You can snag $316 round-trip flights to Europe right now
Play, a low-cost Icelandic airline, currently has some pretty great rates for Europe.
The carrier is having a 25% off sale until Aug. 7, but it has some unique restrictions on travel dates. That may not be a problem, though, since we're finding great deals for dates that are supposedly not included in the sale. Whatever the reason for that is, we won't turn down a good deal when we see one.
Basically, this deal is worth playing around with (excuse the pun).
Play flies from three U.S. airports: Baltimore/Washington International Airport International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Stewart International Airport (SWF) in New York's Hudson Valley.
The airline's website says that the sale is for flights from these three U.S. airports to Iceland, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin and Dublin. We also found deals for less than $350 from New York to Madrid — so if you want to go somewhere not included in its sale list, again, play around and you just might find something.
For more TPG news and deals delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Deal basics
Airlines: Play.
Routes: Baltimore, Boston and New York to European cities.
How to book: Directly through the airline.
Travel dates: According to the sale: Mondays, Aug. 8-Oct. 25, 2022, and Saturdays, Oct. 2-Dec. 10 and Jan. 7, 2022-March 26, 2023. (But we wouldn't pay too much attention to that.)
Book by: Aug. 7.
Related: How to get to Iceland on points and miles
Sample flights
As a low-cost carrier, some of the airports Play flies to are only available on limited days and months. All flights have a layover in Reykjavik, Iceland.
We played around with dates and cities to sample some options here.
- SWF to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) for $348.
- SWF to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) for $352.
- BOS to Brussels Airport (BRU) for $330.
- BOS to Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN) for $343.
- BWI to Copenhagen Airport Kastrup (CPH) for $316.
- BWI to Dublin Airport (DUB) for $330.
Some other airports will be listed as options, but once you proceed to the fare calendar, they won't have any matching flights for months at a time. For example, this flight from BWI to Geneva Airport (GVA) didn't have anything until January.
However, the option from BWI to CPH had tons of availability for the coming months.
Some routes have limited flights but are always on the same select days of the week. Take this option from BWI to DUB, for instance.
Others seem completely sporadic, like this route from SWF to MAD.
You'll also likely find some super long layovers, like with this SWF to MAD option. When we chose a Nov. 10 departure and Nov. 18 return for this article, we discovered that there is a 10-hour and 20-minute layover on the way there, and a 14-hour and 20-minute layover on the way back. Long layovers aren't usually very fun, but it might let you explore Iceland a little.
Read more: Why I deliberately planned a 6-hour layover between flights
Even though this low-cost airline raises some questions with its somewhat random dates and seemingly not-discounted sale, the website is actually pretty customer friendly (and has some super cute graphics).
You'll be prompted to input your desired airports and the number of passengers before reaching a fare finder calendar to book your dates. It makes the process relatively streamlined and ensures you can see all the rates when choosing.
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express which earns 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. Also, the Citi Premier® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve earn 3 points per dollar on airfare, and the American Express® Gold Card also earns 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2 points per dollar on travel. Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
Bottom line
As with most low-cost carriers, you'll have to use a trial-and-error technique to find a flight that works for you. Feel free to check out the dates and routes listed as part of the sale, but there are also some other options that seem to be discounted.
Keep in mind that, in the U.S., Play only flies from SWF (north of New York City) BWI and BOS. There are a fair number of European destinations, but upon closer inspection, some of the destinations only have a few flights every few months.
Also, you'll have to stop over in Iceland. While there are no guarantees here, you may even be able to extend your layover in Iceland to do some sightseeing while you're there. It's not an option on the airline's site, but you may get lucky with a friendly representative if you call.
For tickets to Europe for less than $400 round trip, we think it's worth some poking around to see if anything works for you.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. |
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). |
3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
- 4x on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. |
4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). |
3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. |
Intro Offer
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.60,000 bonus pointsAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
There's a lot to love about the Amex Gold card. It's been a fan favorite during the pandemic because of its fantastic rewards rate on restaurants (that includes takeout and delivery in the U.S.!) and U.S. supermarkets. If you're hitting the skies soon, you'll also earn bonus points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders) and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits at eligible partners, there's no reason that the foodie shouldn't add this card to their wallet. Enrollment required.Pros
- 4x on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
- 3x on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
- Welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months
Cons
- Weak on travel outside of flights and everyday spending bonus categories
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber/food credits
- Few travel perks and protections
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees