Deal alert: Fly to Europe this spring for less than $500 round trip

Finding cheap airfare — especially to international destinations — sometimes requires a lot of searching and waiting for prices to drop. If you've been looking for flight deals to European destinations like Paris, Amsterdam and Rome, you're search is finally over.

Related: 6 key tools and tips to find the cheapest airfare

If you don't know where you want to go but know you want to get away, you can enter "Europe" as your destination in Google Flights. The search results will display all available options, including flight deals like the ones below.

There is currently widespread availability throughout the spring from airports in major U.S. cities like New York City and Los Angeles, as well as from airline hubs in places like Cincinnati and Charlotte.

Deal basics

Airlines: Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, United Airlines and more

Routes: Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, New York City and Seattle to Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, London, Rome and more

How to book: Browse Google Flights and book directly with the airline

Travel dates: January through March, April or May (dependent on route)

Book by: As soon as possible

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Special thanks to Going for scouting these deals. For $49 a year, the site's Premium membership offers discounts of up to 90% and comes with a 14-day free trial. The Elite membership also finds premium economy, business-class and first-class deals.

Sample flights

• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), starting at $450
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), starting at $480
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), starting at $466
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), starting at $443
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Dublin Airport (DUB), starting at $424

Among the departure airports, we found the highest number of routes and availability through New York City and Atlanta; from there, flights to countries throughout Europe are less than $500. Below is just one example of the routes we found between New York and Europe for a seven-day trip departing in late February.

The $478 price applies to American's basic economy class, which comes with one free carry-on suitcase.

We also found a nonstop flight between LA and Barcelona for only $403. This flight is in Iberia's Level class, which does include one free carry-on, but not much else.

If you are departing from Charlotte, you can fly to Amsterdam on American or Delta for less than $500 on dates in February and March (or just over $500 in April).

Most of these deeply discounted prices are for basic economy (or similar) fares that charge an additional fee for seat selection, ticket changes and checked bags. If you have the packing know-how and don't need seats together, you can save a lot of money on your flights.

Maximize your purchase

When booking flights, don't forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly through the airline or American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases and 4 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline
• Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel

Bottom line

If you are traveling to Europe this spring, now is the best time to book your flights at a great price. Deals like this don't last long, so book now before they "take off" forever.

Related reading:

• 14 best all-inclusive hotels and resorts in Europe
• Venice's entry fee launches in April — here's what you should know
• Everyone is going to Sicily — try these 7 underrated places in Italy instead
• 7 things no one tells you about the Greek islands
• France: 2024 will be a year of commemorations and competitions
• 11 most underrated destinations in France