Why the coronavirus crisis is your best chance to bag a business-class flight: BA and Virgin offering up to 60% off lie-flat seat deals from London to the U.S (and throwing in a hotel for free)
- Travel expert Gilbert Ott says that these business return tickets are often £3k
- The frequent flier says some deals from Paris to the U.S, meanwhile, are ‘insane’
- He says: ‘Up to 60 seats on every flight that would be filled are going empty’
The coronavirus crisis has hit the airline industry hard.
But the silver lining for travellers is that there are some incredible luxury deals to be snapped up.
One travel expert told MailOnline Travel that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, for instance, are offering up to 60 per cent off business class tickets from London to the U.S – and throwing in a few nights in a hotel for free. And he says that deals like this are ‘almost certainly’ related to the coronavirus crisis.
One travel expert told MailOnline Travel that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are offering up to 60 per cent off business class deals from London to the U.S. Pictured is BA’s new business class seat
Gilbert Ott, who runs the flight tips site God Save The Points, said: ‘Business travel is one of the hardest-hit sectors, so one could argue that the luxury deals are even more prevalent.
‘Many companies have imposed travel bans for all non-essential travel, which means up to 50 to 60 seats on every flight that would usually be filled are currently going empty.
‘Deals that would typically last 12 hours are lasting days, which never happens. Obviously, there’s risk, and everyone must conduct their own risk assessment, but I personally am taking advantage.’
Father-of-one Gilbert, who lives between New York and London, reveals on his site that BA is offering deals for around £1,200 per person for round-trip flights from London to America and three or four nights in a hotel.
Gilbert Ott, pictured here in BA’s A350 business class suite, says that because of the coronavirus crisis ‘deals that would typically last 12 hours are lasting days’
He writes: ‘On any given day, paying £1,200 for business class from London to the USA is a great offer, but when it comes with four nights of hotel included, that’s baller.’
Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, is offering ‘deals [to the U.S] that give you round trips in flatbeds for lower than premium economy prices’, he says.
He pointed out that £3,000 for flights alone, for any airline flying from the UK to America, would be ‘pretty standard pricing’ and that in-between sales, ‘business class is constantly above £2,000 as a minimum’.
The travel expert also points out that if you’re willing to start your BA London to USA trip from Paris – flying via London on the way out – there are even better deals to be had.
Pricing that Gilbert describes as ‘insane’.
For example, BA is offering Paris to the East Coast via London in Club World for around £850-£900 all in.
He writes: ‘Oneworld is having a crazy sale out of Paris that makes flying business class in just about any month in 2020 cheaper than it can be in economy.’