Several years ago the cost of a domestic first class ticket seemed insane. With the huge price difference between First Class and Economy it just never really made sense to pay extra. However, in recent years we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in the price of domestic first class fares. Because of the decrease in price and recent changes to airline loyalty programs it may actually make sense to start buying domestic first class tickets. Let me explain.
Until Now, I’ve Never Paid For First Class
I’ve flown American Airlines domestic First Class several times. However, I’ve never actually paid for it. See, I normally get to first class thanks to my American Airlines AAdvantage elite status. I earn that elite status by flying, a lot.
In fact, last year I flew about 110,000 miles in total on OneWorld partner airlines. I then credit each of those flights to the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program. For that I earned AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite status. With EP status I receive unlimited complimentary domestic upgrades when flying American Airlines.
So, essentially, I book economy class tickets, but get to fly First Class (domestically) for free. Casey Neistat put out a great video a few years ago which better explains how it works. Keep in mind since Casey published this video the AAdvantage program has changed, but the idea remains the same.
Today, I Purchased My First Domestic American Airlines First Class Fare
Before I go into details let me explain the mechanics of why this purchase made absolute sense in my opinion.
Over the weekend a friend of mine mentioned taking a short three-day weekend trip to London. He wants to go over a particular weekend to catch a soccer game. That means he wants to go over a very specific weekend. While he was explaining the situation to me he then asked if I’d be interested. He knows me well and knew I wouldn’t turn down a transatlantic adventure, touché.
The only issue is, my friend still doesn’t know if this trip is going to work out. So as we get closer to our projected travel weekend I’m worried that the prices of the airfare may increase. However, one thing is for sure, chances are my flights to/from the UK are going to be less expensive from New York than from London. With that, I’m most likely going to fly from London to New York on a specific date.
Since I know that I’ll most likely end up in New York, I still need to find a way back to Chicago. When I searched for flights home I found very limited (and fairly expensive options). One of those options was a First Class ticket for not much more. I decided to book it today to lock in the lower price. Even though we may not end up going to London, I figured in a worst case scenario I could still go to NYC for a weekend and use this flight as my return ticket.
How I Decided To Buy A First Class Ticket
I began my search by looking for Sunday evening flights from New York to Chicago on American. This is what I found.
There were essentially 3 options that would have me back at work on Monday morning. The first was a standard nonstop economy fare (boring) for $162. The next two flights were a little more interesting.
One of those options featured a layover in Philadelphia and came with a first class flight from PHL back to Chicago. That option would cost $248 oneway.
The second option, which costs $247, was from New York to Chicago via Charlotte. That flight was a little more interesting because it would give me a confirmed first class seat the whole way.
As I looked over my options I decided to book the New York to Chicago via Charlotte flights because they were actually quite lucrative.
My Decision To Buy First Class By The Numbers Miles
The first, shortest, and cheapest option cost just $162. For that I’d earn the following AAdvantage mileage accrual.
As you can see above, with the nonstop option I’d earn very little EQM and EQD. As an American Airlines Special Fare my earnings would be even lower.
However, would earn quite a few points and miles from this purchase. In total, I’d earn 810 Amex Membership Rewards points ($12.15) and 1,507 AAdvantage miles ($22.61). Those points effectively drop the price of the ticket to just $127.24.
With the First Class option I’d earn a lot more EQD and EQM, but also more points and miles.
With this purchase I’d earn 1,235 Amex MR points ($18.53) and 2,310 AAdvantage miles ($34.65). Those earnings drop the effective cost of the ticket to $193.82.
Obviously option #2 is more expensive than option #1, but my EQD and EQM earnings are much higher for not that much more money. This year I’m on track to fall short of EQM so I’m trying to earn as much EQM as I can per dollar spent. To me, this seemed like a great opportunity to do just that.
Final Thoughts
I get it, this doesn’t make sense for everyone. Most people want to get from A to B as cheaply and as quickly as possible. However, for me, in my attempt to once again qualify for Executive Platinum, this seemed like a good deal. Not only do I earn a lot of EQM and EQD, but I also have confirmed First Class seats the whole way. For once I won’t be anxiously waiting for my upgrades to clear. Instead, I know I have first class seats waiting for me when I land back in New York.
Also, for what it’s worth. The last time I flew JFK to CLT I received a confirmed upgrade on the JFK to CLT sector, but no confirmed upgrade on the CLT to ORD leg. Not only did I not receive the upgrade, but I was not even close to #1 on the upgrade list.
