The fare for San Francisco to Mumbai India has dropped by about $25 from the previous low fare I wrote about on Loyalty Traveler nearly three weeks ago. In early April, SFO-BOM fare was $825 on United Airlines and Swiss Airlines for November 2015. Today you can fly for $857 in September and fares drop to about $802 in November.
There is an all United Airlines fare at $795, but unless you have a desire to transit from JFK to EWR, that fare is to be avoided. You can avoid the airport change for an additional $10 in fare.
$857.57 August 31 – Sep 8
United Airlines outbound SFO-EWR-BOM economy K class.
Swiss Airlines inbound BOM-ZRH-SFO economy K class
Fare is around this price for September and October departures, before fares drop to around $800 for November departures.
Swiss Airlines ticket purchase
$801.66 November 2-10
Swiss Airlines outbound SFO-ZRH-BOM economy K class with 18 hour overnight transit in Zurich. Swiss Airlines inbound.
Lufthansa flights via Munich are about $20 more each way.
Lufthansa Airlines: San Francisco SFO – Frankfurt FRA – Mumbai BOM
$843.71 November 4 –18, 2015.
Earning United Mileage Plus miles
Important to know that economy K class earns 25% flight miles in Miles & More for Lufthansa flights, but economy K class is not a miles earning booking class in United Mileage Plus for Lufthansa flights. Swiss economy K class earns 50% flight miles in United Mileage Plus.
Assuming you want United Mileage Plus miles, these three tickets earn different amounts of redeemable miles when purchased on Lufthansa Airlines website, compared to Swiss Airlines and United Airlines websites.
United.com ticket purchase
SFO – BOM $857.57 fare purchased from United.com website departing August 31 flying United and Swiss operated aircraft earns $735 x 5 miles/$1 = 3,675 redeemable miles in United Mileage Plus.
Swiss.com ticket purchase
SFO-BOM $801.66 Swiss Airlines ticket purchased from Swiss.com website flying all Swiss Airlines operated aircraft earns 50% miles for economy K class in United Mileage Plus for 9,908 redeemable miles.
Lufthansa.com ticket purchase
SFO-BOM $843.71 Lufthansa Airlines ticket purchased from Lufthansa.com website flying all Lufthansa Airlines operated aircraft earns no miles with United Mileage Plus for Lufthansa economy K class.
This is the new United Mileage Plus in 2015.
SFO-BOM route in same economy fare K class earns vastly different miles in United Mileage Plus program:
0 miles for Lufthansa economy K class flights purchased on Lufthansa.com.
3,675 miles for United economy K class flights purchased on United.com.
9,908 miles for Swiss Airlines economy K class flights purchased on Swiss.com.
Looks like the Swiss come out on top in this miles endeavor.
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