Hey {{first name | reader}},
Happy Monday! Coffee's ready, but I have a confession: I'm completely stuck.
I'm supposed to be writing about airline news, hotel deals, or award sweet spots… but instead, I've spent the last three days spiraling over which flight to book home from Europe, and I genuinely can't decide.
This has literally stopped me from thinking about anything else, so today's newsletter is just one topic: I need your help picking my return flight.
I'm going to walk you through exactly how I'm weighing six different options — what I love about each one, what bothers me, and why I keep second-guessing myself. And at the end, I'm asking you to vote, because at this point, I trust your collective wisdom more than my own brain.
Let's dive in.
The Setup: Europe in late March, and I already know the outbound
Here's the situation: I'm flying to Europe in late March, and the outbound is already locked in. COR → MAD on Air Europa business class.
Air Europa Old Business Class
That part was easy. I take that route all the time, it's convenient, it works, I know what I'm getting (but the hard product SUCKS).
But the return? That's where I'm stuck. Keep in mind my final destination is COR — it’s about a 1-hour flight from EZE and about 3 hours from GIG.
The sensible answer is probably: "Just book the most direct business class option and stop overthinking it."
But I'm not built like that.
I'm built like: "What if I fly to a different country, add a positioning flight, and do a better long-haul product… purely because I feel like it?"
And that's where the problem starts.
Because now I'm staring at six options that are all "good" in different ways, and somehow I've convinced myself they're all bad for different reasons 😂
Why this is useful for you (even if you don't care about my specific flight)
Before I get into the options, let me explain why I'm sharing this:
This is exactly what a booking strategy looks like in real life.
It's not "find the cheapest business class ticket" or "always use points" (though in this case, all the options are to be booked with points).
It's balancing:
Value (am I getting a good deal?)
Convenience (does this route actually make sense?)
Product (will I enjoy the flight?)
Timing (does the time work with my life?)
Risk (what happens if something goes wrong?)
And sometimes the "best" option on paper feels wrong in practice, or the "fun" option adds just enough complexity that you're not sure it's worth it.
So as you read through these six options, think about how you'd weigh them for yourself — because this is the kind of decision-making you'll face when you're booking your own premium trips.
Option A: Air Europa back to COR (the boring, practical, slightly painful option)
Let's start with the one I don't want.
I could just fly Air Europa back again and be done with it.
Why it makes sense:
Direct
Efficient routing
No positioning flights, no overnight hotel stays
I already know what I'm getting
Why I don't want it:
I already flew it on the way out
And look, it's bad. I've done it many times and it's just not what I want to do when I have other fun options. The product is outdated, the service is inconsistent, and I'm already dreading the thought of repeating it
And I know how ridiculous this sounds, but I'm an avgeek. So yes, I would absolutely fly to another country and then take a 3-hour economy flight… just to avoid repeating a business class product I'm not excited about.
This is the "just get it over with" option, and I really, really don't feel like picking it.
Option B: Air France to EZE (great value… but the arrival time annoys me)
This one is interesting because it's clean and logical on paper.
Air France Business Class
Why it makes sense:
I can book it for around 85k points + taxes
Air France is consistently enjoyable
The whole thing feels like a "proper" long-haul airline experience
Good use of points
The problem:
On this route, Air France flies an A350 with their older business class product (not the new suites)
It lands in EZE around 10 pm, which basically forces me to spend the night near Buenos Aires and go home the next day. I hate having to spend the night in Buenos Aires because of a late arrival. It makes the return feel longer than it needs to be, and EZE is far away from the city.
So this is one of those options that looks great on paper — good value, solid airline, efficient routing — but in practice, it adds an annoying layer of friction that bugs me every time I think about it.
It's not a bad option. It's just… slightly annoying in real life.
Option C: Air France to GIG (new biz product) + position to COR (the "avgeek but still reasonable" option)
This might be the most me option.
