Deal Alert: US Cities to Europe From $262 Round-Trip, Including Carry-On Bag
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they're published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.
Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you're using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you'll need to book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia's courtesy cancellation if you're unable to get the time away from work or family.
Cheap flights to Europe aren't terribly hard to find. But cheap flights to Europe that include baggage and other amenities with a full-service carrier are harder to come by. Icelandair is offering discounted fares from a number of US cities — even those on the West Coast — to Europe. We're also seeing some cheap fares with other carriers, such as United and SWISS. To book, head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure city. After finding dates that work best for you, book with the airline directly or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline — in some cases, the cheapest fare is only available when booking through an OTA.
Airline: Icelandair, SWISS, United
Routes: BOS/EWR/SEA/SFO to BCN/CDG/LGW
Cost: $262+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September 2018-January 2019, depending on the route
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
San Francisco (SFO) to London (LGW) for $262 round-trip:
San Francisco (SFO) to PARIS (CDG) for $364 round-trip:
Seattle (SEA) to London (LGW) for $368 round-trip:
New York (EWR) to Paris (CDG) for $374 round-trip with United/SWISS:
Boston (BOS) to London (LGW) for $384 round-trip:
New York (EWR) to Barcelona (BCN) for $385 round-trip:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don't forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Platinum Card (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
H/T: God Save the Points