Business Class Holiday Sales

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Air France

Want to fly to Paris for Christmas or New Year’s? Don’t expect a bargain from Air France. Its holiday business-class sale is valid only for connections to 12 European cities, not anywhere in France. That’s problematic because Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris is one of the most difficult places in Europe to change planes. Still, Air France’s in-flight service is good, and its prices are excellent. Chicago to Madrid, for example, is just $905 one way. Philadelphia to Zurich is only $855 one way. Travel is valid between December 17 and January 9 when you purchase tickets by December 5.

Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is a one-trick pony—from the United States, it flies only to London—but travelers love its business-class beds and the stand-up bar in its Upper Class cabin. Comparatively speaking, prices are on the high side: $1,063 one way from New York; $1,163 from Boston or Washington; $1,363 from Chicago; and $1,523 from Los Angeles or San Francisco. And you have to hurry: Tickets must be purchased by November 27 for travel between December 22 and January 14.

Swiss International
Swissair tanked shortly after 9/11, and Swiss International, its replacement, is now a subsidiary of Lufthansa. But the carrier’s Zurich hub remains one of the most compact and efficient in Europe, so Swiss is a good choice for a connecting flight to such places as Amsterdam, Milan, or even Paris. Prices start at $1,100 roundtrip from the East Coast and $2,100 from the West Coast. Purchase tickets by December 4 for travel between December 17 and January 4.

The Fine Print
With the dollar trading at historic lows against the euro and the British pound, you’ll spend a lot of your airfare savings on hotel rooms. But there is a silver lining: Big city hotels throughout Europe offer special low-season packages between mid-December and late February. Some will offer straight  price reductions; others will offer value-added bundles that include dinners, spa treatments, shopping discounts and other perks.…

Looking for an airfare deal across the Pacific for the holidays? Not going to happen. It’s the beginning of the summer high season in Australia, so there’ll be few bargains there. And business-class flights to Asia remain relatively full because Christmas isn’t a big holiday there; Asians prefer to celebrate the Lunar New Year, later in January.

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