Flying First Class - Tips on getting best pricing.

[lovevacadays]

I will be crusing out of Fort Lauderdale in December. I want to fly first class as I got my first experience doing this last December. I didn't pay for that ticket but will be paying for my flight this December. I'm starting to look at airfare and wondering if anyone has any tips on getting the best fares. I don't fly often so don't have frequent flyer miles and that type of option.

[ab0si]

Don't expect great deals; there probably will not be any. I would guess that Delta's red eye from LAX will be your best bet. If you insist on flying out of SNA, you are almost certainly going to pay quite a bit more.

[Gardyloo]

For reasons that escape me (but which are just fine) Fort Lauderdale is one of the cities for which American, USAir and Delta offer very reasonable first class fares from California. For most days in December I can see LAX-FLL-LAX for $650 - $700 depending on departure time. For equally obscure reasons, Orange County does not enjoy those same fares (e.g. for the same days SNA-FLL is more like $1600 round trip.) San Diego is a little lower than SNA but no great shakes.

 

Go to any of the airlines' websites, or to Orbitz or Expedia (our hosts here at Cruise Critic) and put in your dates and first class requirement, and bingo.

[Shorex]

Confirm that DL is running about $650 for some random dates in December. If you select first/business for your searches, you will get some A fares which are not truly first class fares, but give you a first class seat. Right now A fares for the non-stops LAX-FLL and return are $657 on some dates I looked at.

 

How to explain -- Delta A fares are instantly upgradeable to first and they show as first on the itinerary. However, if there are irregular operations you may find yourself sitting in coach with no refund or compensation. DL does a very poor job at explaining the limitations of A fares. However, if A fares are at or near coach fares they are worth buying.

[Fattony]

Go to a travel agent or start checking Web sites of various airlines and those of services such as Expedia, Orbitz, etc. Keep in mind that not all airlines have the same configuration in First Class, especially on wide-bodied aircraft. Always click on the link showing available seats. Also check www.seatguru.com for dimensions, reclning angle, etc. I like wide-bodied aircraft but I think any non-stop from FLL will be narrow-bodied. If fares appear too high, try again a few days later. I've seen fares go up and down, and back up again. December is high season so don't expect sales.

[kenish]

If you're willing to trade comfort in the air for some inconvenience on the ground, add MIA to the mix. It's about 45 minutes travel time, and the airports are somewhat like comparing SNA with LAX for "ease of use". You might consider arriving into MIA and departing out of FLL.

[greatam]

MIA is generally expensive for first class tickets, while as Gardyloo and Shorex pointed out, FLL is relatively cheap.

 

AA flies their flagship service into MIA. While far superior domestic first/business class over most of the first/business offerings on other airlines, it is NOT cheap. But there were some Y-up/K-up tickets available which got you into business class on AA's flagship service (which, IMHO, is better than any other airlines first class tickets).

 

Here's an older article from Fare Compare on how to book Y-UP/K-up/Q-up, etc. etc. and what you really get and why the fares were designed that way.

 

http://www.farecompare.com/downloads/HowToBookYUpQUp.pdf

 

I love flying AA's Flagship service from LAX to JFK. I believe the service is the same into MIA except they fly a triple 7 to MIA and a 762 to JFK.

[CruiserBruce]

It seems the reason F might be so cheap at FLL would be the large number of seats the cruise lines use in coach. Years ago I tried to buy a coach seat, only to find the best flight sold out in coach, filled with cruise passengers. However, First was totally available, and about, it seemed, half price. Grabbed it in a heartbeat. But, it was on DL, on an old 727, with no audio or video, and no special first class service, other than the meal on a plate, not plastic. Haven't flown DL since.

 

Am looking at flying in to FLL in December. A month or so ago, on CO, it was just over $800. Now it is up to $1100.