Back, cheaper …. £852 British Airways business class flights to the USA from Paris
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The coronavirus is bad news for the travel industry. There is, however, one silver lining for consumers: extremely low air fares.
Last week, British Airways launched a new Luxury Sale from the UK – you can see the details here. We wrote about the best BA Club World and First Class sale deals here.
This week, it is offering sub-£1000 business class fares out of Paris to a variety of destinations in the US. These are pretty much as low as it ever gets.
If you’re a long time reader here you’ll know that some of the best business class deals to the United States can be had when connecting from European airports. Airlines have to try a little harder to attract connecting passengers as they are competing with carriers that can offer direct routings.
In addition, you’ll also pay lower Government taxes when departing from European airports, potentially saving you several hundred pounds.
This is good news for you, since you can get some exceptional deals. Paris is one of the easiest (and cheapest) European cities to get to – there is plenty of competition between airlines and Eurostar, and you could also double up a trip to the USA with a few days in Paris.
The following prices are typical for fares from Paris with connections in Heathrow. These are business class return prices, taken from September. You need to travel on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday:
Atlanta – £1098 £1024
Austin – £1098 £1024
Boston – £924 £870
Chicago – £924 £870
Dallas – £1098 £1042
LA – £1272 £1191
Miami – £1098 £1019
Nashville – £924 £852
New Orleans – £924 £852
New York – £901 £870
Philadelphia – £924 £870
Phoenix – £1271 £1196
Pittsburgh – £924 £870
Washington DC – £924 £870
There are no specific dates for travel. I found these fares right into January 2021, although this will vary by route. You may even find other US destinations not listed – these were just from a quick search.
The flights will be operated by British Airways or American Airlines (review here) – and if you’re lucky, you may even get BA’s new Club Suite. For those looking for extra variety, some cities can also be flown on Iberia via Madrid or Aer Lingus via Dublin.
Before you book Aer Lingus, remember that you won’t earn any BA tier points from the flight. You WILL earn Avios however. I have not shown Aer Lingus options in the price chart above, but where available they are a little cheaper than the BA flights and you get to clear US immigration in Dublin or Shannon.
You can book on the British Airways website here. Don’t forget that you can often save on hotel or car rental costs by packaging your flight via BA Holidays too.
You will be charged in Euro when making bookings for flights from Paris. With that in mind you should use a credit card with 0% foreign exchange fees.
If you don’t have a credit card with 0% FX fees, your best bet when paying is the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card which earns double Avios (3 per £1) when you book at ba.com or via BA Holidays. You do not get double Avios if you book with the free British Airways American Express card.
Another option is American Express Preferred Rewards Gold which offers triple points – 3 per £1 – when you book flight tickets in a foreign currency, because it triggers both the ‘double points for airline spend’ and the ‘double points for foreign spend’ bonuses.
For the benefit of new readers, you MUST take the first flight from Paris to London. You cannot just get on in London as your ticket will have been cancelled by then.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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