Deal Alert: Business Class to China in Delta One Suites or United Polaris From $2,209 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.
These days it’s pretty easy to score a cheap flight to China — in economy. But, with shrinking coach seats and a long ride over the Pacific, some travelers might skip the destination altogether due to it being so far away. Enter great business-class fares to China — score a ticket from the US to China from $2,200 round-trip. Even better, Delta and United both are offering their top business class products for the long tide over the Pacific.
For Delta flights: Fly through Detroit (DTW) to fly the excellent new A350 Delta One Suites.
For United flights: Fly through San Francisco (SFO) to check out the new Polaris lounge and fly in a true Polaris business class seat for the flight to Beijing (PEK).
Unless you book a flight to a third country, you can’t take advantage of China’s “visa-free transit” policy. So, make sure you get the right visa before traveling or you won’t even be able to get on the plane. TPG recommends using a third-party service like Allied Passport & Visa, and if you mention The Points Guy on your order form, you’ll get a $5 discount.
There are no tricks needed to find these fares — just pick the dates you want by searching with Google Flights. While these are great deals, it’s still a significant cash outlay. So, it’s particularly important to remember your best options for booking these flights:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Book with this card to earn 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards, or redeem points for this purchase at 1.5 cents per point (from 147,300 points round-trip)
Airline: Delta, United
Routes: BOS/BTV/BDL/ORD/RDU/GSO to PEK
Cost: $2,209+ round-trip in business class
Dates: May-October 2018
Booking Link: Orbitz or Expedia or with the airline directly
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Boston (BOS) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,209 in Delta One Suites:
Boston (BOS) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,209 in United Polaris:
Burlington (BTV) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,325 in Delta One Suites:
Hartford, CT (BDL) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,325 in Delta One Suites:
Chicago (ORD) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,429 in Delta One Suites:
Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,506 in Delta One Suites:
Greensboro (GSO) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,506 in Delta One Suites:
Chicago (ORD) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,545 in United Polaris:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Platinum Card (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
