Business class air upgrades with inflation in 2024

[A Tucson Guy]

We are looking at new SS 2024 itineraries and the cost has more than doubled from this year for Business Class upgrades. We upgraded from Arizona to Copenhagen this July and the cost was $1495 round trip- not bad. Fast forward to 2024. Looking at Athens to Doha and the cost is $3600- over double. Cost from the US to down under or the Orient is now $14,000 for both of us. I am now waiting to see the RSSC cruises for 2024 and see the differences in price. I think they are both great cruise lines and now the "bean counters" need to take over!!

[rkacruiser]

6 minutes ago, A Tucson Guy said:

We are looking at new SS 2024 itineraries and the cost has more than doubled from this year for Business Class upgrades. We upgraded from Arizona to Copenhagen this July and the cost was $1495 round trip- not bad. Fast forward to 2024. Looking at Athens to Doha and the cost is $3600- over double. Cost from the US to down under or the Orient is now $14,000 for both of us. I am now waiting to see the RSSC cruises for 2024 and see the differences in price. I think they are both great cruise lines and now the "bean counters" need to take over!!

 

Is it too soon to determine what Business Class air would cost by booking it on your own?  

[etual324]

SS changed its Gateway cities those cities in Zone 1 are the cheapest upgrades Phoenix and Tucson 

are in Zone 3

 

The gateway city info is on the Air=Hotel tab on the ashore tab on the web site if you can not find let me know and I will fwd it

[A Tucson Guy]

42 minutes ago, etual324 said:

SS changed its Gateway cities those cities in Zone 1 are the cheapest upgrades Phoenix and Tucson 

are in Zone 3

 

The gateway city info is on the Air=Hotel tab on the ashore tab on the web site if you can not find let me know and I will fwd it

Now I see why so expensive!!

[A Tucson Guy]

45 minutes ago, etual324 said:

SS changed its Gateway cities those cities in Zone 1 are the cheapest upgrades Phoenix and Tucson 

are in Zone 3

 

The gateway city info is on the Air=Hotel tab on the ashore tab on the web site if you can not find let me know and I will fwd it

Wait one minute. When I look to see the cost of the Bus. Air, there is no question as to what city in the USA that I am leaving from.  Higher cost is from Zone one and more.

[A Tucson Guy]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Is it too soon to determine what Business Class air would cost by booking it on your own?  

To book on your own, the earliest is 11 months from the return flight.

[FlyerTalker]

6 minutes ago, A Tucson Guy said:

Wait one minute. When I look to see the cost of the Bus. Air, there is no question as to what city in the USA that I am leaving from.  Higher cost is from Zone one and more.

 

Zone 3 would be more expensive flying to Europe.  Zone 1 when flying to Asia.  Zone 4 covers secondary airports, and also the UA hub at Newark (contract issue??).

[etual324]

SS  to Lima  Dec 2023   Zone 1  $1895   Zone 4 $ 3350

 

Your Gateway city is on your invoice

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

A Tucson Guy, I may be misunderstanding your comment regarding the business class fare increases, but in a pure apples to apples comparison shows US to Copenhagen at $699 pp in 2022 and $999 pp to Copenhagen in 2024.  Athens to Dubai at the end of November 2022 is $1,499 pp and Athens to Doha in November 2024 is $1,799 pp.  The bump up to business class fares are increasing, but the average is about $300 pp., although I haven't taken the time to compare each route 2024 vs 2022.  I think the fares from the US to Europe gateways have always been cheaper than to countries within Asia or Australia.  When I received my first quote for a voyage to Singapore, I was shocked at the price of business class upgrade (having taken a European cruise this past spring and spending the sweet $699 upgrade), but then looked at the cost to book flights to Singapore on my own and then it made more sense.

[etual324]

Whatever it is it has gone way up and will proably keep going up until it is notb worth doing

[A Tucson Guy]

Let me rephrase- in July of 2022, business class upgrade from USA to Copenhagen was $1499 round trip. In 2024 USA to Athens Bus. is $2,000 round trip or a 33% increase. In Nov. 2021, bus air was $1499 round trip from USA to Dubai and returning from Mumbai. In 2024, Bus air from USA to Athens and returning from Doha is $3600 round trip. That is about 250% more. That was I am seeing on the SS website and not putting in which zone I live in. I hope this makes more sense. 

[Gourmet Gal]

Well, there is that little thing called inflation and perhaps you’ve noticed the major fuel price increases.  I certainly wouldn’t expect the pricing to be the same.  Air fares have increased dramatically just this year and it is what it is.   I’ve heard some chatter that fuel prices may decrease for awhile  but then may increase again.  Sounds like SS is trying to apply some sort of dynamic or variable pricing.
 

 

[crickette]

I am not sure what the problem is with Regent and the fair is: remember in their promotions it is FREE!

[crickette]

Sorry I miss typed. I meant airfare.

[crickette]

I also ended up on the wrong thread, my apologies. 

[labrasett]

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Is it too soon to determine what Business Class air would cost by booking it on your own?  

Yes, it is too soon to check own booking prices as airlines do not open flights for bookings until circa 360 days before expected date of travel.    Going back to difference in pricing between Arizona to 
Copenhagen previously and Arizona to Doha in the future it is of note that there is considerably greater difference in travelling to Doha from Arizona than there is in travelling from Arizona to Copenhagen, you cant really be surprised that the fare is significantly higher for a trip which is nearly 50% further plus with the current cost of aviation fuel and the risk of it rising further (Ok so, equally, it might drop) a high percentage increase is inevitable.