Air New Zealand’s Spaceseats to London on sale for $1,698

Air New Zealand has launched a fall sale on airfares from L.A. to London in its roomier, premium economy seats. The British capital likely will be packed this summer with travelers lured by the 2012 Olympic Games, which begin in late July, and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in early June, to say nothing of the ever-popular Wimbledon. So fall may be a better time to go -- and save on premium economy class when prices start at $1,698 round-trip per person.

The deal: The airline’s Premium Economy Special Offer features the Spaceseat, as the airline calls it. Its notch-above-coach class features that seats with a 41-inch seat pitch (the distance from the spot on one seat to the same spot on the other) and more room to recline. Premium economy also includes upgraded entertainment and food and beverage service too. (Check out the comfort zone with the airline’s interactive panorama.)
When: The offer is good until April 30 for travel Sept. 4-Dec. 16.

Tested: Regular coach is almost always the cheapest way to go. But for the 10 to 11 hours it takes to fly between L.A. and London, the sale on bigger seats makes me want to open my wallet a little wider.

I tested random dates online to check on availability for this airfare. I found a premium economy seat for $1,716, including tax and fees, that leaves L.A. on Sept. 20 and returns from London on Sept. 26. As a comparison, the same premium economy ticket in mid-July would cost $2,418.

But how does this compare with coach? An Air New Zealand economy seat on the same September dates would cost $1,348 round-trip, or about $350 less, according to my online search. So whether this deal makes sense really comes down to your own cash-for-comfort ratio.

Contact: Air New Zealand, (800) 262-1234