First-class discount tickets?
 

Somewhere recently I saw a site for first-class tickets at discounted prices. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks.

There are a number of these sites, but be careful. Many of them are basically reselling miles/upgrade certs which could be very costly to the seller and the buyer.

Every FF program stipulates that it's against their rules to sell miles and or certs. Still everyday they are sold everywhere. The problem is that the airline revenue protection departments DO follow up on these and occasionally they put 2 and 2 together. If you happen to buy one of these award tickets and the airline suspects that it was bought, they have the right to refuse the ticket. For the seller it could mean loosing their miles, for the buyer? Out of money unless you could get it back from one of these agencies. NOT likely.

So beware, make sure what you are buying is a consolidaor ticket, not an award ticket.

Do a Google for first class consolidaotrs or something similar.

Good luck!

I Googled and found airlineconsolidators.com and a price of around $2000 on AA from SFO to Paris. If we take that and then get a free business-class ticket with mileage we'll be spending about what it would cost for two tickets and upgrades--not bad.

How do I tell a legitimate consolidator as opposed to a naughty one?

The agencies that broker award tickets are usually pretty up front about this, just ask them if it's an award ticket. Have you checked what the fare would be if purchased directly from AA? A nonrefundable/restricted business class fare of around $2000 from the west coast to Paris is often available through AA and many other airlines.

These guys are legit. You could always call and ask and also ask for the fare code.

BUT, I compared the same dates 4/13-4/20 SFO-CDG and www.aa.com came back with the exact same fare as this outfit for a business class ticket.

Always check and double check before purchasing.

Good luck!

I guess a lot depends on the route you fly. Especially whether Domestic or International. I found over the years most airlines you can get heavily discounted fares. It depends where you are heading to. Certain international carriers including many majors have appointed consolidators, sometimes (especially with Aisa/M.E carriers) they have even given me the number of their appointed consolidators, I simply asked how I could get a discount Business/First fare.

Hi Underhill - For some domestic routes and many international routes, I've had a very good experience with a NYC based agent. If you want their name and details then just e-mail me at [email protected]. They offer discounts on REAL tickets, not mileage award resales. Last May they got me a Business Class ticket from NYC to Bangkok for about $2200 round-trip! That type of ticket is usually at least $5000 to $7000 if purchased from an airline or a website like Travelocity.