SkyTeam carriers Delta, Air France, and KLM have teamed up to offer very cheap business class flights from Helsinki to various US destinations. Fantastically, the cheap prices are also available for flights to the West Coast.
Air France and KLM will let you cancel all trips until December 31 for free. You would first get a voucher, which you can then get a full refund on. If you’re traveling in 2022, you can only rebook the flights, paying a (possibly high) fare difference. You can read the exact rules here.
The outbound flight has to take place from Monday through Thursday. There’s availability from November onward.
All reasonable destinations from Helsinki:
- Seattle: €938
- Boston: €938
- Washington DC: €943
- Dallas: €943
- Tampa: €947
- Houston: €973
- Orlando: €973
- Philadelphia: €981
- Pittsburgh: €981
- Chicago: €1,003
- San Francisco: €1,010
- Miami: €1,012
- Los Angeles: €1,061
- Nashville: €1,139
- Cleveland: €1,144
- San Diego: €1,170
- Phoenix: €1,175
- Charleston: €1,185
- Memphis: €1,191
- Savannah: €1,202
- Portland: €1,207
- Denver: €1,121
- St. Louis: €1,235
- New Orleans: €1,235
- Las Vegas: €1,262
- Palm Springs: €1,287
- Austin: €1,288
- San Antonio: €1,342
For a similar price, you could also depart from Riga, Vilnius or Tallinn when booking through Delta Air Lines.
Usually, the flights will have a layover, usually either in Amsterdam or Paris. During the flights, no matter which airline you select, you’ll receive free food and drinks.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Let’s start with the negatives: Not only is Air France’s service usually below average (especially between meals), but their Business Light fare makes things even worse. Only 1 piece of luggage is included, and lounge access costs extra (except on flights to the US). On a positive note, almost all of their planes are equipped with a modern 1-2-1 business class by now.
By now, modern seats have also become the norm at KLM. Its business class is definitely not a bad choice, also thanks to the good service. Like many other airlines, the Boeing 787 always has the newest business class seats installed.
If you’re travelling to North America, Delta is surely not a bad choice, especially if the route is operated with an Airbus plane. The seats in the Boeing 767 are good, but already quite old. The seats in the A330 and especially the A350, however, are on an extremely high level. All A330neo and A350 planes already have the Suite seats installed, which offer maximum privacy.
Search & Book
The minimum stay requirement is one Sunday. The outbound flight has to take place from Monday through Thursday. You are allowed to take the inbound flight up to 3 months after the outbound flight.
You can find suitable dates via Google Flights (instructions). You should book directly on KLM’s website or Air France’s website once you’ve found your ideal dates.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
The long-haul flights are issued in booking class Z, while the short flights to Paris/Amsterdam are issued in booking class J. The flights should at least give you a 110% credit, potentially more depending on your frequent flyer program of choice. Here’s an example mileage credit for a roundtrip to Seattle:
- 14,716 Award Miles + 140 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 12,360 RDM + 1,972 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 9,270 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 8,609 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 8,315 Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 8,315 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
- 8,315 Miles on ITA Volare
- 8,020 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 8,020 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 7,726 Miles on Aeromexico Club Premier
- 7,726 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 7,726 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 7,726 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 7,726 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 7,726 Award Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 6,475 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 3,352 Award Miles + 51 XP on Flying Blue
- Customize Calculation
Hotels
Hotels in the US are definitely quite pricey. Because of that it definitely makes sense to compare prices but also location and reviews, just to get the best quality possible for your budget. A good tool to do that is booking.com:
If you are lucky, you can also use on of our hotel vouchers and coupons:
Information & Tips for USA
The United States offers a wide range of tourist sights, from national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon to cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The currency is the U.S. dollar (USD), and card payments are widely accepted. Prices vary by region but can be high in major cities, especially for accommodation and dining. Weather differs greatly across the country—winters can be harsh in the north, while the south often stays mild; summers are generally hot and humid in many areas.
The U.S. transport infrastructure is highly car-dependent, especially outside major cities. Urban centres like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have functional public transit, but many other cities have limited options. Between cities, domestic flights are common for long distances, while intercity buses and Amtrak trains cover some routes, though often with slower speeds and less frequency compared to other countries. Without a car, getting around can be inconvenient in many parts of the country.
We’ve compared various esim providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA
source: Flyertalk
Cover Picture: © Air France