New Airberlin business class routes to San Francisco, Dallas and Boston (also Havana, Cuba) from Dusseldorf will start May 6 2016, per Airline Route. This is great news, especially for those in San Francisco and Dallas, who will have another good business class award option (without fuel surcharges) to Europe.
Here are the new flight details:
Dusseldorf – San Francisco
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays until June 9, 2016
Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays starting June 9, 2016
- AB7393 departs San Francisco SFO 5:55pm, arrives Dusseldorf 1:35pm the next day
- AB7392 departs Dusseldorf 1:20pm, arrives San Francisco SFO 3:55pm the same day
Dusseldorf – Dallas
Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
- AB7011 departs Dallas DFW 2:40pm, arrives Dusseldorf 7:05am the next day
- AB7010 departs Dusseldorf 9:15am, arrives Dallas DFW 12:50pm the same day
Dusseldorf – Boston
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays until June 12, 2016
Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays starting June 12, 2016
- AB7473 departs Boston 5:50pm, arrives Dusseldorf 6:45am the next day
- AB7472 departs Dusseldorf 1:50pm, arrives Boston 3:30pm the same day
FAQ
How Does Airberlin Business Class Compare to Other International Business Class?
Keep in mind that Airberlin is a low cost carrier, so don't expect its business class to be similar to Singapore Business Class, JAL Sky Suite Business Class, or Cathay Pacific Business Class. Airberlin seats are quite narrow, food is decent but not memorable, and the IFE is limited compared to Singapore and Cathay Pacific.
That said, service was good on all three of the Airberlin Business Class flights my family has taken (I've taken two flights and my husband has flown airberlin once), and in fact better than one of the SWISS Business Class flights I've been on. I would also rank it above KLM old Business Class and above Iberia New Business Class / Iberia old Business Class and above British Airways Business Class.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Airberlin seats in the flat bed position are quite short, which isn't so much a problem on a daytime flight if you intend to simply recline the chair into a lounging position, but if you're 6 feet or over and are trying to sleep stretched out on your back for an overnight flight, the space constraints could be a serious problem.
Which Miles Can I Redeem for Airberlin Business Class?
Updated: Currently you can redeem British Airways Avios as well as American AAdvantage miles for these new flights. Keep in mind that unfortunately, only outbound flights from the U.S. to Dusseldorf seem to have been loaded, at time of writing; here's hoping return award flights ex-Dusseldorf will be loaded soon. Here are examples of outbound flight award availability:
Airberlin Business Class San Francisco to Dusseldorf for 90K Avios Each Way
Airberlin Business Class Dallas to Dusseldorf for 75K Avios Each Way
Airberlin Business Class Boston to Dusseldorf for 60K Avios Each Way
Updated: AAdvantage miles can be used, and are a much better deal particularly from Dallas and San Francisco, at 50,000 AAdvantage miles each way, with no fuel surcharges.
What are the Best Way to Earn American AAdvantage Miles if I Don't Fly American?
If you have a strong credit score and are responsible with credit (never carry a credit card balance, no high interest loans) I recommend earning AAdvantage miles with credit card signup bonuses; see the Citi AAdvantage card offers on the Best Travel Credit Cards page.
You can also transfer Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints to AAdvantage; transfer in increments of 20,000 SPG points in order to earn the 5000 points transfer bonus on each 20K transfer. See SPG Airline Partners: Transfer Starwood Points to Airline Miles.
As long as you and your spouse/partner aren't disqualified (for example by working for an investment bank or other broker/dealer) and you have the funds to invest, you could earn 50K AAdvantage miles through a Fidelity brokerage account.
It's also possible to earn 50K AAdvantage Miles for a New Citigold Checking Account.
Do you plan to book one of Airberlin's new routes, and if so, which one?
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