Oneworld airline Finnair (together with British Airways) is the next one offering good deals from Budapest. You can reach Los Angeles starting at just HUF 634,200 (~€1,610).
The great news is that Finnair issues these tickets in Business Classic fare class and not in their infamous Business Light fare. This means, that you can bring two 32kg checked bags and two 10kg carry-ons. You will also be able to enter lounges and have 1-hour free wifi on Finnair flights.
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Finnair or British Airways with your preselected flight dates.
Most itineraries include one stop in Helsinki. You would first fly Finnair’s A320 family or Norra’s Embraer aircraft before hopping on Finnair’s Airbus A350 aircraft. According to the seat map, you would fly in Finnair’s new business class cabin. You can also fly through Seattle with Finnair and American or with BA through London.
You can check our review of Finnair’s new cabin below (on the A330):
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.
Search & Book
The fare rules do not specify an expiration date, meaning that it could expire anytime. You need to spend six nights or a Saturday night at your destination. The maximum stay is 12 months, allowing longer itineraries. There is good availability from late April.
The best way to look for available dates is to use our availability calendar above. It will forward you to either Finnair’s or BA’s website. If that doesn’t fit you, British Airways has an easy low-price search and Finnair has a price calendar in their search form. You can also browse flights on Google Flights. We recommend booking through the airlines.
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
Finnair issues all flights in booking class I. British Airways puts booking class J on shorter flights (including Finnair if you book through BA and Alaska) and I on the long ones (and on AA domestic First). The easiest connection (BUD-HEL-LAX) booked through Finnair would get you the following mileage:
- 19,562 Avios + 360 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 19,562 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 16,300 Avios + 102 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 16,300 Avios + 1,230 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 16,300 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 16,300 Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 16,300 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 13,040 AsiaMiles + 170 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 13,040 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 13,040 Points + 26 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 13,040 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 9,128 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 6,000 Points on Finnair Plus
To calculate your exact mileage, you can use our mileage calculator below or our status calculator. You can read the instructions here.
Destination
Hotel prices in Los Angeles usually start at roughly €100, depending on the hotel category. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for Los Angeles
The metropolis in California, USA is especially famous for Hollywood. But Los Angeles offers much more to discover.
→ All Dealz for Los Angeles
Information & Tips for USA
The USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. 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 the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA