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Discount Business Class Fares to Europe From $2,400 Roundtrip

May 13, 2013
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4 min read
BA Summer Sale Feat
Discount Business Class Fares to Europe From $2,400 Roundtrip
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British Airways is offering a summer sale through tomorrow for roundtrip business class flights from New York to the UK and Europe starting at $2,699 for travel between June 28-September 5, 2013, and other airlines have started matching.

BA Summer Sale

The BA discount fares are available from New York (JFK as well as Newark) to London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam and Rome. You must book by May 14, though.

So let's say you wanted you wanted to make a big holiday out of the July 4 weekend (the holiday itself actually falls on a Thursday) and fly to the UK. I found plenty of roundtrip business class flights on both BA and American for a total of $2,692.

Fares are as low as $2,692.

Not only that, but if you have the British Airways Visa Signature Card, you can use your 10% cardholder discount with promo code CARDOFFERU on the price quote page to get an additional 10% off, bringing your price down to $2,422!

The 10% BA Visa cardholder discount is also valid on these fares.

Compare that to what fares are going for in June at around $4,657 and you're getting a good 48% discount.

These flights normally go for almost twice as much.

It's still expensive, but if you're considering a splurge it could be worth it. Not only that, but because this ticket is in the "I" fare code class, it is upgradeable, so if you buy business class tickets, on this route, you can upgrade to first class using just 20,000 Avios each way! An "I" fare also earns 100% EQM's on American and a 25% class-of-service bonus on award miles if you credit your BA flights to your American AAdvantage account. It also earns 1.5 Elite Qualifying Points per miles, which is rare for discounted fares, so this itinerary could give you a bump of 10,353 EQP's towards elite status requalification.

If you have American Express Membership Rewards points, there is currently a 35% transfer bonus now through June 7, 2013, so you would only need to transfer 15,000 Membership Rewards points for each upgrade (30,000 total for roundtrip). Comparable first class flights the same days going for $12,304 (with the same taxes and fees as the business class ticket - not that anyone would actually pay this much), so your Amex points would be worth an astounding 33 cents each!

The same flights in first class are at a whopping $12,304.

It also looks like Air Canada, United, Delta, KLM and Air France are all matching the discount fares already, so if Oneworld isn't your alliance, or you'd prefer flying a different carrier to rack up the miles there instead or to try another carrier's business class (although British Airways is top of the heap, you have some other great options). Since American is also matching the sale, you could also use it as a way to try out American's new 777-300ER flagship business class service, which I just enjoyed on my way back from Sao Paulo to New York last month.

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Other airlines are already matching.

Although the mid- to high-$2,000 range is not cheap by any means, compared to the usual fares on these routes, it's a bargain, especially during the high summer travel season where business class travel slacks but economy travel picks up. Not to mention the fact that economy fares on the same flights are running about $1,454 - so you're paying $1,000 more total to fly business.

Combined with the 10% BA Visa cardholder discount and the excellent value of using Avios to upgrade, this could be a great way to get to Europe in business or first class for a fraction of the usual price.
[card card-name='British Airways Visa Signature® Card' card-id='22129607' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.