British Airways Slashes Biz Class Fares From All Its US Gateways

Want to take your summer vacation in Europe and fly busines class at a great rate?  Then book your trip now and take advantage of this extraordinary sale on business class seats from British Airways.

In what must be a response to competition from eos and Maxjet, British Airways is offering round-trip, business class fares between New York (JFK and Newark) to London for as low as $2,112 good for travel between July 1 and Sept. 2.  You must purchase your tickets by midnight (Eastern Standard Time), Feb. 1, 2007. 

The fine print: You must book 21 days in advance.  Travel on a weekend (Thursday through Sunday), and there's a $30 surcharge each way.  A Saturday night stay is required; maximum stay is 11 months.  Taxes and fees of about $150 are additional. 

No matter how much fine print, however, this sale is at least a nod toward the competition faced by British Airways, which offers totally flat beds in its business class cabin.  Biz fares have been as much as $8,000 between the East Coast and London, but the rise of all-business-class airlines such as eos and Maxjet is putting pressure on carriers such as BA, American, and United.  Look for BA's competiton to match these prices.

And BA's deal extends beyond New York.  All 19 US gateway cities served by BA are included, with prices ranging from $2,225 between Atlanta and London to a high of $3,641 (all before taxes and fees) between Seattle and London.  Need a hotel in London?  If you fly business class, the airline has deals on stays at such nice addresses as The Ritz, Grosvenor House, Kensington House and Copthorne Tara.