European airlines that offer first class and how to get a ticket without paying
We have often talked about how to fly first class with Emirates using points and miles, and we have also reviewed a [...]
Swiss
Lufthansa
British Airways
Air France
Star Alliance
SkyTeam
Oneworld
We have often talked about how fly in first class with Emirates using points and miles, and we also have Reviewed a flight aboard a 777 from the Dubai-based airline. With this article, however, we want to take stock of the European carriers that offer the most exclusive cabin and how you can detach an award ticket.
Which European companies offer "first class"
In this article:
Fewer and fewer carriers in the world are offering their customers the first-class cabin, the pandemic has grounded dozens of planes, and many companies have retired larger, older aircraft. Thus Have said goodbye to Thai Airways first class. e Etihad discontinuing its incredible A380 on-board offerings.
In Europe, no company has abandoned first class, only having retired several A380s and B747s. there are far fewer places available. In detail, the "first" is offered by:
It is also fair to point out that no American airline offers first class, or rather what is called first class in domestic flights corresponds to business class.
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Let's look in detail at where they fly and how you can book a first-class ticket aboard European airlines.
Air France
The French flag carrier is first on this list because it is the one that makes life more difficult for serial mileage hoarders who want to freeload aboard La Premiere, which is Air France's first class. At the same time, however, it is the one that offers the best product both on the ground and in the air.
Pandemic drastically reduced available places, AF was among the first To have decided to scrap its A380s.. Today, first class is available only on a very small number of Boeing 777s: four very expensive and luxurious seats. Première's service, on the ground and on board, is unanimously recognized as among the best in the world, perhaps the only European airline to To be able to battle with Emirates and Asian carriers.
A ticket to fly from Paris to New York costs no less than 220k FB points, over 300k Membership Rewards points + tax. To book it, it is not enough to be a member of the Flying Blue loyalty program, but you must be at least Gold in the Air France/KLM frequent flyer.
Lufthansa and Swiss
Lufthansa has, at present, retired its A380s. This means that first class is only available aboard Boeing 747s and of the Airbus A340 that the company has decided to bring back into service for the 2022 summer season. First class on board Swiss, a Swiss subsidiary of the German carrier, is available on some of its 777/300s.
Booking award tickets aboard Lufthansa and Swiss in first class is by no means simple; there are two ways:
- Booking using Miles&more miles, or the company's loyalty program
- Booking through partners (too bad, though, that places are made available 30 days before departure and are very limited).
As for Swiss is even more complicated, since you cannot use Star Alliance partner programs to book on the Swiss airline. If you want a first-class award ticket, you have to be enrolled in the Miles&more loyalty program and have at the very least a Gold status if not the highest level, which is HON, in order to get your hands on this seat. How many miles does a round-trip ticket cost? A whopping 182k points to fly from Zurich to the United States.
British Airways
The British carrier has decommissioned its B747s and retired most of the A380s, the first-class seats are so reduced that the company also planned to dispose of provisions and other products now useless, putting them up for auction.
BA has decided to offer a business class very similar to what might be called first class, the new Club world suite offers a small door that isolates the passenger from the aisle giving privacy and personal space. First-class seats are thus available on the new A350/900s and some 777/200s.
Of all the European companies. British Airways is definitely the most generous when it comes to award seats, even in first class. Flying from London to New York costs only 68,000 Avios, while going to Los Angeles (LAX) requires 85,000 points. Avios is one of American Express' partner programs, it is then very easy to transfer Membership Rewards points in less than 24 hours.
The biggest flaw when it comes to award ticket with BA is the airport taxes that have to be paid, even for the award ticket: to the 68k Avios of the ticket to New York you have to add more than 700 pounds, a small bribe.
In conclusion
Award tickets in this category cost several points, personally I would aim for other companies. But if you want to go to the U.S. or South America you have to go through Europe, unless you lengthen your trip by going through the Middle East first.
Lufthansa offers 747 and fly on the queen of the skiesi, before it disappears forever, is one of the dreams of all aviation enthusiasts. Only on this model, in fact, do you have the opportunity to sit in front of the pilot, something that will never happen again.
However, Air France's offer is the most attractive, the treatment is true VIP, and the seat is the best among all those offered by European airlines.
