37 Hours in First Class: Budapest – Miami – São Paulo for €2,775 r/t with British Airways & American

First class flights to Sao Paulo in Brazil are currently available from Oneworld partners British Airways & American for just over €2,775. The first flight is with British Airways or American to Miami, Florida. Then the connecting flight to Miami takes place in international First Class with American Airlines.

The detour via the USA means that you will spend a total of 37 hours in first class. The mileage credit is not bad either, with e.g. 920 Tier Points and 30,000 to 50,000 Avios in the BA Executive Club.

First, you’ll fly in BA’s business class from Budapest to London Heathrow, sitting in the Club Europe Business Class with a free middle seat and catering, but without exceptionally high seating comfort. In London, you can then visit British Airways’ Concorde Room.

You have two options across the Atlantic: Either you fly in British Airways’ first class (Airbus A380 or Boeing 787-10) or in American’s first class (Boeing 777). If in doubt, you should choose British Airways here. The onboard product is probably better there than at AA, and you’ll have the pleasure of flying 2 x 8 hours with American later anyway.

After immigration to the US has been completed, and you have re-checked your luggage, you will be taken to the AA Flagship Lounge in Miami for your onward flight. Those who are hungry can sit down in the Flagship First Dining with dishes à la carte. Then the connecting flight takes place in first class with American Airlines.

The same thing on the way back, only in the opposite direction: The only difference is that you’ll have a 12-hour layover in Miami, which is good for exploring the city briefly.

Search & Book

Booking is a bit more complicated here, so first the details of the fare and then the instructions on how to book it directly on AA.com.

Fare Rules

How long the offer is still valid is not stated in the fare rules. We were able to find availability from May to December 2023.

Unfortunately, stopovers in the USA have a hefty surcharge of €600. You can therefore stay in Miami for a maximum of 24 hours in each direction.

The minimum stay requirement is 7 days and you can theoretically stay a maximum of 12 months. However, flights can only be booked up to 1 year in advance.

Find and Book Flights with the Matrix

Theoretically, the fare can also be found via Google Flights, but then connections with the USA – São Paulo segment are usually displayed in business class. Not a good idea when the first class is available at almost the same price. We, therefore, recommend using the ITA Matrix (instructions).

First, you should install the ITA Powertools browser extension if you haven’t already. This then makes it easy to book tickets directly on AA.com. You can find links to the download and more about the tool here:

ITA Matrix Powertools: How to Book Flights Directly from the Matrix with Just a Few Clicks

Once you have arrived in the matrix, it is best to filter using the routing codes (left) for layovers only in London and Miami. In addition, you can further narrow down the results using the extension codes, e.g. for the minimum or maximum travel time.

Then you can have the results displayed flexibly in the calendar search. A search query could e.g. look like this:

In the next step, you only have to select the desired connection. Make sure that there is not accidentally a long-haul segment in business class, but only first class (booking class A).

Thanks to the power tools, you can then book the flights directly on American Airlines’ website with just one click:

The price should now be identical to the one in the matrix. But to be on the safe side, you should check the price and travel class again:

Mileage

Tickets are issued in booking class A. All long-haul routes carry an American Airlines flight number, only the feeder is issued in British Airways business class J.

The following mileage credits await you:

At some frequent flyer programs, there is a status bonus if you are already a frequent flyer. For example, the 30,000 Avios at British Airways become 48,988 Avios if you already have Gold status (= Oneworld Emerald).

Incidentally, such a trip is enough to earn Oneworld Sapphire frequent flyer status (with unlimited lounge access for at least one year). With Iberia Plus, the Elite Points alone are sufficient. At the BA Executive Club, you need 600 Tier Points and 4 segments that are either operated by BA or carry a BA flight number. You can also meet the condition with this deal, namely if both transatlantic flights are operated by BA.

Destination

Hotel prices in São Paulo usually start at roughly €20 – €25, depending on the hotel category and the specific dates. 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 Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo is an important economic and cultural center in Brazil and at the same time the most populous city in the country with 11 million inhabitants and a metropolitan region of 20 million.

The city is comparatively easy to reach from Europe, and the major hub airports are served by numerous European and Brazilian airlines. Bargains are not as common as to Rio de Janeiro, but there are still good offers.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Sao Paulo is between March and May and between October and November. At this time of year, the weather is warm, and precipitation is comparatively low.

From the airport to the city

You can get a taxi for about 23€-28€. Note that Guarulhos International Airport, which serves most international flights, is located pretty far outside the city and it can take between 45 minutes and 3 hours to get to the city center depending on traffic conditions!

→ All Dealz for Sao Paulo

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

Cover Picture: © British Airways