Deal alert: Fly to Europe with a stopover in Casablanca from the mid-$500s
Our latest deal involves sale fares to Europe on Royal Air Maroc. The sale fares are attractive enough, but the availability also offers the added bonus of providing chances for a fun stopover in Casablanca. Morocco's flagship airline has lowered prices on economy flights to some of the most appealing destinations in Europe, such as Amsterdam; Cairo; Madrid; Valencia, Spain; and Venice, Italy.
There's also the fact that Royal Air Maroc gives passengers two free checked bags, so you can save as much as $150 per person round-trip by not having to pay to check luggage.
Stopovers can be a fabulous travel bonus. As TPG has mentioned before, airline stopover programs can help you squeeze an extra destination into your itinerary and expand your vacation, at very little extra cost.
The best availability for this sale is for travel between September 2022 and May 2023. Unlike most deals we find, this one even includes the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Thanks to Scott’s Cheap Flights for first spotting this deal. Its Premium membership is available for $49 per year, while the Elite tier option is available for $199 per year. The latter offers access to deals on premium economy, business- and first-class tickets.
As always, be as flexible with your travel plans as possible, as it'll typically help you find better prices.
Deal basics
Airline: Royal Air Maroc.
Routes: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and other cities to Amsterdam, Cairo, Madrid, Rome and others.
How to book: Search Google Flights and book directly with the airline.
Travel dates: Best availability from September 2022 through May 2023; the Thanksgiving holiday is included.
Related: The ultimate guide to airline stopover programs
Sample flights
Let's start by showing some of the stopover options we discovered. I first searched for options for flights from Miami to Madrid. Google Flights makes this rather easy. The first step when you get to the site is to go to the drop-down menu in the top left, click the tab and select "Multi-city."
From there, choose the destination and dates you want. I first searched for flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) in Casablanca, which is Royal Air Maroc's base. I searched for a 24-hour stopover, which provides enough time to get a tantalizing glimpse of Morocco's biggest city. I also searched for a flight from Casablanca to Madrid, followed by my return flight to Miami.
I found a nice itinerary in October that costs $545 round-trip, a solid discount on what that route typically costs.
Another interesting stopover possibility we found involved an itinerary from New York City to Rome. You can fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) in November with a 27-hour stopover in Casablanca each way. That gives you two days to enjoy the city. The total cost is $599 round-trip.
As for the other sale fares in this deal, there are good prices to be had from Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington, D.C., to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) in Barcelona. This route is available in February for $520 round-trip.
Fly from JFK to Bordeaux–Merignac Airport (BOD) in France in March for only $569 round-trip. You have a 15-hour layover in Morocco on your return so you also get time to explore Casablanca with this itinerary.
There are also good prices on flights from New York City to Cairo International Airport (CAI) in this deal. This January ticket is just $592 round-trip. The layover in Morocco is also long enough to allow for some exploration time.
Maximize your purchase
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 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), the Citi Prestige® Card for 5 points per dollar on airfare, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3 points per dollar on air travel, the American Express® Gold Card for 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2 points per dollar on travel.
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.
Related: 8 tips for strategically booking your first stopover
Bottom line
These are good prices for travel to Europe at a time when prices remain high. The stopovers make it an even better deal, especially in a city like Casablanca.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 6X | 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. |
| 4X | 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. |
| 2X | 2x points on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 11/2/22.
- 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 6X | 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. |
| 4X | 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. |
| 2X | 2x points on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 11/2/22.Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 points75,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$125Recommended 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
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6x points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4x points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 11/2/22.
- 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees