Emirates Valentine fares: $799 for two between JFK – Milan

Sometimes I think I could never live on the East Coast due to the humidity and freezing winters. But then deals like this come around and make me reconsider. As part of a Valentine’s promotion (despite Valentine’s Day being a month away), Emirates is offering round-trip economy fares between New York (JFK) and Milan (MXP) for as low as $400 per person. Tickets must be booked in pairs to be eligible for the following discounts:

• $799 for two economy tickets
• $4,999 for two business class tickets
• $7,999 for two first class tickets

I found fares as low as $798 for two (including all taxes), which is a great deal considering you could redeem 71,820 Arrival miles for it. That amounts to 35,910 miles per person or $17,955 in manufactured spending. Really, this is a better deal for East Coast residents heading to Europe than off-peak AAdvantage redemptions, considering the rate of mileage accrual.

As expected, there are a few restrictions on these discounted fares. First, these fares must be booked in pairs (in keeping with the whole Valentine theme) by 11:59 PM (PT) on January 22, 2015. The booking window is very short, but it applies to outbound travel between January 25 – May 10, 2015. The return flight must take place by May 31, 2015. Considering fares between New York and Milan go for around $700 per person during this period, Emirates is essentially offering a 2-for-1 deal.

I checked a few popular travel dates around Spring Break (last week of March and the first week of April). The fares are much higher. If your travel dates are flexible and you’re looking for cheap fares, this deal is about as good as it gets for a non-mistake fare to Milan.

Tickets must be booked at least three days in advance and a minimum stay of three days is required. No stopovers are permitted, but if you want to venture to a neighboring country, intra-Europe flights are fairly cheap. Are fares are too high for an Arrival redemption? Then redeeming a distance-based award currency like British Airways Avios might be a good alternative.

If you’re a West Coast resident like me, the extra miles required to get to New York pretty much ruins this deal for us. Adding an extra flight to New York would increase the manufactured spending cost per person to $42,955. At that price, it’s cheaper to redeem 40,000 AAdvantage miles. Or 36,000 for those with a Citi AAdvantage Platinum card. However, if you’re headed to the East Coast anyway and want to extend your trip to Europe, this Emirates deal is a cheap way to do it.

What are your thoughts on Emirates’ $799 fares to Milan? Are you going to take advantage of this deal?