business class airfare
Dec 31st, 2014, 06:13 AM
#1
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business class airfare
What has happened to the inexpensive business class tickets to France? The price has almost doubled in 8 months and the price of fuel is so much lower. Does anyone have a web site with good fares?
Cookie35
Cookie35
Dec 31st, 2014, 08:18 AM
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NBC Evening News recently ran a segment that said despite the lower fuel prices, airlines are raising their rates. I doubt you'll find inexpensive business class fares unless the airlines run a sale.
Jan 1st, 2015, 01:20 AM
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A simplified version of what is happening:
Airlines lock in the price of aviation fuel by buying it (or fuel futures) months ahead.
They guessed wrong on price. They now have contracts that require them to to buy fuel at the old, higher prices.
If fuel prices fall far enough, the airlines could in theory walk away from these contracts and eat their upfront payments, going direct to the spot market. But that isn't likely to happen in the short term for a variety of reasons.
We, too, were horrified yesterday at the prices for mid-May flights to Paris.
Airlines lock in the price of aviation fuel by buying it (or fuel futures) months ahead.
They guessed wrong on price. They now have contracts that require them to to buy fuel at the old, higher prices.
If fuel prices fall far enough, the airlines could in theory walk away from these contracts and eat their upfront payments, going direct to the spot market. But that isn't likely to happen in the short term for a variety of reasons.
We, too, were horrified yesterday at the prices for mid-May flights to Paris.
Jan 1st, 2015, 07:16 AM
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I think the airline industry uses whatever is an argument favorable at that time to increase/retain prices without getting hit with complaints. If the fuel price is going up, use that argument. If the fuel price is going down, use something else as an argument to increase prices. About the only thing that forces prices down is the competition which is decreasing due to mergers enabling more monopoly segments.
This year, for the U.S. travelers, even what little comparative shopping capability left to us would likely to be further reduced. Because of the House version of the bill in progress: http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel...udier/8991023/.
I love the wording https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-...ouse-bill/4156 "not be an unfair or deceptive practice for an air carrier or other covered entity to state the base airfare in an advertisement." "if it clearly and separately discloses: (1) the government-imposed taxes and fees". If it separately disclosed in some obscure part of the web page, is it still clear?
This year, for the U.S. travelers, even what little comparative shopping capability left to us would likely to be further reduced. Because of the House version of the bill in progress: http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel...udier/8991023/.
I love the wording https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-...ouse-bill/4156 "not be an unfair or deceptive practice for an air carrier or other covered entity to state the base airfare in an advertisement." "if it clearly and separately discloses: (1) the government-imposed taxes and fees". If it separately disclosed in some obscure part of the web page, is it still clear?
Jan 1st, 2015, 08:01 AM
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I've never seen inexpensive business fares, either, on many airlines (you sound like you are saying it was common) but obviously that depends on what you call inexpensive. There was some low-cost business airline that entered the market from US to Paris, as I recall, and it was solely business. It still wasn't super cheap, but was about the same as coach on a regular airline, so that's a very good deal.
And sometimes airlines introduce a service and have cheap fares for a short time, or with very selective dates, just for promotional purposes, or maybe if they are starting a new route. Of course, those don't stay. So maybe you saw that. The low-cost airlines only had very low fares for a few weeks, as I recall, that were entering the US market (Norwegian air?). Or other airlines might lower their fares temporarily to compete with those new competitors.
for example, La Compagnie entered the Newark EWR-Paris market last year as a low cost business airline. https://www.lacompagnie.com/en
They have RT fares mid-week in June for only $1314, which is similar or better than coach. Of course there are change fees, but there are on regular airlines, also. That is the same price as Air France economy. You can get coach on XL Airways for the same route (another cheap airline entry to Paris) for only about $900. XL doesn't have business class.
The cheapest Air France business is about $5000.
SO if you can fly out of NY/Newark, you are in luck. Otherwise, I think not, for nonstop. But Norwegian air does go to Paris, it will have a stop, however. But it has premium class for the US-Sweden or wherever you go through, and has good rates of about $1200 mid-June RT for LAX-CDG, premium class with one stop, which is excellent. It also flies out of a few other cities.
And sometimes airlines introduce a service and have cheap fares for a short time, or with very selective dates, just for promotional purposes, or maybe if they are starting a new route. Of course, those don't stay. So maybe you saw that. The low-cost airlines only had very low fares for a few weeks, as I recall, that were entering the US market (Norwegian air?). Or other airlines might lower their fares temporarily to compete with those new competitors.
for example, La Compagnie entered the Newark EWR-Paris market last year as a low cost business airline. https://www.lacompagnie.com/en
They have RT fares mid-week in June for only $1314, which is similar or better than coach. Of course there are change fees, but there are on regular airlines, also. That is the same price as Air France economy. You can get coach on XL Airways for the same route (another cheap airline entry to Paris) for only about $900. XL doesn't have business class.
The cheapest Air France business is about $5000.
SO if you can fly out of NY/Newark, you are in luck. Otherwise, I think not, for nonstop. But Norwegian air does go to Paris, it will have a stop, however. But it has premium class for the US-Sweden or wherever you go through, and has good rates of about $1200 mid-June RT for LAX-CDG, premium class with one stop, which is excellent. It also flies out of a few other cities.
