|
|
 |
| Australia/ New Zealand The best in business and first class ticket deals, specials, and offers are made available to our Passport Premiere and Chairman's Inner Circle members from carriers with the most direct and comfortable premium class products to Australia and New Zealand. Our premium members receive specialized pricing with both One World and Star A lliance carriers that offer direct service between North America and Australia in both business and first class. These carriers include Air New Zealand and Qantas, the spirit of Australia. We also feature business class specials, offers and discount tickets when available from Delta Airlines and V Australia. Specialized pricing is demand based. In the absence of buyers for the carriers asking pricing, carriers do make specialized tickets, deals, fares and offers available to our members. Discounted business and first class pricing with Qantas can be requested from any city in North America to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or anywhere else in the land down under. Special business class offers and discounts are also available from Star Alliance member Air New Zealand. All fares are available on our business and first class ticket pricing page. For members of Passport Premiere and the Chairman's Inner Circle, additional savings are also available. While ticket savings is what may make you a customer, our service and strategies is what keep you as a customer. Business and first class ticket pricing can be volatile, and our premium members catch downward fare move as change happens. Our premium programs offer the same amenities that you have come to expect as a premium class traveler. Asia Pacific The finest in luxury travel is available for members of our Passport Premiere and Chairman's Inner Circle to destinations in Asia with Cathay Pacific, a member of the One World Alliance. Cathay Pacific installed an upgraded business class seat in 2007 and enhanced the seat in 2010 on its long haul aircraft. The new seat follow an angled pod layout. Cathay Pacific, like other Asian carriers, may initially set an asking price that is higher than expected. However, as the travel date approaches special business class fare sales, promotions, discount offers and other deals may be made available to our premium members. San Francisco was initially the least expensive U.S. gateways, but now the best business class deals and offers can vary based on demand While Cathay Pacific offers minimal discounts for First Class travel, San Francisco (as well as Toronto from the east coast) continues to be their most affordable North American gateways.
While the marketplace is flooded with a plethora of business class deals, specials tickets and offers, our premium membership programs are tailored to deliver savings with elite carriers that offer either direct service or bed style seating in business class. Members also benefit from specialized fares and discounted tickets with other Asian carriers including Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. As a member, we don’t just tell you what to buy but WHEN TO BUY! Asia Pacific combined with Australia and/or New Zealand in Business or First Class If you’re looking to combine a trip to Asia with a trip Australia /and or New Zealand we suggest using a Circle Pacific ticket or even and Around the World (RTW) ticket. If your itinerary does not require travel to Europe or Africa, then a Circle Pacific ticket is likely a better fit than a full blown Around the World as it will be less expensive. The One World Circle Pacific ticket permits travel with One World Alliance members American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Lan Chile and/or Qantas. The Circle Pacific ticket with the Star Alliance allows for travel on any of its members flights including Air New Zealand, All Nippon, Asiana, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and United. With either the One World Alliance or Star Alliance the Circle Pacific fare allows the traveler to pay a fixed price for travel to both Asia and Australia/New Zealand as long as travel remains in a continuous direction. After you leave one Continent under a Circle Pacific fare, you can't return to the same continent on the same ticket. These are not promotional fares, specials, limited time deals, or offers but a fixed ticket type with fixed ticket terms. that are flexible and ideal for business travelers. However, they can also be used for leisure travelers seeking business or first class international travel. There are three fare levels and ticket types for the One World Circle Pacific fare based on the number of miles flown. The tickets are categorized into 22000, 26000, and 29000 mileage brackets. The Star Alliance offers similar pricing plans. While discount business class deals and offers are generally not available on published Around the World and Circle Pacific fares, additional savings are available based on where your trip originates as well as the order of the cities visited. The benefit for Premiere Members Our Premiere members that make frequent trips between North America, Asia and Australia/New Zealand can take advantage of discounts of up to 40% or more with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Lan Chile using Circle Pacific Travel. As explained in our Around the World fares/ Circle Pacific fare section (www.1st-air.net/world_specials.cfm), on July 1st, 2008 the One World Alliance initiated a 40% increase overnight, raising the Circle Pacific business class fare from $5,500 to $9,300 for a 22,000 miles fare. This price hike was to accommodate the introduction of premium economy with Qantas. The Circle Pacific fare in business class as less than the premium economy fare with Qantas using nonstop service. However, strategies exist for our preferred members to qualify for business class Circle Pacific fare levels up to 40% off. Travelers based in the U.S. can expect business class fares between $6,000 -$6,500 that include travel to Asia and Australia with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Japan Airlines, and Lan Chile. Around the World Tickets and Fares Around the world fares vary based on the country where travel originates. An Around the world business class ticket purchased originating in New York visiting London, Singapore and Bangkok is likely to be more expensive if purchased in the U.S. compared with the United Kingdom or Thailand. Frequent international travelers can benefit from reduced travel costs by originating their Around the World ticket in a country that they may frequently visit with lower pricing than their home country. The United Kingdom had been one of the most expensive countries to originate an Around the World ticket, but changes in global exchange rates has now earned the United Kingdom a 'buy' rating when considering Around the World ticket originations. This is not a