Save $9,698 on Business Class when you book the South Pacific and Europe trips at the same time
If you’re reading this special report, you’re not the kind of person who flies 15 or 20 hours in the “back of the bus,” that’s for sure. Many of you also aren’t willing to spend the outrageous retail prices to get to the lovely land of Oz and New Zealand.
Business Class fares to the South Pacific are about as high as they get. They typically range from $6,000 to $14,000+. As the Aussies would say: “fair dinkum, that’s a shocker!”
So what’s a savvy traveler to do?
FCF’s Leg Stretch Strategy to the Rescue
Our Leg Stretch Strategy works like this:
If you live in the U.S. and plan to visit two different continents in one year (let’s say Europe and Australia or New Zealand, in this case), you can combine all those trips together on one ticket. Bet you never thought that was possible with places as diverse as Europe and the South Pacific. But when you compare the cost of visiting each region separately versus combining it all into FCF’s “Leg Stretch Strategy,” the difference is Uluru-sized. And don’t forget, you can spread the trips out so you don’t have to go on your world tour all at once.
Savings That Cover Additional Flights: The only thing about the Leg Stretch Strategy that makes people pause for thought is that it starts and finishes outside of the U.S. But here’s the thing: The savings are so big that they more than cover the cost of getting to the starting destination from the U.S., and getting back home to the U.S. to finish.
Or you could be a travel genius and combine two Leg Stretches in a row to save even more because you’re already at the starting point of Leg Stretch number 2. (Check for a deeper dive on the Leg Stretch Strategy using Europe and South America as the example.) Let’s get stretching with an example for travel to New Zealand.
A Leg Stretch That Combines
Chicago, Rome, and Auckland
A friend of mine, Trevor, lives in Chicago and likes to travel. I said to him, “You’ve gotta go down under and visit now that it’s open again.” Trevor’s also a big fan of Italian Neoclassical art, so Rome was on his radar, too. Which is why I told him, “You can combine both trips on one ticket with FCF’s Leg Stretch Strategy and save more than seven grand!” He said, “Bennett, tell me more!”
Here’s how it works
Trevor flies to Rome on a one-way flight (or a round-trip of which the return flight is completed at the end of the Leg Stretch).
Then the Leg Stretch starts:
- Rome to Chicago (stop at home for a while)
- Chicago to Auckland (enjoy Kiwi hospitality)
- Auckland to Chicago (stop at home for a while)
- Chicago to Rome (enjoy Europe again)
On United, this entire four-leg ticket costs $3,361 in Business Class. Screenshot below.
All of that is on one Business Class ticket. On a side note, you can substitute Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne, Australia, for Auckland, New Zealand, often for a similar price.
As mentioned, Chicago resident Trevor can hang out at home after segment 1 and segment 3. He has 12 months to complete the entire Leg Stretch.
While Chicago had the best fares we found, other U.S. cities can still save you well over 50%.
Savings Analysis
Now let’s compare this to a Business Class trip where those destinations are broken down into separate trips. In Business Class, it would cost around $11,003 at the time of publication. Again, combining them into one LSS Business Class ticket costs $3,361. That’s a savings of $7,642, or 69%. That’s a barbecue on Auckland’s Onetangi Beach with lobster on the menu and the whole team invited!
Here are some other Leg Stretch options that start in Europe, and the Pacific-sized savings they give you.
Sample LSS Fares
Rome – Chicago – Auckland – Chicago – Rome
The Equivalent of Two Round-Trips
on United in Business Class for $3,361
Start Your Trip In Europe > U.S. > Australia or New Zealand > U.S. > Europe
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Get Creative, Switch It Up
Instead of traveling to and from Zurich, travel to Zurich and from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Venice, etc. Let’s get stretching with an example for travel down under.
Zurich – Dallas – Melbourne – Dallas – Frankfurt
The Equivalent of Two Round-Trips
on American in Business Class for $5,017, (4,649 CHF)
End Game:
Keep the LSS Party Pumping, or Sleep It Off at Home?
At the end of your Leg Stretch adventure, you have two options. You can embark on ANOTHER Leg Stretch ticket, or just get a ticket that takes you back home. Let’s break this down.
Option #1: Book another LSS Ticket. Remember, in Europe you’re already at the starting point of another LSS. Since you can control the timing of that final flight from the U.S. to complete an LSS, you can tie it right into your next multi-continent ticket. The savings you’d net over more trips like this are astronomical.
Option #2: Head Home. If you’re a one-and-done LSSer, you can buy a round-trip ticket to/from the starting point and return destination, or even two one-way tickets.
Remember, you still need to get to and from the start of the Leg Stretch, but those savings more than cover the cost of doing that. And hey, think about using your miles to kickstart your trip too.
FCF has also examined many other Leg Stretches including Asia, the Middle East, and South America.