Air France Newest Business Class
Why I love it:
Air France to Rio (GIG) gives me the chance of trying their newer business class experience
Then I just position back to Córdoba (roughly 3 hours on a short-haul flight)
Cool routing that feels more interesting than "just go home"
If timing works, I could even do a quick stop in Rio for a day or two
The trade-offs:
✅ Better product
✅ Fun routing
✅ Can turn Rio into a quick stop if I want
❌ You add a positioning flight (and with it, a bit of risk)
And honestly, positioning from Brazil back to Argentina doesn't scare me. It's not like doing a crazy two-stop domestic-to-international chain — it's pretty manageable.
But that risk is controllable if I do it smart:
Book with a big buffer between flights
Or at least no "tight" connection where one delay ruins your day
Build in flexibility so I'm not stressed if something goes wrong
This option feels like the sweet spot between fun + realistic.
It's the one where I get to try a better product, add a bit of adventure, and still keep the overall trip manageable.
Option D: KLM to EZE (the "quietly strong" option)
KLM is the option I keep coming back to when I get tired of overthinking.
KLM Business Class Suites
Why it makes sense:
I've heard great things about their newer business class seats
AMS connections are usually smooth and efficient
EZE arrival times can be more workable depending on the schedule
It's a solid, predictable experience
Why I'm drawn to it: This is the option where my brain goes: "I might not be as excited as the Lufthansa First fantasy… but it could be the best overall experience-to-hassle ratio."
It's not flashy. It's not the "cool story" option.
But it's just a solid "I'll enjoy this and won't regret it" kind of pick.
It's the safe choice that still feels good — and sometimes that's exactly what you need when you're overthinking everything else.
Option E: British Airways with the Rio tag (the "this is a lot" option)
BA Club Suites are great — a very good business class (hard) product out there right now.
BA Club Suites
Why it's interesting:
Excellent hard product
Why I'm hesitating: The routing is what kills it for me: stop in Rio, then continue to EZE on the same flight.
That means:
More total flight time
More segments
More "end of trip friction" when you're already tired and just want to get home
17 hours in the same seat, instead of 11-13 hours if flying straight
This might be a "cool once" option — like, "Yeah, I flew BA Club Suites with a Rio tag, it was interesting."
But it's not the one I'd pick if I want the return to feel clean and simple. The routing seems just a little too much.
Option F (the dangerous one): Lufthansa business now… and pray for First later
This is the one that makes me feel like a degenerate gambler 😂
Lufthansa 747 Business Class (sad)
The logic:
Book Lufthansa business from FRA → EZE
Then, close-in, watch like a hawk for First Class space to open
If it opens, swap into First and have the flight of my life
If it doesn't… well, you're still in business
Why it's tempting: The idea of doing that long flight in Lufthansa First is insane in the best way. It's bucket-list stuff. It's the kind of experience you remember forever.
LH First Class. This looks much better
Why it's dangerous:
There is no guarantee First opens
And if it doesn't, you're stuck in Lufthansa business (which is far too obsolete for nowadays standards — honestly, it's not fine)
You might end up building your whole return plan around something that never happens
You'll spend weeks refreshing award space and stressing about whether to hold out or give up
So it's high upside, medium sanity.
It's the option where either:
✅ You win big and get one of the best flights of your life
❌ You lose and end up in a mediocre product, wondering why you gambled in the first place
So… what do I do?
I'm genuinely torn between these options, so I want to know: which one would you pick?
Which option would you pick?
- A: 🇪🇸 Air Europa back to COR (Meh...)
- B: 🇫🇷 Air France to EZE (A350 old biz, bad arrival time)
- C: 🇫🇷 Air France to GIG (new biz, + short positioning flight to COR)
- D: 🇳🇱 KLM to EZE (new suites — very tempting)
- E: 🇬🇧 British Airways Club Suites (but the Rio stop adds time)
- F: 🇩🇪 Lufthansa to EZE (and I gamble for last-minute First availability)
I'll share the results (and my final decision) when I am sane enough to make one.
Seriously — I need your help here. I've been stuck on this for days, and at this point, I'm ready to let the wisdom of the crowd make the call.
That's it for today. More deals and strategies coming your way on Wednesday.
Catch you in the clouds,
Tomi