Fly first class to London, Paris and Rome this summer from $2639 round-trip
We know traveling first class isn't in everyone's financial wheelhouse. But if you can afford it, there is a big sale right now for seats in the front of the cabin for flights to Europe. American and British Airways have cut prices on first-class fares to some of the most popular destinations on the continent, including London, Milan, Paris, and Rome. This is an excellent way to fly overseas in comfort in lie-flat seats.
The travel window for this sale is during peak summer travel season, July and August. Some routes have some availability into March 2025, so if you prefer to make your plans further on down the road, make sure to search for your preferred destination. You may get lucky. Also, many routes are nonstops, but some of the best prices involve itineraries with layovers.
Related:
Deal basics
Airlines: American Airlines, British Airways
Routes: Round-trip first class from various U.S. cities to London, Paris, Milan, and Rome
How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline
Travel dates: Mainly for travel in July and August 2024.
This deal was originally sent out by the deal alert company Going. Sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year for access to all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.
You can also sign up for a free trial through this link.
Sample flights
European destinations that are part of this sale include:
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR), London, England
- Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Paris, France
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), Milan, Italy
- Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO), Rome, Italy
U.S. cities featured in this deal:
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Boston, MA
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas, Texas
- William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Houston, Texas
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York City, NY
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, CA
Let's start in New York City. American has first-class cabins available to Rome (FCO) for only $2,639 roundtrip in July.
That's a fantastic price for first-class to the Ancient City, per Google Flights data.
You can find this same excellent price in August for this route on American.
There is good availability for flights from New York City to Milan. You can fly from Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) in August for $3,056 round-trip. Please note there is a layover at Heathrow Airport each way.
You can save big money on flights to Paris from Miami in July. American has first-class seats from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for $3,082, a major discount for this route. Even taking into account the layover each way, it's still an incredible deal.
Miami to Rome (FCO) is another major bargain. We found good availability for this route in August that's less than half the usual cost.
San Francisco to Rome is also available at a huge discount. You can fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Rome in August for less than $4,000, which is an incredible savings.
Some of the best fares we found in this deal were from Texas to England. American has first-class seats departing from George Bush InterContinental Airport in Houston (IAH) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) in late July for just $3,748 round-trip.
Boston to London also has good availability, although the price depends on the date. We found this itinerary in July from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to London for $2,718 round-trip.
Related: The best cheap (or absolutely free) things to do in London
Maximize your purchase
When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
- American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases and 4 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline
Bottom line
Not all first-class cabins are created equal, so remember to check the model of the airplane that will be flown on the routes you're interested in. Also, if Paris is your destination of choice in this deal, make sure to read TPG's tips for the best ways to get from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month