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Fly business class to Europe for as low as $1,641

Jan. 03, 2023
5 min read
Skyline of Zurich and Limmat River
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Maybe you’ve been dreaming of a trip to Paris — or perhaps Prague or Zurich. Visiting these European cities can be expensive, though, especially if you don’t want to sit in economy for an hourslong flight.

However, you can fly from the U.S. to Europe in business class for as little as $1,641 — and you have a lot of choices. Many business-class flights to major tourist destinations like London, Berlin, Copenhagen and Dublin are marked down.

The travel dates for these flights primarily fall from January through November, excluding August, but travel dates vary by route.

There's a lot of flexibility with this deal but book your flights quickly, as it likely won’t last long.

Prague's Old Town Square. PAULINE LEWIS/GETTY IMAGES

Deal basics

Airlines: Aer Lingus, LOT, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.
Routes: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Washington and other U.S. cities have discounted flights to various destinations in Europe.
How to book: Search through Google Flights to find your best available dates and then book directly with the airline of your choice.
Travel dates: Generally from January through November, excluding August. Dates vary by route.
Book by: Within the next two days.

Kudos to Scott’s Cheap Flights for finding this deal. For $49 a year, the site’s Premium membership provides discounts of up to 90% and includes a 14-day free trial. The Elite membership also highlights premium, business-class and first-class deals.

Sample flights

Many major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles have a great deal of availability to tons of destinations in Europe, such as London, Paris, Prague, Berlin and Rome. Of all the airlines offering discounted business-class flights, we found that TAP had the most deals.

Here are some standout flights:

  • TAP: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), starting at $1,641.
  • TAP: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Zurich Airport (ZRH), starting at $1,834 (includes a layover in Lisbon, Portugal).
  • TAP: BOS to Paris-Orly Airport (ORY), starting at $1,842 (includes a layover in Lisbon).
  • TAP: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Nice Cote d'Azur Airport (NCE), starting at $1,835 (includes a layover in Lisbon).
  • TAP: Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Munich Airport (MUC), starting at $2,031 (includes a layover in Lisbon).
  • TAP: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Prague Airport (PRG), starting at $2,508 (includes a layover in Lisbon).
  • Condor: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to ZRH, starting at $2,695 (includes a layover in Frankfurt).

We recommend finding your ideal dates through Google Flights and then booking your flights directly on the airline’s website since airlines are more reliable in the event your flight faces a delay, cancellation or booking change.

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For a July 10 flight from Minneapolis to Zurich, the Condor flight is the cheapest available business-class option on Google Flights — many of the other options cost upward of $4,000.

GOOGLE.COM/FLIGHTS

Condor also offers a return flight from Zurich on July 17 which would keep the fare at around $2,700. Both flights to and from Zurich have layovers in Frankfurt.

GOOGLE.COM/FLIGHTS

Sometimes Google Flights shows different prices compared to the prices displayed on airlines’ websites due to third-party booking options. In this case, Google Flights shows two other third-party booking options that are around the same cost or more expensive than the fare on Condor’s website.

GOOGLE.COM/FLIGHTS

Condor’s business class comes with a variety of benefits such as priority check-in and lie-flat seats. The business-class fare also includes checked luggage so you don’t have to worry about paying extra fees.

CONDOR.COM

Passengers flying in business class can select a meal from a gourmet menu that includes the choice of several main courses. Condor also offers a vegetarian option.

Maximize your purchase

Use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, like The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar on travel). See this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

All things considered, this is an incredible deal for flights to Europe. You can fly in comfort at a discounted price to many of the most popular tourist destinations.

What makes this deal even better is that the travel dates for some of these cities fall during the summer, one of Europe’s peak tourist seasons. This means you can visit Europe during one of the most popular times of the year without paying exorbitant fares.

This deal won't last long and prices will likely change frequently. We recommend seizing this opportunity and booking your tickets as soon as possible.

Featured image by ALLAN BAXTER/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Why We Chose It

Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.

Pros

  • Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
  • Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
  • Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
  • First checked bag free

Cons

  • Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
  • SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
  • Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
  • Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
  • New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
  • Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
  • Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
  • Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $250 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees