British Airways has just launched a summer companion fare sale, for anyone looking for a last minute gateway.
British Airways fare sale basics
There are some things that make this sale unique:
- It’s mostly for last-minute travel
- It’s a companion offer, so it’s only valid if you’re traveling with someone
- It’s for travel originating in London, which is great since oftentimes fares out of London are outrageously expensive, as it’s a prime business market (also keep in mind that fares out of London are subjected to the high UK Air Passenger Duty, so the fact that these low fares include that is awesome)
While you’ll want to check the terms for each city pair, the sale is mostly valid for flights booked through August 19, 2019, and for travel through September 30, 2019. There’s a Saturday night minimum stay required for these fares.
In all cases, you have to originate in London to take advantage of these fares, so this is most practical for people in Europe.
Business-class fare sales
Just to give some examples of the fares that are available, you can fly roundtrip business class for two people for £2,019 (or about ~$2,440) between the following city pairs:
- From London to Abu Dhabi
- From London to Dubai
- From London to Las Vegas
- From London to New Orleans
- From London to New York
- From London to Philadelphia
- From London to Washington
British Airways’ 747 business class
There are some other great fares available, though the above are the best in my opinion. Check out the sale page for all the city pairs on sale.
If you do book a business class fare sale, British Airways makes it easy to upgrade from business class to first class, so for planes operated by planes with a first-class cabin.
Furthermore, keep in mind that British Airways’ new Club Suites debut between London and Dubai as of early September, so this is a way to score an incredible deal on a flight in that cabin.
British Airways’ new A350 business class
First-class fare sales
There are also some excellent first class fares. You can fly roundtrip first class for two people for £3,019 (or about ~$3,645) between the following city pairs:
- From London to Houston
- From London to Miami
- From London to New York
- From London to Toronto
- From London to Washington
British Airways’ 747 first class
Earning miles from British Airways flights
These flights should credit as “I class” in business class, and “A class” in first class, so here are some options when deciding where to credit (you can earn even more miles with status):
- Alaska Mileage Plan: 150% elite miles and 250% redeemable miles for business, 250% elite miles and 450% redeemable miles for first
- American AAdvantage: 200% elite miles and 125% redeemable miles in business, 200% elite miles and 150% redeemable miles in first
- British Airways Executive Club: 150% redeemable miles in business, 250% redeemable miles in first
Just to give an example of first-class mileage earning with the Houston deal, you’d be traveling ~9,670 miles roundtrip. If crediting to Alaska Mileage Plan you’d earn 43,515 Alaska miles, and you could be earning up to 55,603 miles with status. At a valuation of about two cents per mile, that’s half of your ticket cost back in miles.
Bottom line
Typically the best premium fares are available out of secondary markets, so to see a sale like this out of London is pretty remarkable. While it won’t be for everyone, this is a great opportunity for anyone looking for a last-minute getaway.
Anyone plan to take advantage of these great British Airways fares?
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