Business Class Fare Sales
 

Does Emirates ever have good Business Class Fare Sales?

I am looking to book a flight for my dad from CMB to YYZ (usually the switch is Dubai) something from May and leaving in June or July - I am flexible with the exact dates, but I would like it to be around those months.

He is older and I would love to send him Business Class as it's getting rougher for him to make the trip comfortably.

But I just looked and I could only find a fare that was around $4500 both ways.

Am I looking too late for a flight in May, which is why the price is so high - or is that usual for the spring/summer time?

I looked for him more recently to come in October and I swear the flight was around $3000, which is ok.

Any tips? I signed up for the emails.

miv
I also am looking if EK have any Black Friday deals this week, if not then I will still be booking my BHX-BKK Business Class flights with EK within the next week or two for mid January.

Generally, when Emirates have 'sales', they make seats available in existing cheaper fare buckets. For business class, the buckets are (from most to least expensive): J C I O H. J and C are the 'Flex +' fare group, I is 'Flex', O is 'Saver' and H is 'Special'. When you do a (dummy or real) booking through the website, the drop down menus for each leg (outbound and inbound) will show you the available fare groups (they don't show it as buckets). They can be (and often are) different for the out / in bound legs. From there you can see if you are looking at a 'cheap' or 'expensive' fare. If only expensive fares are shown, there is a possibility that cheaper fares MAY become available later, either through a 'sale' or just demand driven. I don't know anyone who can accurately predict this. The general advice is: if you like the fare, buy the ticket. Unless you like to gamble and then it can go either way.

Thanks for the reply - I am looking at O "Special" or H "Saver" so my dad can use the Lounge. But it keeps showing as close to $5000.

I'm debating getting a credit card just to knock off the price by around $1000, but a bit annoyed at even considering that.

Sigh. I know that's a different forum: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cred...-programs-599/

I just find it a bit odd I guess as friends of mine fly AC or KLM/One World Alliance and I know they have regular sales off their business class fares around twice a year, but I know that Emirates is technically 'nicer.'

I can understand your frustration. I regularly (a few times per year) get an email from Emirates announcing a 'sale'. I have to admit that I am often a bit 'underwhelmed' by it, mainly because for the dates / routes I would be interested in booking the fare is not that good. But they DO have 'sales' (as defined in my earlier post), we just don't know when and on which routes / dates. So personally I don't rely on them but book when I think the fare is 'right' (whatever that may mean...). I realise this does not help you a lot but it is where I stand.

And by the way: an H fare does not give lounge access....