By nailing the stratospheric 54% savings possible on Lufthansa, especially if you can fly via the carrier’s three East Coast hubs.
There are dozens of ways to book non-stop First Class seats Europe to/from Boston, New York and Washington, DC.
To narrow the options, start by asking these crucial questions:
- When and on what carrier is there good availability?
- How can I buy the miles if I don't have enough in my account to cover the cost of an award?
[aside headline="United MileagePlus Members Get Hosed, Again " alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]United’s non-stops from New York and Washington, DC to Europe have almost no First Class mileage award seats over the next 11 months, which is why the carrier is not part of this special report.[/aside]
The answer to the first question right now is Lufthansa. What follows is a rundown of the carrier's best First Class deals in the upcoming months (up to two seats available).
Lufthansa First Class
(Boeing 747-8)
Published Fares: To Frankfurt from Boston round-trip starts at $10,037—$10,135 from Washington, DC (Dulles), and $7,119 from New York (JFK). New York-Munich starts at $9,334.
Mileage Cost: 170,000, with the rest of Europe or a stopover in Germany at no extra cost. Or, you can add a free domestic flight to any Lufthansa U.S. gateway on partner United. (See mileage award availability using Lufthansa miles in the chart below.)
No Lufthansa Miles? No Problem: Transfer 135,000 Starwood points.
Partner Opportunities:
Asiana Airlines: Just 100,000 miles for Lufthansa flights.
Starwood Points: Transfer to Asiana to bring down the award cost to 80,000 points (with the 25% transfer bonus) to/from any U.S. city, a savings of up to 42%.
Best “Buy Miles to Fly in Style” Deal: Save 54% through Air Canada: Air Canada charges 140,000 miles for First Class. Purchasing Amex Rewards points at 2.5¢ each brings the First Class ticket down to $4,620 round-trip (including about $1,120 in award taxes), a savings of $5,515 (54%) on the Washington, DC-Frankfurt ($10,135).
Partner mileage award space is seldom the same as Lufthansa’s own for First Class as Lufthansa gives preference to members in their own mileage program first. Note that you must be very flexible to book Lufthansa’s First Class using partner miles as often partner award space can only be booked within 14 days of departure.
Sweet Redeem Survey: First Class on Lufthansa to Europe, Up to Two Seats Available
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