Etihad has a fare that allows business or first class travel — roundtrip — originating in Colombo, Sri Lanka and traveling to Dallas Fort Worth and back for ~ US$1450 all-in.
The most natural routing that comes up most often and most easily is Colombo – Abu Dhabi – Chicago – Dallas. But the Abu Dhabi – Chicago flight (EY 150/151) doesn’t offer a first class cabin.
For first class you’d want to route via New York JFK, Washington Dulles, or Europe (e.g. Paris, Frankfurt). Europe routings would mean flying American’s first class transatlantic. If you can swing a London routing you’d get American’s new 777-300ER in first.
Here’s an Orbitz multi-day grid of available fares, searching business class:
And here’s a sample itinerary priced on the Etihad website:
One-way travel originating in Colombo is also available for ~ $1000. Here’s a sample that includes first class from Abu Dhabi to Europe and business class Europe to Dallas. This came up with a business class search.
The fare appears to be valid throughout the full booking calendar. I haven’t found destination cities other than Dallas where this is valid, though I haven’t yet spent substantial time looking. I suspect it is a mistake, probably intended to offer a new competitive fare out of Colombo (and Dallas in particular has been announced for new Etihad service) and then it was keyed in incorrectly.
I cannot say of course whether this will last or for how long, or even if it will be honored though I’d expect it would be as it isn’t that out of the ordinary price-wise considering the length of time that ~ $2000 first class fares existed between Colombo and most of the US, allowing travel even on the Emirates A380. I’d book it and then wait awhile before purchasing additional non-refundable items related to the trip to make sure it gets honored first (although with travel to the US, Department of Transportation rules on honoring airfare would apply and at a minimum it would seem that any non-refundable costs incurred would wind up having to be reimbursed if there’s some way for the airline to extricate itself from honoring).
Etihad is a partner of American AAdvantage, earning miles but not elite qualifying miles (only American codeshares on Etihad do). They’re also partners with a variety of other airlines in all 3 major alliances as well as the carriers that they have partial ownership stakes in.
(HT: Delta Points)
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Thanks for the tip Gary.
FrequentMiler, the problem with your argument is you are acting like a random user emailed him the tip. It was one of your fellow BA bloggers who read the FT post, saw the poster asked bloggers not to use it, and ignored it. Although I wouldn’t expect anything less from Delta Points, this is a perfect example of how BA bloggers are slowly starting to ruin the deal community by blowing up any deal posted and in the end driving those to only post deals privately.
I don’t see how it matters who sent Gary the tip. I still think he acted appropriately here. It’s his right to choose what to blog about just as the FT poster chose to post about it.
FrequentMiler, you are right that Gary can choose what he wants to blog about, but that doesn’t make it the right thing to do. Based on your argument there’s nothing wrong with calling the airline to ensure your mistake fare actually went through, even though that screws others over. When you blatantly ignore other’s requests you end up damaging what is normall a collaborative communiity.
I cant believe there is even a discussion about whether Gary should have posted this.
Gary’s job is to post information that is of interest to his readers. This information about the CMB to DFW fare is of interest. End of story – thank you, Gary, for posting!! The fact that this fare info was publicly-available info just makes it even more appropriate for posting.
I rotate bloggers like I do credit cards. I will stop following those bloggers who post nothing of interest, and keep following those who do. Posts like this particular fare keep Gary in my blogger rotation. Who cares what the whiners think.
How can Gary blatantly ignore a request he didn’t know about?
Frequent Miler-
I really don’t want to get in a drawn out argument with you, but I’d bet Delta Points told Gary where the tip was from, and if not Gary could have simply asked. Is it really that ridiculous to ask bloggers to respect others wishes that post deals? If Gary posted a deal on his page and explicitly asked other bloggers not to copy it, would you go ahead and copy it anyway? Highly doubtful.
@Tyler The point is that it is highly doubtful that Gary would post something and explicitly ask others not to copy, use, or write about it because he recognizes the medium he operates in. Enjoying flying for free doesn’t mean we all have to act like we’re in some kind of secret society.
Hat tipping Delta Points for anything is almost as absurd as hat tipping Jason Steele.
Good bloggers have a really high S/N ratio, which is more than FT can say for itself. I’ve been an FT member since 2001, and rarely visit anymore. No axe to grind, just don’t find it worth my time.
So thanks Gary for all you do, even though I have no need for a CMB-DFW revenue ticket 🙂
The idea that someone can post something in a public forum and EXPECT it to not be repeated is just asinine. Don’t want the whole world to see something? Don’t post it for the whole world to see!
“FT is actually a very small discussion board to which only a handful of experts are granted access, and if deals were isolated to that board, then they would continue indefinitely.”
I’m not sure which is more hilarious. The original statement, or the fact that someone didn’t even recognize that it is satire. 🙂
“Anyone can go to the thread’s site, bookmark it and browse back to check for deals as often as they like.”
So if ordinary folks read about this on Gary’s blog it kills the deal, but if they read it on F/T, no problem. What the heck is the difference?
Thanks for the info Gary. Your blog is still the best. GO SEAHAWKS!!! YEAHHHHHH!!!
Some comments here show the double standard that so much damage has done to America.
Now Gary is the linchpin, but Snowden is a hero, and what about the soldier-wikileaks?
I think because THOSE guys didn’t touch any “property” that belongs to you. The moment you think that something “belongs” to you, it become precious and you-cannot-touch thing.
I couldn’t have known this without Gary, so thanks for that.
FYI, further to this alert, I received this email today, LOL, what a cracker, no lounge access? Now that will spin me out, but with enough of a big scene I’ll, get what I am entitled too, No points, Etihad? Who gives a F… ha ha, I’ll never fly them again anyway LOL, regional, middle eastern crackpots:
12 February 2014 Dear Mr XXXX,
We are writing to address your booking for travel from Colombo to Dallas return in Diamond First Class and Pearl Business Class under booking reference XXXXX. We note that the fare you have paid was not the applicable fare for the class of travel indicated and is even lower than the applicable economy fare for that routing; however, will honor the ticket as booked. Please note, though, that we will not permit any changes to this booking of any kind unless the fare difference between the fare we received and the correct applicable fare is paid. These flights are not eligible for bonus miles, and are not accompanied by chauffeur service or for lounge access. You will be permitted to cancel the ticket will a full refund. If you require any further information about the booking, your travel or cancellation of the trip, please contact our call centres on the below numbers:Colombo – 00 971 2 599 0000 USA – 1888 838 4423 or 00 971 2 599 0000 Canada – 1 866 948 1081 or 00 971 2 599 0000 Should you require any further details you can also contact us at feedback@etihad.ae.