Business class fares originating in Europe to the US are often cheaper than fares which originate in the U.S. I occasionally see $1000 roundtrip fares originating in Europe. Last year there was even a $400 one-way Europe-US fare on Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal.

TAP is back with amazing fares across the Pond, originating in Europe. You can book them either one way (Europe to U.S.) or roundtrip (Europe – U.S. – Europe). In fact $651 or $656 one way fares are available most days from mid-November through summer. Here’s Oslo – New York JFK:

Here’s what an itinerary looks like.

Key details for fare basis JNOEXI0D:

• 115 euro fee for cancel/refund
  
• 140 euro change fee, 220 if no show

Fares are also available to Boston (and for a little more to Miami):

You don’t have to begin in Oslo, here’s Copenhagen. And you can book it with a stopover in Lisbon if you’d like, a chance to visit Portugal and it can be actually less expensive to do that than it is to fly straight through. First with a stopover, then without:

You can start elsewhere in Europe, too, for instance Budapest for more but still less than $1000:

When there are cheap fares Europe – US, you ought to consider… Flying to Europe, such as on an award ticket, and booking roundtrips originating in Europe. One award ticket and nested paid tickets cover as many roundtrips as you wish while getting the cheaper Europe-originating fares [provided you can lock in dates for all of them].

Flying to Europe on an award ticket, and booking a one-way ticket back to the U.S.
At 60,000 or 70,000 miles one-way for a business class award ticket it can be far more desirable to save the miles, pay $700, and earn miles even for the ticket plus there may be far better availability for a discounted paid fare.

And it can be even cheaper than you may realize in comparison. If you’re using a program like Delta which adds fuel surcharges for tickets originating in Europe, or Aeroplan which adds fuel surcharges on many of their partner airlines including Air Canada and Lufthansa, or heaven forbid British Airways which adds fuel surcharges onto awards period while offering a mediocre product then the difference in cash cost may only be a couple hundred bucks. (In fact this one-way TAP fare is a $317 base fare with the rest taxes and a $247 fuel surcharge.)

The point is — save the miles, save the fuel surcharges, and consider buying the one-way that’s sold cheaply while using miles for the expensive ticket.

That doesn’t always line up with your plans. For this fare you’d have to position to a European city that works, and there’s added cost to get home if you don’t live in one of TAP Air Portugal’s US gateways. But it’s definitely something to keep top of mind when booking awards.

(HT: MightyTravels)