dac

marvelousmouse

janisj

Leisure (Coach) tix can be more expensive in the summer and there can be sales for premium cabins. But by Oct prime business travel resumes so leisure fares can go down some and Business/First go up. IMO its awfully early to be booking flights for a year from now.

Gardyloo

If you only want a direct (I assume you mean nonstop; "direct" has another meaning in airline parlance) then you have to choose between only a couple of airlines, Norwegian, Delta, Air France or Air Tahiti Nui. (Air France code-shares with Delta, so if you buy a ticket on Delta you may be on an Air France plane.) Norwegian is by far the cheapest because they're a low-cost carrier with a much lower amenity level in business class than the legacy airlines, but it's anybody's guess if they'll even still be flying ten months from now.

Honestly, it's just too soon to book for next September/October. I would monitor fares until after the first of the year at least, and do indeed look for sales. I'd also evaluate how important a nonstop flight is. If you could take a one-stop flight and save a thousand bucks, would that be worth it to you? With the LAX-CDG route dominated by airlines from the same alliance (Delta and Air France are both in Skyteam) it's unlikely they're going to get into much of a price war with one another, while the competition (United, American et al) might offer better deals involving a plane change someplace. Your money, your choice.

If it was me, I'd just monitor things, maybe set up a price alert on Kayak, and visit the "Premium Flight Deals" board on Flyertalk - https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/ - where the wonks spot good pointy-end fares sooner than anybody else.

I'll also mention that if you plan to stay in Paris for at least a few nights, have a look at the "vacation" packages offered by the major airlines, such as Delta Vacations or American Airlines Vacations. Often the bottom line works out to a deep discount on the airfare component of the final price, or a hotel room essentially for free. Worth checking out.

StuDudley

On 10/29/19 I booked United SFO to CDG for travel on 8/27/2020, return 9/27/2020 in Premium Economy & my fare was $2,350 for 2 people. If I booked these same dates today - the price would be about the same but I noted that there are only 2 seats available at the lowest regular economy fare. Last year I booked the same itinerary for travel this year, but departure & return a week earlier & the fare was $3,664.

Stu Dudley

jacketwatch

Yes its too soon I think.
As for what to do IME be vigilant, i.e. look often and when you see what you think is a good price then snap it up and don't regret it if the price drops even further.
Last year I was looking for RT biz ORD-PEK for a Sept. departure and I was seeing prices from UA,.AA and AC in the $8400.00 to $8800.00 for two. Then one day UAL and AA had dramatic price drops to the $4900.00 range. Amazing. UA started to creep up to $5200.00 a few days later so I took it. The very next day they were back up in the over 8k range. These tickets were purchased in March 2018 for the Sept. 2018 flight we took BTW.
A good source for prices is the google airline matrix website. You don't but the tickets from them but you can see what practically all airlines offer by selecting the date, class of service, etc.
That being said you may be able to get a lower price thru websites like Expedia, Kayak and so may others.
Stay on your toes!
Good luck, Larry

dac

jacketwatch

pgtraveler

I'm not sure if Business Class fares go on sale, but it might be worth watching the Black Friday sales. I use Google Flights, but I have found that it doesn't always pick up the sale prices, so check the airline's own site also.

scdreamer

Following - as I am almost in the same situation - looking for business class fares from SFO to CDG in late August - returning late September. I see some great options on Norwegian - we've done this route with them in the past and it's quite comfortable. My only issue is that they seem to have such a shaky business model, I'm always afraid to book early with them, as who knows if they will be facing bankruptcy possibilities down the road (again!).

Gardyloo

I don't know how flexible your dates are, but there appears to be something of a flash sale on United for business class round trips departing up to the third week in August 2020; for example $2067 round trip for flights departing on e.g. Aug. 17 with a 2-week stay. Getting RT fares in the $2K range from the west coast is a fairly rare thing. Note that it's often the case that the cheapest times for business class over the Atlantic are mid-summer, which coincides with the most expensive tickets for coach travel. Actual "business" traffic falls off sharply in the summer, so the airlines sell off those seats at reduced prices.

Fare's available (today at least) on Expedia; I haven't checked United's website but would assume they're good there too. Don't expect these to last very long.

If you miss it, the "premium flight bargains" board on Flyertalk is always an excellent resource - lurk away. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/

Edited to add - and here's the thread on FT - https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/prem...68-august.html Also, the fare appears to be matched by American, British Airways, and Air Canada, among others.

Melanie_O

So what you find is the best option?