SkyTeam member Air Europa currently offers cheap business class fares to Ecuador. With departure from Amsterdam, you can reach Quito and Guayaquil for as little as €1,447. While these flights show broad availability and including lounge access, priority services and five flights in a proper long-haul business class – you can earn almost no miles with these tickets.
Our Go2 form will forward you to Air Europa with your preselected flight dates. You can also check what OTAs have to offer, as they sell these tickets up to €40 cheaper.
Air Europa operates Boeing 787 aircraft between Madrid and Ecuador. They serve both cities in a triangular flight Madrid – Quito – Guayaquil – Madrid, so that you always have an additional stop in either the in- or outbound flight.
A nice feature of this deal is that Air Europa uses Boeing 787 on the majority of their services between Amsterdam and Madrid as well. So you will be able to enjoy extra-legroom and entertainment on the two-hour inner European flights, as well.
Air Europa Business Class
Air Europa arranges seats in a 2-2-2 configuration. All seats are facing forwards with a slight angle towards the neighboring seat. While this is uncommon, it has not been criticized as too intimate. Especially the food & beverage service has received great reviews. A highlight of Air Europa’s Business Class is the baggage allowance of 3 x 23kg.
Due to the dense seating (for Business Class flights) and friendly flight attendants, Air Europa’s Business Class has been deemed to convince with warmth & personality, not luxury. A more detailed review can be found here (Boeing 787) and here (Airbus A330).
Search & Book
The fare rules don’t mention an expiration date for this fare. There are no minimum or maximum stays, but you need to purchase your tickets at least 28 days in advance. You may find almost daily availability from September 2022 through June 2023.
Google Flights previews flights for this flights reliably, but with a major kink. Prices displayed on Google are €210 more expensive than on Air Europa’s website. However, all of Google’s €1,600 fares translate to the quoted price when we checked. It’s best to search for available flight dates there and then proceed to Air Europa’s website or our flight search.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Air Europa issues tickets for all flight segments in booking class O, limiting your earnings to their own program. You will receive 9 miles per Euro spent, so expect roughly 12,000 miles for a roundtrip.
Cover Picture: © Air Europa