11 Money-Saving European Travel Tips
Find Business-Class Sales
The business-class fare wars that began last fall continue apace in 2009. At press time, Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com) was offering a $2,122 round-trip ticket between New York and London, its lowest business-class rate of the year. British Airways (ba.com) slashed its fares on the same route by 84 percent, to $1,800 round-trip. And with European carriers projected to lose more than $1 billion this year, the sales are expected to continue through the fall. The launch of new business-class–only flights has helped to keep prices down, which may come as a surprise given the economic climate. Open Skies (flyopenskies.com)—the business- and premium-class airline that British Airways debuted last year with daily service from JFK to Paris Orly and Amsterdam—is about to have company. Starting this autumn, British Airways will also introduce business-class service between JFK and London City Airport 10 times a week. And Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) is launching a similar 44-seat flight between JFK and Munich in May.
—Yolanda Crous
11 Money-Saving European Travel Tips
