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I tweeted this deal first from @MileValueAlerts. Follow @MileValueAlerts on Twitter and follow these directions to get a text message every time I tweet from that account. I tweet from @MileValueAlerts only a few times a month because it is designed to be used only for the best and most limited-time deals–like mistake fares–so that you aren’t bombarded by text messages.

We originally saw a similar deal available in mid March, and it looks like some of these fares from American, Delta, British Airways, and United are back, along with even more from Lufthansa and Singapore.

Various airlines are offering cheap roundtrip Business Class flights between the United States and Europe. Prices are sub $2,000, the bottom of the range starting around $1,790. Travel dates are available throughout the summer and continue, in many cases, to the end of the schedule.

Contents

  1. When are the cheap fares?
  2. Mileage Earning
  3. Baggage Allowance
  4. Best Way to Buy the Ticket

Sub $2k Roundtrips in Business from Various US Cities to Various European Cities

Cheap fares are between multiple cities in the United States, including but not limited to…

  • New York City
  • Boston
  • Pittsburgh
  • Raleigh-Durham

….to multiple cities in Europe, including but not limited to…

  • Frankfurt
  • Dublin
  • Paris
  • Moscow

The easiest way to see the cheap fares is on Google Flights. The cheap fares can be found through the summer in June, July and August, and continuing on through the end of the schedule in spurts. Once you find the fare, book on the airline’s website.

I brought up the following calendar of prices between New York City and Frankfurt on Google Flights. There are many roundtrips for $1,999 or less flying Delta, Lufthansa, and even Singapore Business Class.

Note that that Singapore route between JFK and Frankfurt is flown by an A380…

Here are some more examples of the cheap roundtrip fares available to Europe right now…

Raleigh to Paris for $1,997 in Delta One.

Toronto to Moscow for $1,789 (mostly in British Airways Business Class).

Pittsburgh to Paris for $1,989 in Delta One.

Mileage Earning

Remember you don’t have to credit miles earned to the airline’s program that you’re flying. Here’s how the process of crediting to a partner works.

If you book a United flight, read Where to Credit Butt in Seat Miles: Flying United Airlines to learn more about which Star Alliance airline is the most advantageous to credit your miles to.

Premier Qualifying Segments, Premier Qualifying Dollars, and Premier Qualifying Miles earned will vary by route. Learn more about potential earnings on united.com.

If you book an American Airlines flight, assuming you have no status, you’ll earn 5 American Airlines miles per dollar spent. For this ticket that means you’ll earn about 10,000 redeemable miles ($2,000 x 5).

Crediting to Alaska Airlines is probably a better idea if you’re flying American and trying to rake in more redeemable miles…

Elite Qualifying Segments, Elite Qualifying Dollars, and Elite Qualifying Miles earned will vary by route. Learn more about potential earnings on aa.com.

Crediting to Alaska is an especially good idea if you’re flying British Airways and want more redeemable miles…

If you book a Delta flight, Medallion Qualifying Segments, Medallion Qualifying Dollars, and Medallion Qualifying Miles earned will vary by route. Learn more about potential earnings on delta.com. If you’re more concerned with redeemable miles, check out Where to Credit Butt-In-Seat Miles Flying Delta.

If you book a Lufthansa flight, you’re better off crediting miles to United as you’ll earn 100% of the distance flown, as opposed to a measly 1,500 Lufthansa miles (for booking class P).

If you book a Singapore flight, you’re probably better off crediting miles to Singapore unless you highly value United miles, as you’ll earn 125% of the miles flown crediting to Singapore and only 100% of the miles flown crediting to United (booking class D).

Baggage Allowance

If you book a United flight, you’ll get two checked bags up to 70 lbs each for free, as well as free carry-on, and a free personal item.

If you book an American Airlines flight, you get a free personal item, free carry on, and two free checked bags up to 70 pounds each included in the ticket price.

If you book a British Airways flight, you get a free personal item, free carry on, and two free checked bags up to 70 pounds each included in the ticket price.

If you book a Delta flight, you get a free personal item, free carry on, and two free checked bags up to 70 pounds each included in the ticket price.

If you book a Lufthansa flight, you get a free personal item, free carry on, and two free checked bags up to 70 pounds each included in the ticket price.

If you book a Singapore flight, you get a free personal item, free carry on, and two free checked bags up to 70 pounds each included in the ticket price.

Best Way to Buy the Ticket

If you have enough Membership Rewards, you should buy this ticket by Paying with Points (through the Amex Travel Portal) if you have the American Express Business Platinum card, which gives you a 50% rebate. If you Pay with Points, you’ll effectively be getting 2 cents of value per point on all Business/First fares after that rebate. A $2,000 roundtrip Business Class fare to Europe would be 100,000 Membership Rewards (200,000 before the rebate), which is less than the 115,000 to 140,000 legacy airline miles you’d pay for such a flight. Not to mention the 100,000 Membership Rewards is all you’d pay. With traditional miles, you’d pay taxes of $100 to $300 on the award. You’d even earn redeemable miles as well as elite qualifying segments/dollars/miles on the trip, which you wouldn’t if you were redeeming miles on the ticket as an award.

If you don’t have an American Express Business Platinum/enough Membership Rewards to Pay with Points upfront, buy it with an Amex Platinum card for 5x earnings. Don’t have one those either? Check out the Best Credit Card to Buy Airfare.

Credit card links have been removed from posts and added to the menu bar at the top of every page of MileValue under the heading Top Travel Credit Cards

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