9 first-class seats you can book with points without spending a fortune
No need to hide behind a finger or play coy, the dream of all serial accumulators [...]
Star Alliance
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Oneworld
There is no need to hide behind a finger or be shy, the dream of all serial accumulators of points and miles is to book the best seats in the world using points accumulated in every way (marginally even by flying) and not spending the insane amounts at which they are sold. I am talking about first class seats, the most exclusive seats ever, the most difficult to book, and of course the most expensive.
In this article:
The elephant graveyard at Bangkok airport. Thai's decommissioned fleet of 747s and A380s.
The pandemic has heavily affected the vectors and many companies have decided to Retire larger aircraft, dozens of 747s were thus turned into key chains and sold in pieces. A few lucky specimens were converted into dance halls, condo reception For new rich people or restaurants. Similar fates for many A380 sold at auction, dismembered and transformed into guinea pigs for future travel. This process has resulted in companies having fewer first class seats to offer and less space available to invent solutions such as Etiahd's three-room apartment, which unfortunately we will never see take flight again.
The best bonuses
But all is not lost, there is still an embarrassment of riches, and fortunately companies continue to innovate and renovate their cabins, e.g. 2023 will see the debut of the new La Premiere, Air France's first-class offering.
With this article I want to list the best first-class cabins that can be "easily" booked with points from the Italian user, the list is not according to the beauty of the cabin, but according to the complexity/cost of booking. From the most difficult to the easiest.
#1 Air France's Premiere
The first place goes without a doubt to Air France's La Premiere. Of the available cabins, it is not the most beautiful or modern, but in terms of exclusivity and difficulty of booking is absolutely number one.
Not only are we talking about a very expensive ticket to book with Flying Blue points, the currency of Air France and KLM's loyalty program, but it is also necessary to be At least Gold level in the same loyalty program in order to see availability and book this ticket.
In addition to status, then, you need to have a fair reserve of points to use to book a ticket that rarely costs less than 7 thousand one-way. Of course there are also some Shortcuts that lead to booking this chair, but they don't give certainty, like ever spending less than 300 thousand FB points to fly on one of the few 777/300s with this cabin, of only 4 seats, available.
The best way to accumulate FB points, not flying, in Italy is to Taking advantage of the American Express and Flying Blue partnership And transfer the points for free. There is, however, a credit card designed for businesses that allows them to accumulate twice as many FB points as Amex, è Mooncard the French startup whose Visa card turns 1 euro spent into 1.5 FB points.
#2 Lufthansa & Swiss first class.
The nose tip of Lufthansa's 747 is occupied by 7 First Class seats
Italian users, who are not holders of Lufthansa credit cards issued by Unicredit, have a very difficult time booking using points a first class seat with Lufthansa and Swiss. The reason is. not only is the Miles&More program not among American Express' partners., but which is in fact the only program in the world that does not sell points.
This reduces the possibilities to booking through Star Alliance partners like Singapore and SAS, there is, however, a small loophole. LH releases first class seats to partners only 15 days before departure, this means that if you want to detach this ticket you will have to be ready with suitcase and passport To really go last minute.
#4 Japan Airlines' First Class
Japan Airlines does not fly in Italy, and already this is a first step to overcome. He is not one of the Italian partners of Membership Rewards points and first-class tickets bookable through OneWorld airlines are rare commodities. The reward, however, is the chance to travel on one of the world's best airlines, even if the seat is not the most modern and exclusive. On my wish list, this is probably the last ticket I will try to redeem.
To book this cabin you need to Use MR points by transferring them to British Airways or even better to Finnair, the problem is that there are very few places available.
#5 Qatar Airways First Class.
First class aboard the best company in the world is so high in this ranking not because it is complicated to book it, in fact, after the recent marriage with Avios points Is as easy as drinking a glass of water. The problem is that this cabin is available aboard only the few A380s still in the air. These planes are only used on very few routes, so these seats are hard to find. In contrast, however, a first-class ticket from Paris to Bangkok, via Doha, can cost as little as 100,000 Avios.
Again, the fast track to Avios points, in addition to flying and accumulations with the partners such as hotels and rentals, is to transfer from MR to British Airways Executive Club and book.
#6 Cathay Pacific First Class
Hong Kong carrier before covid, was one of the best in the world. Today, with the borders of the former British protectorate slowly reopening, Cathay's engines have also begun to warm up. First class can only be found on a small number of 777/300s, and obviously the Asian carrier does not fly to Italy with this model.Â
The points Asiamiles are easily obtained through conversion from Membership points Rewards, conversion often incentivized by bonuses that give extra points as in this period.
#7 Singapore Airlines First Class.
The master bedroom suite aboard Singapore Airlines' A380.
We have now entered the range of the easiest places to find and Singapore Airlines is definitely one of the companies that offer more chances to those seeking this ticket. Singapore offers two different cabins. The best is the one on board the A380s: the Suite can become a double bed if you are traveling as a couple. It is good to know, however. A380 does not fly from Singapore to Italy, in Europe it flies only to London and Frankfurt. From the financial capital of Europe, it is also possible to continue on to New York, with tickets starting at only 86k Krisflyer points.
The conversion rate from MR to Singapore loyalty program currency is not the best, but since these points are accumulated for free with everyday spending, it is still a great way to travel latchkey.
#8 British Airways First Class
BA offers first class aboard many aircraft in its fleet. From A380s to 777/200s, it is perhaps second only to Emirates in the number of first class seats available. In addition to this accumulating points from the British flag carrier is very simple thanks to the many partners, online shopping and of course to the conversion of MR points into Avios points.
Flying First Class with BA also grants free access to the Concorde Room, one of the world's top first-class lounges and an integral part of the First experience aboard BA aircraft.
#9 Emirates' First Classes.
Emirates is the carrier that, in terms of number of seats, flights and ease of accumulating Skywards points, occupies the last place in our ranking: for redeeming a first-class award ticket is by far the easiest company for Italian travelers.
EK flies from Dubai not only to Milan and Rome (from Milan there is also the "fifth freedom" route toward New York City). On all Italian connections there is first class and so it is very easy to redeem these award tickets. Emirates, however, has 3 different first class cabins. All A380s are equipped with the same cabin and the famous shower. On board the 777s, on the other hand, there are two different cabins.
The new one is called the "Gamechanger" by Emirates. and is only available on a small number of aircraft and on very few routes. The rest of the fleet has a cabin similar to that of the A380, but without a shower and slightly smaller.
Skywards points also are the fastest to be transferable from Membership Rewards, even less than 60 minutes. For all these reasons, the first class award ticket with EK is the easiest for all Italian frequent flyers.
In conclusion
Accumulating MR points is free and is possible through the daily use of Amex cards. Often Gold card is offered free for one year with a generous welcome bonus, a perfect way to start accumulating at least 1 point for every euro spent and take advantage of rich bonuses that allow you to collect tens of thousands of points without spending anything.