Hey {{first name | reader}},
Happy Friday!
I was searching around with award availability this week and decided to look at a very specific route: Paris to Dubai nonstop in business class.
It turned out to be much more interesting than I expected.
There are two obvious nonstop options, Air France and Emirates, but once I started looking at the different programs you can use to book them, I found four very different ways of booking the same trip. So today I thought we would simply go through all of them and see which one I would actually choose.
Here's what's inside today's post:
Option 1: Emirates business class through Skywards
Option 2: Air France through Delta SkyMiles
Option 3: Air France through Flying Blue
Option 4: Air France through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Option 1: Emirates business class — 59,000 Skywards miles
Let's start with the obvious one.
If someone tells me they want to fly from Paris to Dubai and specifically wants an aspirational experience, Emirates is probably the first airline that comes to mind. The suites, the shower on the A380, the onboard bar, I completely understand the fascination. Emirates First Class is something people specifically want to try.
Business class is also very good, though personally I would not put it at the very top of my list.
The award I found costs 59,000 Emirates Skywards miles plus €488 in taxes. The flight leaves Paris at 10:00 AM and arrives in Dubai at 7:40 PM local time, which I really like. For a flight of around seven hours, I would much rather fly during the day. You sleep normally the night before, actually enjoy the flight rather than immediately trying to sleep, and arrive in Dubai in time for dinner and a proper night's rest.
The problem is acquiring the miles.
Emirates sells Skywards miles for $30 per 1,000, so buying 59,000 miles from scratch would cost approximately $1,770. Add roughly $557 for the €494 surcharge and the total comes to around $2,327 all-in.
That is expensive.
If you already have Skywards miles or transferable credit card points you can move to Emirates, 59,000 miles becomes much more interesting. But I would not buy nearly $1,800 worth of Skywards miles specifically for this flight.
Option 2: Air France through Delta SkyMiles — 42,500 miles
Then I looked at Air France, and found three different ways to book it.
The two daily nonstop flights I found both take around 6 hours 50 minutes. One leaves Paris at 1:30 PM and arrives at 11:20 PM, the other leaves at 11:10 PM and arrives in Dubai at 9:00 AM the following morning.
I would take the afternoon flight. Six hours 50 minutes is an awkward length for an overnight. By the time you have eaten and settled in, there is not much time left to sleep properly. Give me the afternoon flight, lunch or dinner onboard, a movie or two, and a proper bed at the hotel on arrival.
The first way to book Air France is through Delta SkyMiles:
42,500 SkyMiles plus €834 in taxes
That is a surprisingly low number of miles. But the problem is everything else.
Delta SkyMiles are difficult to acquire cheaply. Delta normally sells them for around $35 per 1,000 miles. Buying 42,500 would cost around $1,488. Then add the enormous €834 surcharge, which converts to approximately $950.
Total: around $2,438 all-in.
Unless you already have a large SkyMiles balance you want to use up, I do not find this attractive at all.
Option 3: Air France through Flying Blue — 60,000 miles
Next I checked Air France's own Flying Blue program.
60,000 Flying Blue miles plus $346 in taxes.
Flying Blue is a currency I find much easier to work with. Miles go on sale regularly, and we have seen them available for around $16.90 per 1,000 miles during recent promotions.
Using that price:
60,000 miles = $1,014
Plus $346 in taxes
Total: approximately $1,360 all-in
Now we are in reasonable territory for a nonstop business class flight between Paris and Dubai.
Flying Blue is also a program where I would not be worried about having miles left over, because there are so many Air France and KLM redemptions you can put them toward. Good flexibility as a currency.
But there is one more option, and it is the best one.
Option 4: Air France through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club — 50,000 points
This is the one I like the most.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is showing Air France business class from Paris to Dubai for 50,000 Virgin points plus €298 in taxes.
Virgin points can be particularly interesting because we have seen them sold for around $12 per 1,000 during their better promotions.
At $12 per 1,000:
50,000 points = $600
Plus roughly $340 for the €298 surcharge
Total: approximately $940 all-in
For me, that is the standout option.
You are flying nonstop from Paris to Dubai in business class for under $1,000 if you can acquire the Virgin points at the prices we have seen during the better sales.
So what would I book?
Here is the full comparison:
Program | Miles | Taxes | Estimated total |
Emirates Skywards | 59,000 | €488 | ~$2,327 |
Delta SkyMiles | 42,500 | €833 | ~$2,438 |
Flying Blue | 60,000 | $346 | ~$1,360 |
Virgin Atlantic | 50,000 | €298 | ~$940 |
If I already had Emirates Skywards miles or transferable points and really wanted to fly Emirates, I would seriously consider the 10:00 AM flight. The schedule is great and I understand wanting to experience Emirates at least once.
But if I were starting from scratch and looking for the best way to get from Paris to Dubai in business class, I would book Air France through Virgin Atlantic. Around $940 all-in for a nonstop business class flight is a very good deal.
Not bad for a route I only started searching out of curiosity.
Have a great weekend! And if you want me to do this same analysis for a route you are planning, just send it over. This is honestly one of my favorite things to do.
Catch you in the clouds,
Tomi from Points Master
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