How to make cheap Europe-U.S. fares work for you.
This report at a glance:
- Why buy Business Class tickets from Europe to the U.S.?
- Current deals from Europe to the U.S.
- When going “backwards” saves you money
- Going backwards doesn’t work for you?
Why Buy Business Class Tickets from Europe to the U.S.?
Conventional thinking says if you want to go to Europe, you buy a round-trip ticket from the U.S. to Europe. But if you go “backwards” — that is, if you buy a ticket to the U.S. from Europe — you can take advantage of substantial savings. Right now, fares from Europe to the U.S. can be MUCH lower than the reverse. So, if you travel to Europe two or more times a year, buying low Business Class tickets from Europe to the U.S. can save you 38%+. Just reverse your thinking.
Overall, Business Class fares starting at sub-$2,000 levels from the U.S. to Europe are harder to find this year than they were in 2017, making this tactic of buying low Europe-to-U.S. Business Class fares an even better deal than last year.
Go Back and Conquer With This Deal
Business Class fares tend to be lower from Europe to the U.S., as evidenced here with some recent finds:
Europe to U.S. $1,286 R/T Business Class Fares
New London to U.S. $1,625 R/T Business Class Fares / £1,241
As you can see, fares from Europe to the U.S. are still available for less than $1,700. Plus, it appears that Europe departures have more fare promotions to the U.S. than from the U.S. to Europe in 2018.
Let’s take London-Newark on United, for example. If you buy a ticket in Europe, the cost in Business Class is $1,812 (£1,415) right now, but if you buy a ticket from Newark to London the price increases to $2,919, a difference of $1,107 (47%).
London-Newark
Newark-London
When Going “Backwards” Saves You Money
This approach obviously works best if you’re making a couple of trips to Europe, because you have to return to Europe to make the fare work. The idea is to bookend the deal with a one-way ticket to Europe like this:
- U.S. to Europe: To get started, you might get to Europe using a one-way ticket with miles.
- Europe to U.S.: Purchase a round-trip ticket from Europe to the U.S. and use the first leg or departure of incredibly low round-trip deal. (For example, London-Newark with United, as shown above.)
- U.S. to Europe: This is the second leg or return of incredibly low round-trip deal (Newark-London).
- Decision time: You can return home on another one-way ticket with miles OR you can start the process again, and buy a round-trip from Europe to the U.S.
Going Backwards Doesn’t Work for You?
If you are only traveling to Europe for a one-time visit then this method might not work for you. If that is the case, here are some other options you should think about:
Be An Opportunity Traveler: Beware of destination blindness and go where the deals are. For low-fare route deals see FCF’s daily deals.
Consider Open-Jaw Itineraries: Remember, the aim of FCF fare alerts is to highlight the routes, departure cities, and destinations that offer the best deal or the lowest fare at that moment. So, you might consider open-jaw tickets, because they can save you a lot of money when flash low fares rear their beautiful heads.
Save Hundreds Through Amex: The Amex’s International Airline Program (IAP) offers a fare discount of 8% to 15%+ on many published First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy fares.
British Airways Visa Card Discount: 10% discount in any cabin, including First Class, for up to eight people traveling on the same flight.
Using Miles for Free Award Travel: For low-cost mileage routes availability see FCF’s daily deals.
Using Miles for an Upgrade: For routes which offer upgrade availability using miles see FCF’s daily deals.