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Each year when business travel slows down in the summer, airlines typically put business-class seats on sale. Even as coach prices run up, lie-flat beds get cheaper. And this year, with business travel in a deep slump, summertime prices are quite low and seats appear to be plentiful.
Air France today, for example, launched a sale with New York-Paris business-class seats priced at $1,111 one-way. That works out to $2,384 round-trip including all taxes and fees. I checked and found lots of days in July when that price was available. The sale covers travel dates between June 28 and Sept. 4, and tickets must be purchased by July 6. Similarly cheap prices are available on lots of other itineraries. Philadelphia-Barcelona is priced a few dollars cheaper than New York-Paris, for example. And other airlines already have had business-class sales out there, or will undoubtedly match this one.
If you prefer coach (and who doesn’t!), the same dates in July were priced by Air France at $812 round-trip, including taxes and fees. That’s a pretty good price compared to past summers for New York-Paris, when summertime tickets to Europe easily run more than $1,000 in coach. If you can swing it economically, this may be a very good summer to go to Europe. Hotels around the world are hurting for guests, airfare is relatively inexpensive and the dollar has gained some strength.
If you do go, the discounted business-class seats are worth considering, especially on overnight flights from the USA to Europe. You may pay three times what you’d pay in coach, but the ability to spread out, sleep in comfort or just enjoy better airline service can be a highlight of a vacation.
Seen any good prices? Share your air-travel finds with other readers.
This article was originally written by Scott McCartney for Wall street journal blog
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