promotion, promotional fare, special offer or limited time deal but a fixed and reliable price for our premium members. Passport Premiere andChairman's Inner Circle aids its members in structuring their itinerary for maximum savings on their initial trip with maximum value for future around the world trips. Around the World itinerary preparation and procurement is only available for premium members. Around the World strategies are available in either business or first class. Again, not a special and unlike promotional offers. Passport Premiere delivers results. Specialized Circle Pacific ticket and fare strategies are currently in high demand by frequent travelers between the North America and Australia Passport Premiere will devise and implement strategies for frequent international business and first class travelers to get them most out of their Around the World ticket purchase. As Around the World pricing can vary greatly based on where you originate, Passport Premiere will not only determine the most efficient way to arrange your itinerary but will suggest an efficient purchase pattern for future trips so that you benefit from maximum savings. Again, not just an international travel club and delivering more than business or first class ticket specials, promotions, or limited time offers. Latin America Discount Business and First Class offers and fares are available between North America and Latin America using Delta Airlines, LAN and TAM Brazil Airlines among other carriers. Discount business class fares to Argentina, Brazil and Chile with Delta Airline, LAN and TAM Brazil are available on-line by going to our pricing page. For Latin America, we do offer contract pricing which is best utilized when travel is less than 60 days from the booking date. When travel is planned more than two months from the travel date, carriers can launch promotional fares, deals and ticket offers that require immediate purchase, but can be up to 50% less than the already discounted contract fare. Premiere members can seize these fare movements using Fare Monitor. This allows members to hold business or first class reservations in anticipation of a downward fare move. When change happens, our premium members seize the change Carpe diem at its best. Flat Beds to China with Hainan Airlines Passport Premiere members can take advantage of special business and first class tickets to China from Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Hainan Airlines among other carriers. Hainan Airlines operates direct service between Seattle and Beijing with a two class (business and economy) configuration. Hainan Airlines offers discounted business class fares along with flat beds in business class. From Beijing, add on fares are available from Beijing to almost any city within China (ranging from Shanghai to Shenzhen) with a single connection. Even if your final destination is Shanghai, you may find better overall value by connecting via Beijing. Hainan Airlines also offers passengers originating from other U.S. cities domestic add on options with Alaska Airlines or American Airlines for little or no additional cost. Hainan Airlines is the 2008 recipient of the Skytrax "Best Airline in China" award. Though Hainan Airlines business class fares may be discounted, their service and in flight experience is anything but discount. Hainan Airlines operates Airbus A330 aircraft with flat beds in business class from Seattle. Hainan Airlines fares are available online from points in the U.S. to Beijing, Shanghai, and over 40 other onward cities in China. Business class fares with Hainan Airlines can be requested by going to our pricing page. First class fares and ticket offers can be found with other carriers servicing China to our premium members. Middle East and Gulf Region Discount Business Class fares and offers are available between North America and the Middle East with a wide range of carriers including Delta, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways From New York, Qatar Airways operates 777 aircraft between New York and Doha, Qatar. From Qatar, connections are available with Qatar Airways to Dubai,Kuwait, Bahrain, India and almost anywhere you need to travel within the Gulf region. Qatar Airways operates from New York using a two class (business class and economy) configuration. B Business class discounts, specials, promotional fares and offers can be made available to our members traveling to the Middle East based on demand. In other words, if the carriers published pricing structure is inhibiting its ability to distribute business or first class inventory as the departure date approaches carriers will launch fare sales that target our members. Etihad operates using a First Class cabin and services Abu Dhabi. For travelers to the Middle East from the southeast United States, Delta Airlines offers discount business class fares and special offers to Dubai. Business class fares also tied to demand and pricing can decrease for members as the travel date approaches. Limited discounted business class fares and discount first class fares are available with Emirates from both New York and Houston. Emirates operates three cabin (business class, first class, and economy) service to Dubai, with connections throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. As of February, 2012 Emirates is not a member of any of the global airline alliances but does offer reciprocal mileage credit with several international airlines. Emirates business and first class discounts may not be available on-line, and may only be available by telephone for members. Europe Business (and First) class fares between the U.S. and Europe can be more volatile than the equity markets. Between these two continents, fares move very similarly to equities but are subject to market manipulation by the carriers themselves. Future dated travel, defined as purchased more than two months from the travel date, is generally purchased by leisure travelers. Carriers set higher than expected pricing for future dated travel attempting to lure unsuspecting leisure travelers to buy early. The traveler thinks that buying early is the key in obtaining the best deals but that is no longer true. Carriers attempt to initially establish a market for higher than expecting pricing for those purchasing early. However, when there is an absence of buyers at inflated price fare, like stocks, come tumbling down. Travelers search for business or first class travel to Europe more than 60 days from the travel date should utilize Fare Monitor as a member of Passport Premiere. When travel is less than 60 days from the travel date, the contract fares found on-line will generally work best. Members can take advantage of specialized business and first class fares, promotional offers and ticket deals with American, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss International among others. |
