September is all about airline seat sales in Europe. The summer holidays are just over, the schools are back, and consumer thoughts are turning to nesting and (dare we say it) Christmas. Airline bookings are typically down, so the seat sales are launched to drive up bookings. Business class seats feature in the seat sales, as do seats in some first class cabins.
Rather than you having to look in loads of different places, we thought we round-up the best of the current promotions so you can see if anything jumps out. We’ve also included a direct link to an example cheap fare.
British Airways
BA have a sale running until 24th September in all cabins (Economy through to First). Prices from European cities to the US start as low as £950 in Club World. Many short-haul destinations are also included.
There are some particularly good bargains to be bagged if you book a flight + hotel package through British Airways Holidays. While you’ll need to be quick to get the lowest prices, £590 gets you a return flight from London to New York in premium economy and 3 nights’ hotel accommodation. If you want to take it up a notch, Premium economy seats are upgradable with Avios.
BA Executive Club members can get an extra 10% off sale prices if they book with Avios or Cash + Avios.
Lower fares and taxes can often be found by starting the journey at a regional airport – Inverness, Jersey, Dublin – and then connecting with the long-haul sector at London Heathrow.
Book by 24 September for travel between 16 September 2019 and 13 August 2020.
Full terms and conditions for the BA sale.
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Virgin Atlantic
Not to be left behind, Virgin Atlantic are also doing a flights and holidays sale. In business class (Upper Class), unless you’re flying on their new A350, you’ll be on the old configuration.
Upper Class returns:
Tel Aviv from £999
New York from £1350
Washington £1500
Economy and premium economy are also included in the sale. It’s routinely argued that Virgin’s premium economy product is better than BA’s, although they’re usually a bit more expensive than BA on the transatlantic routes. With New York from £561, this offer might be a good opportunity to try it out.
Book by 22 September for travel between 27 September 2019 and 1 April 2020
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Cathay Pacific
Business class fares as low as £1,500 return from European airports to locations in Asia. Stockholm to Perth is currently showing prices for £2,066, which comes in nicely below below our recommended £50/hr. Connections are via Hong Kong.
Business Class returns from Stockholm:
Perth from £2066
Book by 30 September for travel between 1 November 2019 and 19 June 2020.
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KLM
To celebrate their 100th year of flying, KLM have launched a seat sale called “Dream Deals” that runs until 16th September. Their main hub is at Amsterdam Schipol Airport, so most long-haul journeys will include a connection there.
Business Class returns from London:
Bogota from £1540
Mexico City £1500
Abu Dhabi from £1120
Seoul from £1490
Book by 24 September for travel between 24 November 2019 and 17 April 2020.
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Air France
KLM sister airline Air France is also joining in with the business class seat sales with a few interesting destinations in Asia at attractive prices.
Business Class returns from London:
Ho Chi Minh from £1480
Seoul from £1490
Mexico City £1495
Bogota from £1540
Book by 16 September for travel between 12 September 2019 and 31 August 2020.
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ANA
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is a full Star Alliance member and is running a business class seat sale from selected regional UK airports that connect via Frankfurt or Dusseldorf.
Return prices in business class from Birmingham (BHX):
Tokyo from £2,296
Osaka from £2,294
Sapporo from £2,297
Book by 20 September for travel between 2 November 2019 and 30 June 2020.
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Qatar Airways
Qatar’s current business class seat sale from various Scandinavian cities (Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm) is so good, we gave it its own page. Australia for under £2k on the best business class product in the sky will be hard to beat! Cheaper fares can be had from Sofia and Bucharest, although the the flight to Doha will be on an A320 with an inferior business class product.
Book by 30 September for travel between 9 September 2019 and 31 August 2020.
Finnair
If you’re heading east then Finnair, a full Oneworld member is always worth a look. All flights are via their base in Helsinki, with some of the onward long-haul routes being operated by new A350 aircraft.
- Oslo to Bangkok from £1,265
- Stockholm to Hong Kong from £1,313
- Gothenburg to Beijing from £1,331
Departures from London for around £200 more.
Book by 23 September for travel between 3 September 2019 and 31 March 2020.
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Etihad
Loads of deals from this Gulf carrier, whose base is Abu Dhabi, UAE. If you’re heading east from Europe, you should definitely consider Etihad in your options, especially if you’re struggling to get a good fare on Qatar or Emirates.
We’ve covered the Etihad deals in a separate post
Book by 9 September for travel up until 31 March 2020.
Lufthansa
A Skytrax 5-star rated Star Alliance airline with hubs in several German cities. They have a massive network and their sale includes many attractive destinations. Discounts on first class seats can also be found.
Return prices in business class from Stockholm:
Shanghai from £1410
Bangkok from £1415
Bogota from £1540
Perth from £2170*
*Added benefit of the long-haul sectors being operated by Singapore Airlines as a codeshare.
Book by 30 September for travel up until 22 July 2020.
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Singapore Airlines
Another Skytrax 5-star rated Star Alliance airline with a highly regarded business class product. Often very expensive to fly them from Europe to Asia, although very achievable in the current business class sale.
Return prices in business class from Stockholm:
Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) £1745
Auckland from £1940
Perth from £1960
Book by 15 September for travel between 1 October 2019 and 10 June 2020.
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BG1 Verdict
With all this choice it’s can be difficult to determine what’s is a good or a bad deal. Read our guide on what to look out for when looking for a business class deal. If you’re looking to book autumn/winter travel, this is likely to be your best opportunity. Further business class seat sales will happen around Black Friday and just after Christmas, which will be good for snaring late winter and spring flights.
