British Airways Business Class fares are under $1,700 round trip for Stockholm to Los Angeles. The ticket price to fly LAX to Stockholm round trip is significantly higher at $3,000 in off-season periods (December holiday and summer months) and $3,500 at other times.
As self-acclaimed travel blogger of the $400 Scandinavia to California round trip deep discount economy ticket buyer, today I turn my attention to the flyer who cringes at the thought of 12 hours upright in a thin chair. Even a Premium Economy footrest does not suffice for some up-front flyers. For the traveler who firmly believes an onboard aircraft bed is the only way to hurtle your body across space and time zones, here is a look at the irony of Stockholm Business Class ticket prices. One of the most expensive tourist destinations on the planet is also the European hub of lowest airfares to California and many other places around the USA. Even for British Airways Business Class to the LAX.
Stockholm is an airport I have found myself passing through several times over the past few years as a Californian who has frequently traveled to Europe on $400 round trip Stockholm to San Francisco fares with Oneworld and Star Alliance airlines.
Sometimes I even travel on sub-$200 Norwegian one-way fares, which generally are $90 more one-way after upgrading for checked bag, food, drink and self-selected seat assignment.
Turns out the same low fare deals I used to become AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite for 2016 can also be applied to Business Class tickets from Stockholm at a relative deep discount to the price of Business Class fares to other airports in Europe and far below the price of originating travel in California.
British Airways Stockholm ARN – London LHR – Los Angeles LAX – London LHR – Stockholm ARN
$1,700.27 USD (15,440 SEK) round trip Business Class  April 15 – July 8
ARN – LHR – LAX – LHR – ARN = 12,733 flight miles.
American Airlines AAdvantage Earn Miles British Airways table.
12,733 flight miles x 1.50 EQM = 19,099 EQM (Earn AAdvantage Gold with 25,000 EQM).
12,733 flight miles x 0.25 EQD = $3,183 EQDÂ (Earn AAdvantage Gold with $3,000 EQD).
12,733 flight miles x 1.25 = 15,916 redeemable miles + elite bonus (40-120%).
Ticket Price $1,700.27 / 19,099 EQM = 8.9 cents per EQM and 54 cents/EQD.
2017 ticket spend for AAdvantage Elite at these earn rates of 8.9 cents per EQM:
- AAdvantage Gold elite = $2,225 for 25,000 EQM. (Meets $3,000 EQD requirement)
- AAdvantage Platinum = $4,450 for 50,000 EQM. (Meets $6,000 EQD requirement)
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro = $6,675 for 75,000 EQM (Meets $9,000 EQD requirement)
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum = $8,900 for 100,000 EQM (Meets $12,000 EQD requirement)
Open-Circuit Travel Planning
It is unconventional ticketing as a U.S. resident to plan your round trip travel between home and Europe with tickets that originate at an airport in Europe, some place like Stockholm, and end there too. An analysis of the cost savings can make that ‘I need a way home†uncertainty a much smaller price to pay for the luxury of Business Class travel over frequent trips.
I don’t always have a long-term plan in place when I book a deep discount $400 Scandinavia to California round trip economy class ticket. Currently I know I will be in Amsterdam in February, but I have no ticket home to California yet. I call this open-circuit travel planning. Once I purchase my ticket back to the USA, I will close the circuit with a scheduled flight back to California.
You can enjoy the same feeling of uncertainty I have experienced many times over the past few years with a back of my mind fear of possibly being stranded in Europe at the end of my last ticketed flight. And that leads me back to Stockholm. Stockholm with Norwegian Airlines, or Copenhagen or Oslo or one of many other Scandinavian airports are often the lowest priced tickets to the USA from Europe.
You might even look more favorably on Norwegian $200 one-way ticket prices, if you need a way home to the USA due to crazy cheap business class travel schemes.
My series looking at ticketing strategies for 2017 AAdvantage flyers:
AA or Finnair ticket AAdvantage? $400 Chicago to Copenhagen
Earn AAdvantage EQD and cheaper elite status on BA Premium Economy tickets
ARNing to AAdvantage Platinum elite for $1,818 in 2017
LAX/SFO to Melbourne/Sydney $1,965 Cathay Pacific Premium Economy earns AAdvantage Gold elite
AAdvantage EQM-EQD JFK/LAX to Singapore Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Finnair Premium Economy and Business
Sri Lankan Airlines $914 Business Class Doha to Singapore, AAdvantage EQM-EQD earned
LAX to Maldives $1,819 CX Premium Economy earns AAdvantage Gold
Loyalty Traveler curated Airfare Deals and Google Flights and Kayak Explore tutorials.
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