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Nobody expected this.
The calendar may be turning to July, but whether you’re using points, miles, or cash, you can still find great deals on business class flights to Europe this summer.
We thought this was an unlikely trend after travelers flocked to planes in droves over the past few summers, especially in the front cabins. This year, with Taylor Swift’s continental European tour, the UEFA European Championships, the Tour de France, Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics, and all the other great reasons travelers love summer in Europe all happening at the same time, we expected ticket prices to skyrocket and award tickets (those that you can actually book with points or miles) to be completely unavailable.
But that didn’t happen: travelers scooped up pricey economy-class tickets, leaving luxurious lie-flat seats empty… and airlines scrambling to fill them.
Why are there still business class seats available to Europe this summer?
So what’s going on? I want to fly business class to Europe this summer. Doesn’t everyone?
To understand this, I turned to the simplest economics: supply and demand. I assumed, of course, that it was a supply issue. There are surely many more business class seats crisscrossing the Atlantic this year than there were last, so there should be plenty of empty seats, right?
ITA Airlines Business Class
Not really. In 2023, when business class seats were hard to come by and prohibitively expensive during the summer, there were 3.5 million business class seats available between the U.S. and Europe, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. This year, the same Cirium data shows there will be 3.7 million business class seats available between the two regions, up just 250,000, or 6.8%. That’s not a big enough change to create the empty seats we have today. So what’s different? Demand.
Travelers are still planning to go to Europe this summer, they’re just not booking towards the front of the plane, which means you can book towards the front.
Over the past few summers, we’ve heard from travelers who’ve accumulated hundreds of thousands of points and miles and are ready to spend them on trips they’ve put off for years since the pandemic hit. While last year was the year everyone booked fancy business class trips to Europe, this year it seems more travelers are opting for less-fancy economy travel.
That demand has kept prices for economy-class tickets to Europe this summer hovering above $1,000 round trip, while seats at the front of the plane remain empty and ready.
Before the pandemic, this was a common trend in airfares. And now it’s back.
Business class was once only targeted to business travelers, not those using points and miles, so it was easier to book during holidays and summer months when business travel was slower. Instead, airlines raised prices for leisure travelers who are more likely to book economy tickets.
That pattern evaporated during the pandemic as travelers were forced to stay home or pay a premium for private seats near the front, but 2019 airfare patterns are returning.
So here are some signs to beat the airlines their way: If you’ve been putting off booking a trip to Europe this summer, or you’re looking to rebook a flight for a little luxury, the forward cabin is waiting for you – but where should you go?
Best business class deals to Europe we’ve found recently
American Airlines Business Class from 45,000 miles one way
American Airlines has been on a roll lately, offering premium business class seats to travelers with AAdvantage and Alaska Airlines miles.
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And the rates for reserving these seats are attractive.
Nearly every direct US flight to Europe this summer has been on sale at some point, and this latest sale, announced just a few days ago, includes many of them.
Air France Business Class from 50,000 miles one way
The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris in July and August, and the travel demand for the games will likely mean that business class seats will be nonexistent, or at the very least, prohibitively priced, especially if you’re booking with points or miles.
But just last week, Air France made business class seats available to book from many US airports to Paris (CDG) for just 50,000 Flying Blue miles.
Read our review of Air France’s new Business Class Suites.
Peak summer. During the Olympics. Flying lie-flat to Paris. This fare is unbelievably cheap, and if you’ve got American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi or Wells Fargo credit card points you can transfer to Flying Blue and make your Olympic dreams come true this year.
If you live in one of these cities, run instead of walk to earn your Olympic spot.
ITA Airlines Business Class from 75K one way
Want to travel flat out to Italy?
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This year, ITA Airlines is offering these lovely Business Class seats on flights between the US and Canada. We tried them out and found the journey across the Atlantic to be comfortable and with a fun, Italian vibe.
It’s rare that such great seats would be available this wide and deep this time of summer, but we sent out this special offer last week in the last week of June. Now, just a few weeks from now, you can have the Italian summer getaway you’ve always dreamed of.
You can get these seats for just 75,000 points one way when booking through partner airline Virgin Atlantic: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Bilt and Citi points can all be transferred and booked with Virgin.
Swiss Biz Class to Zurich from 56K one way
These well-appointed SWISS Business Class seats are worth all your hard-earned points, especially when you only need around 60,000 points.
As you know, there are still SWISS Business Class seats available for travelers heading to the Alps this summer, a trend that was almost unheard of last summer and the summer before that.
You can still get these routes at super low prices whether you book with Air Canada Aeroplan miles (transferable from Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt) or Avianca Life miles (transferable from Amex, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, Wells Fargo).Yes, not yet!
Austrian Airlines Business Class to Vienna from 58K one way
Want to get to the other side of the Alps? Think Austrian Airlines and their lovely Business Class seats.
You can secure these seats this month, next month, or during peak ski season in the Alps for just 58,000 LifeMiles one-way from New York (JFK), or up to 70,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points — even less if you take advantage of the transfer bonus.
Condor Biz Class to Frankfurt from 55K one way
Our team agrees: one of the best business class seats in the world right now is from German budget airline Condor.
They’re known for their fun striped planes (that look like beach towels), but they also have a handy option for lying flat inside.
If you have Alaska Airlines miles, you can secure these seats for just 55,000 points one-way throughout the summer and fall.
For many of these cities, this is the highest summer availability to Europe ever, so if you’ve got Alaska miles and want to fly lie-flat to Germany, now is the time to book!
La Compagnie Business Class from $1,999 round trip!
No points? No problem! La Compagnie is a Business Class only airline that flies between Newark (EWR) and Milan (MXP) and Paris Orly (ORY).
That’s right, these planes don’t have economy class seats, but instead 56 business class seats – a great concept that translates into excellent service and a stress-free flight.
And fortunately, these seats regularly go on sale, making round-trip fares to Europe less than $2,000, including this summer.
Conclusion
It’s already July, but you can still purchase Business Class flights to Europe this summer at great points, miles, and cash rates.
This is a wild trend that has more to do with passenger demand than airline supply, but the reasons why it’s happening aren’t important: It ultimately gives you the chance to book (or rebook) a lie-flat seat last minute on a flight to Europe this summer.
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