Finally a Business Class Fare Sale: Under $1700 Roundtrip to China

by Gary Leff

We’re seeing more deep discount airline flash sales than ever before, but most of those are for economy travel.

Business class sales are more rare, at least outside of peak holiday dates like Thanksgiving and Christmas where there’s no business travel so while planes are full that’s driving up coach prices but few people buying international premium cabins out of pocket.

You see cheap fares on new routes from Chinese airlines and ongoing cheap fares from Central Asian carriers.

But outside of Delta and American running a sale last month, business class deals between the US and Asia at least are limited. Europe is more common thanks to British Airways which has a ton of seats and a mediocre product to sell, exacerbated by Brexit, and booked strategically with the $400 AARP discount and co-brand credit card discount.

Thanks to bangkokiscool via One Mile at a Time Delta is offering cheap business class fares between Toronto and Montreal and Beijing and Shanghai. They’re deals many will find good enough to position to Canada for.

Search Google Flights or ITA Matrix, these fares are available through normal booking channels.

These aren’t mistakes, they’re “MIDWEEK 2ND LEVEL BUSINESS CLASS Z EXCURSION FARES” —

Key rules of the fare:

  • Travel is permitted Monday through Thursday in each direction
  • 50 day advance purchase is required
  • 3 day minimum stay and 6 month maximum stay
  • $450 change fee

The base fare and fuel surcharges total $1588, so a non-elite member earns 7940 Delta SkyMiles. Crediting to Alaska Airlines you earn distance flown plus a 25% class of service bonus.

For this itinerary you’ll fly 13,691 miles and earn over 17,000 Alaska Airlines miles.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  2. Gary,

    Stop your slander against BA. The product is competitively priced and your hostile comments are unbecoming. If you hold yourself out to be a “thought leader” your comments need to be a bit more fair.

    – The Dude

  3. @The Dude — I write frequently, and if you read the linked review, that they offer great value sales. The productive isn’t competitive with American or Delta. It isn’t competitive with Lufthansa or Swiss. It isn’t competitive with Iberia or airberlin. But when it’s priced at something like premium economy for a flat seat it represents a phenomenal deal.

  4. Gary’s right about BA. Crowded Business Class cabin, mundane food, often indifferent service-definitely a second (or third) tier product in my view. Plus, going through LHR is a pain, with security on landing and high airport fees.

  5. Air Canada is launching direct flights to Shanghai from Montreal in February via Dreamliner. Tickets will be for sale at the end of the month. You’d really have to want to lie flat to go through the inconvenience of going through US customs and immigration, twice, on a detour journey via Detroit. For Torontonians, going via Montreal would mean having the option of leaving via Toronto Island airport and, on the return trip, arriving in Toronto after already having cleared customs in Montreal.

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