.

Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc. 10

 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r

(continued from page 1) British Airway’s New Flat-Fee Cash Upgrade

(See image and chart below.) In August, the First Class fare
on BA was $5,187, a fare drop of $1,215 in just three months
(in November 2014 that same ticket was $6,402).
Not Flying to London?
Consider a Two-Ticket Strategy
Use the new First Class fares to get to London, and a second
ticket to reach your destination. You lower the cost
and get a second city in the bargain (a stopover).

Two-Ticket Strategy Example

For perspective, that’s up to $250 less than the cash
surcharge American and United require to upgrade from
Business to First Class with miles. You’re also saving 40,000
to 50,000 miles if you snag one of these new fares.
New York-London in First Class is now $4,115
(only two years ago it was as high as $12,418). The
London-Frankfurt connection costs $470 round-trip
in Business Class, for a total of $4,585 on British Airways.
Buy the same ticket on Lufthansa and it costs $9,174, a
difference of $4,589 / 50%—the cost of a second First
Class ticket.

Other points to keep in mind with these

Sample British Airways Routes to London new lower First Class fares
with a $850 Fare Difference Between
First and Business Class • Discounted First Class earns 100% more miles than
U.S. Departure City First Class Business Class Difference
discounted Business Class, so you earn miles faster for free
award travel; go here for details on earning BA miles.
Philadelphia $3,972 $3,122
• No reason to use miles to upgrade on BA either because
New York $4,115 $3,265 upgrades to London cost 40,000 to 50,000 miles, giving
Washington, DC $4,299 $3,449 you a return of only 1.7¢ to 2.1¢.
• AARP offers a $400 discount on BA premium seats, and it
Chicago $4,615 $3,765
can also be applied to the new First Class fares, reducing
Miami $4,623 $3,773
the cost to as low as $3,592. For more information on the
$850
Dallas $4,942 $4,092 AARP discount see page 10.
• BA’s new First Class fares still earn a 50% mileage bonus
Houston $5,015 $4,165
if you credit your BA flights to the American AAdvantage
Denver $5,131 $4,281
miles program.
Seattle $5,288 $4,438 • The flat $850 upgrade fee from Business Class to First
San Francisco $5,400 $4,550
Class on the U.S.-London routes also applies to 90- and
50-day advance fares.
*Restriction: 150-day advance-purchase, booking code A, minimum stay:
Saturday night.

150-Day Business Class Fare Alert

Getting an airline’s lowest Business and First Class fares
on many routes these days requires booking 150 days in
advance. That’s a new thing. Right now, that means flights
departing in April 2016.
For a flight from Philadelphia to Dublin on April 15, you
save $1,900 by booking by Nov. 14 ($2,152) rather than on
Copyright ©2015 First Class Flyer, Inc.
Nov. 15 ($4,052). Yes, lower fares may come along, but
bird-in-the-hand, especially for those who like their plans
tied with a bow.
New everyday low Business and First Class fares are being
offered on more airlines and on more routes than ever. See
FCF’s August report on page 2.
11
 MATTHEW B E N N E T T Fir st C lass Flye r
The FCF Worldwide Mileage-Seat Locator
When Spending Miles Is Relatively Easy
Airline / Departure Availability Return Availability
Mileage
Program Route Class Handful Hopeful Hooray Handful Hopeful Hooray
Dec., July to Jan. to March, April, May, July,
Montreal - London Business Jan. to April Dec., Sept.
Sept. June Aug.
Dec., Jan.,
Air Canada / March, May to Feb., May,
Toronto - São Paulo Business Dec., Sept. April March, April, June, July
Aeroplan Aug. Aug.
Sept.
Nov., Dec., Jan., May, June, Dec., Jan.,
Toronto - Tokyo Business Feb. to April June
Feb., April, july Aug., Sept. May, July, Aug.
Miami - São Paulo First Nov. Dec., Feb. Nov. Dec. to Feb.
American / New York - London Business Jan. Feb., March Jan. Feb. to April May
AAdvantage
New York -
Business Jan. Feb. to May Jan. Feb. to May
Rio de Janeiro

Boston - London Business Nov. Dec. to Aug. Nov. Dec. to Aug.

Delta /
SkyMiles New York - London Business Dec. Jan. to Aug. Dec. to Aug.
Seattle - Seoul Business March to Aug. March to Aug.
Nov., Feb.,
Chicago - Shanghai First Jan., April Dec. Jan. to March
March, July
Nov. to Jan.,
United / New York - Dec., Feb. to Nov., Jan.,
Business March, May, July June, July
MileagePlus Birmingham April Aug.
June
Washington, DC -
First Dec. Nov., May Jan. to April, June Dec. Nov., Jan. to June
São Paulo
Major Credit Cards and Their Airline Point-Transfer Partners
Amex Membership Rewards: Air Canada, Delta. Starwood: Air Canada, American, Delta, and United.
Chase Ultimate Rewards: United.
Handful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during FIRST CLASS FLYER
the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. 2511 Garden Road,
Hopeful: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days Suite B-150
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Hooray: Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more
during the months indicated. www.firstclassflyer.com

When more than two consecutive months are indicated, it includes the entire last month. Thus, Jan. to April PUBLISHER
means “through April.” Matthew J. Bennett
MANAGING EDITOR
PUBLICATION GROUND RULES Ellen Dootson
Everybody knows how frequently airfares change: Some estimates claim that there are up to 500,000 fare changes CONSULTING EDITOR
daily. Because that’s a few too many for FCF to keep up with, we cannot guarantee that all fares discussed will be Gary Walther
available when you make a booking. Also, for the sake of a quick and easy “executive summary” format, all fare CIRCULATION MANAGER
Judy Pinney
rules and restrictions can’t possibly be included. Fares quoted usually include approximated taxes.
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 Congratulations
Kansas City
Royals

And to the Mets: great respect.