Round-trip flights to Greece from multiple US cities starting at $551

If you’ve been thinking about visiting Greece this year, now's the time to act. Airlines have cut fares to this popular Mediterranean destination from various cities in the U.S. across the board.

Round-trip flights to Greece can cost upward of $800, but this deal provides at least 30% off typical fare prices. Fly to Greece’s capital Athens, or visit the smaller cities of Thessaloniki, Chania and Rhodes. Visit the Parthenon in Athens or stroll through the Old Venetian Port of Chania.

Related: Dreaming of Greece? These new points resorts are waiting for you

Multiple airlines are offering this deal from November 2022 to May 2023. There are some exclusions for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The temperatures in Greece are much cooler in the late fall and the entirety of winter. However, this deal provides the opportunity to visit the country's popular spots without the huge crowds of tourists.

Keep in mind that some hotels may be closed during those fall and winter months due to a lack of demand.

Deal basics

Airlines: Air Canada, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Finnair, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, SAS and Lufthansa.
Routes: New York, Washington, Boston, Miami, Newark, San Francisco, Los Angeles and several other cities offer discounted routes to multiple destinations in Greece.
How to book: Search for your preferred dates on Google Flights, then book directly with the airline of your choice.
Travel dates: Generally from November through May, including Thanksgiving Day on some routes, but all routes exclude Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Book: Within the next two days.

Kudos to Scott's Cheap Flights for scouting out this deal. The site's Premium membership costs $49 a year and offers a 14-day trial, along with discounts of up to 90%. You can also sign up for the Elite membership for premium economy, business-class and first-class deals.

Sample flights

One of the best things about this deal is its flexibility. Routes to multiple popular destinations in Greece are discounted from many major cities in the U.S.

It’s also worth noting that many cities in the Los Angeles area such as Burbank and Long Beach have slashed fares to Athens, specifically. Every flight we've found included at least one layover in this deal.

Here are some flights we’ve flagged:

• United, Brussels and Lufthansa: Departs from Washington's Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Athens International Airport (ATH), starting at $551 (includes a layover)
• Delta and Air France: Departs from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Athens, starting at $556 (includes multiple layovers).
• Lufthansa, Swiss and United: Departs from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Athens, starting at $560 (includes a layover).
• Swiss, United and Delta: Departs from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) to Athens, starting at $575 (includes multiple layovers).
• Air Canada: Departs from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Thessaloniki Airport (SKG), starting at $575 (includes multiple layovers).
• Finnair: Departs from New York (JFK) to Chania Airport (CHQ), starting at $590 (includes a layover).
• Finnair: Departs from New York (JFK) to Rhodes Airport (RHO), starting at $598 (includes a layover).
• Austrian and Swiss: Departs from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Thessaloniki, starting at $633 (includes a layover).

We recommend using Google Flights to determine your best availability and then booking your flights directly on the airline’s website. In the event of a cancellation, delay or booking change, airlines tend to be more dependable compared to third-party booking sites.

With this deal, you could spend your Thanksgiving in Greece.

For a Nov. 23 flight to Athens from New York’s JFK, Google Flights presents two options from Lufthansa and Swiss that are both priced at $560. The only difference between the two is that the Swiss flight is a little over an hour longer in terms of travel time. The Lufthansa flight has a layover in Munich, while the Swiss flight has one in Zurich.

When booking a return flight to New York, the Swiss flight is the only option that will keep your fare at $560. It departs from Athens at 9:20 a.m. on Nov. 30. The Swiss flight also includes a layover in Zurich.

You may notice some price differences between Google Flights and the airlines’ websites. Sometimes, prices on Google Flights differ from those on airlines’ websites due to third-party booking options.

Additionally, you can book your tickets directly with Lufthansa, Swiss or United via their websites.

The fares in this deal only apply to economy class. For Lufthansa, these prices are for the airline’s Economy Light option, which only allows passengers to bring one carry-on for free and has no refunds. Tickets can be rebooked, but Lufthansa attaches a fee. Seat selection also has an additional fee.

Choosing a specific seat costs an additional $14 to $85. The most expensive seats provide the most legroom. You can also skip seat selection altogether and instead be assigned a seat at random.

For Economy Light, the first checked bag costs $75 for each flight, so if you check a suitcase, you would add an additional $150 to your $560 fare. A second checked bag costs $90.

Maximize your purchase

Make sure to 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 (see rates and fees), 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). Check out 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

This deal is definitely worth acting on and discounted fares are available from multiple cities in the U.S. You also have a range of cities in Greece from which to choose.

However, keep in mind that these cheap fares are often for basic economy classes, which may not be comfortable for lengthier travel times. Also, basic economy can be rather bare bones, requiring additional fees for seat selection and checked baggage.