This is a sweet deal: Alitalia is selling discounted tickets for business class flights from Paris to Rio de Janeiro. Prices for trips in the airline’s premium cabin start at around €1,315. Availability is great in March and this flight should get you a big number of miles.
There’s still surprisingly good availability for this deal during March 2020, so this is particularly perfect for a spontaneous trip next month.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, the airlines should be selling tickets until February 27, 2020. As already mentioned, the availability is decent for flights in March. There are minimum stay requirements of 5 days, but you could also return after just one night from Saturday to Sunday. The longest you can spend in South America is for three months.
Check Google Flights (instructions) to find connections that will work for you. Then, use our Travel Dealz flights search to compare prices that OTAs will offer, or just book via the carrier’s website.
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.
In case you’re not from Paris and thinking about skipping the flight to or from the capital of France, have a look at this article first:
Mileage
All tickets will be issued in booking class I. This will get you the following amounts:
- 25,532 Award Miles + 210 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 19,150 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 19,150 RDM + 2,554 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 19,150 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 15,958 Award Miles + 102 XP on Flying Blue
- 15,958 Miles on Air Europa Suma
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
Comments (2)
These SWISS flights to/from GIG are operated by Edelweiss, it’s very unlikely that any miles status benefits will be given to [non-Miles&More] Star Alliance flyers.
Hi there! Glad to see that you’ve been interested in our article. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! You’re right, only flights with Lufthansa via Frankfurt will get you miles on multiple Star Alliance frequent flyer programs.