Oneworld member British Airways is selling really cheap business class tickets to Rio de Janeiro, starting at €1,135 for flights departing from Nice. Four other French airports cost less than €10 more. All flights include a layover in London.
Transatlantic flights are operated by British Airways Boeing 787 aircraft. These planes offer lie-flat-seats in their Business Class cabin. Inner European flights are operated by British Airways A320 family aircraft that feature BA’s European Business Class.
Search & Book
This offer runs out on July 31, 2019. Your stay must include at least one weekend and may not exceed twelve months. British Airways specifies two travel periods:
- August 13 – September 13
- October 27 – December 13, 2019
All travel must be completed on December 24, 2019. At time of writing, availability is great.
These fares can be found on Google Flights. The easiest way to find low fares is to use their calendar (instructions) and book via an online travel agency or directly at ba.com. For premium tickets, we recommend the latter. If anything goes wrong, you save a lot of time when you can communicate to the airline directly.
Mileage
British Airways issues tickets in booking class J for short haul and I for transatlantic segments. Both are full fare Business Class tickets, that generate a lot of award mileage in Oneworld frequent flyer programs. The following example gives a preview for a Paris to Rio de Janeiro roundtrip:
- 32,250 Award Miles + 19,750 Elite Qualifying Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 19,750 Avios + 1,150 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 18,330 Avios + 360 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 18,330 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 18,330 Points on Finnair Plus
- 18,330 Avios on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 14,916 Avios + 116 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 14,916 AsiaMiles + 180 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 14,916 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 14,916 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 14,916 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 14,916 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 14,916 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 12,040 Points + 24 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Each European trip is worth 40 tier points in BA’s Executive Club. The long haul segments are worth 140 tier points each, adding up to 360 tier points for the whole trip. This is more than half what is needed to gain Oneworld Sapphire status (600).
British Airways’ Club Europe
British Airways’ European Business Class Club Europe can be found across their Airbus A320 family short haul fleet. It uses the exact same seats that are used in Economy Class. The main difference is that the middle seat is blocked within the usual 3-3 seating arrangement and that food and beverage services are free. Unfortunately, you still have to deal with a rather small legroom (less than 80 cm).
The main benefits of Club Europe are lounge access (if available), free meal service and generous baggage regulations (2 checked bags up to 32 kg). You can find a more detailed review of the product here.
British Airways’ Club World Business Class
BA’s Business Class is subject to some mixed reviews. While it offers lie-flat seats in most aircraft configurations, they are deemed to be narrow by some customers. Since not all seats are facing forward, you might have to endure a long trip facing to the rear end of the cabin.
Further, that some business fares do not include free seat selection is criticized, as it may cost €60 to select the seat of your choice. A more detailed review of BA’s 777 Business Class can be read here. Their Boeing 787 features a similar layout that is reviewed here.
Information & Tips for Brazil
Brazil is probably the country in South America that is most frequented by tourists. Whether it’s the carnival or the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro or touring the Amazon, visitors will get their money’s worth here.
Traditionally, flights to South America and Brazil from Europe are quite expensive, but since a few years, there are increasingly cheap offers, especially with Iberia and TAP.
Best Time to Visit
Brazil is a vast country – so there is no such thing as an overall best travel time. It all depends on what you want to see. It is best to visit the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo autumn and spring while the dry season fort the rainforest is from May to September.
Entry & Visa
EU citizens do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days and can enter with a passport only. Note that, similar to the USA, that after your first stop in Brazil your luggage must be collected and brought through customs. Calculate accordingly when booking a connecting flight.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Maya Mobile. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for Brazil 🇧🇷 Compared
→ All Dealz for Brazil
Information & Tips for Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the second largest but especially for tourists probably the most important city in Brazil. Famous for its carnival, Cristo Redentor statue, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Copacabana, Rio offers visitors a variety of experiences and sights.
The city has excellent flight connections to Europe. Fares are generally around €400 to €600 with the occasional steal of less than €400.
The Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Rio is between December and March. At this time of year, the weather is warm but moderate, and the water temperature is perfect for swimming. Carnival takes place in February.
From the airport to the city
Express buses with air conditioning and lots of space for your luggage will take you to the city in about half an hour for the equivalent of €3. The taxi ride costs between €14 and €25. Make sure that you only take licensed taxis!
→ All Dealz for Rio de Janeiro
Thanks to our source YHBU!