Virgin Atlantic is offering their fabled “Upper Class” service to London for less, from several American cities.

The best deals, though are from the NY area: travel either in August, September or October for just $1,179+ one-way.

You must do a 42-advance purchase, and you must purchase your tickets by July 21. See all the details, as well as deals from other U.S. cities, right here.

Demonstrating that there are no hard feelings towards a former colony, British Airways has launched an Independence Day business class airfare sale to London.

In keeping with the holiday, they’re offering Club World seats for as low as $1776+ R/T.

These deals are good for travel through December 31st, but you have to book by July 6th to take advantage of the reduced business class airfare.

Prices are subject to availability and they do vary based on departure city. Visit British Airways Offers for more details, and keep reading for a look at the perks that come with a British Airways Club World seat…

(more…)

Alitalia’s Magnifica Class Summer Airfare Sale will help you fly to Italy in style for less. With a 50-day advance purchase you can enjoy business class comfort and first class service to dream destinations like Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice for as low as $3,202 R/T (including taxes and fees).

Once onboard, you’ll lounge in plush Italian-designed seats, enjoy gourmet meals served on fine china, enjoy a variety of entertainment options presented on your personal flat screen, and you’ll have the attention of Alitalia’s multi-lingual flight staff.

This Magnifica Class airfare sale from Alitalia is good for travel October 31, 2008. Keep reading for sample airfares to a destinations throughout Italy…

(more…)

OpenSkies has been celebrating its official launch with premium economy deals on flights between New York and Paris. Well, that airfare sale is coming to an end, so if you want to enjoy a bit of added comfort, more legroom, a personal entertainment system, and all of the other OpenSkies Prem+ perks for less, you’ll need to book fast.

The Paris airfare sale ends on July 4th, and it’s good for travel through August 31st. You’ll find premium economy airfare for as low as $770+ each-way.

Keep reading for more details on OpenSkies’ Prem+ offerings, and visit OpenSkies Launch Offer for more details…

(more…)

Members of frequent flier programs have managed to remain relatively unscathed during recent fuel surcharge and airline fee hikes. However, Delta Air Lines has brought all of that to an end.

The carrier announced that it will now tack on a $25 fuel surcharge for Award Travel between the 50 states and Canada, and a $50 fuel surcharge for Award Travel between the 50 states/Canada and all international destinations.

For more on Delta Airlines’ latest move and the continuing decline of frequent flier perks, visit RickSeaney.com.

Bored with typical luxury trips? Simply taking a quick hop on a private jet not quite enough for you? Why not try a private jet vacation? It combines all of the perks of flying a private jet with all of the sights, sounds, comforts, and amenities of a luxury vacation package.

At this point in time, private jet vacations aren’t for everybody. In fact, there not even for most first class travelers. However, there are a few private jet vacations out there that include luxury hotel stays, private flights, champagne, gourmet meals, and more for not much more than an international first class airline ticket. Of course, there are some private jet vacations that will run you over $30,000 per person.

MSNBC has put together a list of top private jet vacations ranging in price from about $4,000 per person to about $90,000 per person.

Learn how you can see the Wonders of the World, the hidden secrets of Easter Island, the height of European culture, and much more all from the privacy of your chartered jet or your 5-star accommodations.

Want to leave the cold of winter behind this November and December? Head to the Southern Hemisphere where spring will be wrapping up and summer will be settling in.

Qantas is launching premium economy service from LAX to Sydney, and to kick things off, they’re offering premium economy travel deals for as low as $4098+ R/T from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Sydney. For an extra cost ($135 - $455) , you can fly out of other US cities including Dallas/Ft. Worth, Chicago, and New York. This premium economy airfare sale from Qantas is good for travel from November 14th to December 8th, but you have to book by June 30th to take advantage of the deal.

The flight to Australia is a long one, but premium economy seats on Qantas can make things go a little more smoothly for you. Keep reading to see what this class has to offer…

(more…)

The hits keep coming for first class and business class travelers. We’ve already seen Virgin Atlantic increase fuel surcharges for its “Upper Class” passengers, and now British Airways is following suit:

“Flyers in first class, Club World and World Traveller Plus will pay up to 24 more per flight than those in economy.” (from BBC News)

The fuel surcharge increase (about $47.27 USD) marks the first time British Airways has initiated class-dependent fee levels. British Airways execs (and many travelers) see the move as “appropriate,” noting that first class and business class travelers already enjoy added space, comfort, and baggage allowances. Of course, there are first class and business class travelers that feel as though those additional perks are covered in the cost of the airline ticket.

So, should first class and business class travelers take on additional charges to help offset rising fuel costs? Let us know what you think.

The business class leisure airfare from Air France is designed to make all of the creature comforts of business class available to vacationers who don’t have the financial support of a corporation behind them.

While Air France’s business class leisure airfares won’t sway most average travelers from leaving those cheap economy airfares behind, they do provide the comfort and elegance of business class for a bit less.

You’ll find business class deals from US cities including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston to European destinations like Paris, Nice, and Barcelona. Current Air France business leisure airfare deals require a 50-day advance purchase and a minimum one-Sunday stay.

Keep reading for sample business class leisure airfares from Air France…

(more…)

It could happen.

According to this report from Bloomberg, the all-coach JetBlue may go to a “two-class cabin with premium pricing”.

Don’t look for this to happen today or tomorrow, but JetBlue’s CEO did say, everything is on the table.

The airline already has extra legroom (6-rows worth on their Airbus A320 jets), and while they do charge extra for those seats now, they’re thinking of transitioning it into a whole new class.

Interesting. There are reports that some premium travelers are “fleeing the airlines” but JetBlue thinks maybe they can make this work (and make money in these times of soaring oil prices). Not sure if that’s possible, but JetBlue is a scrappy airline, and if anyone can…