Deal alert: $300 flights to Greece

Despite the European Union's recent recommendation to halt tourists from the U.S. due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the States, individual countries within the EU have been left to decide whether or not to heed such recommendation and thus far, Greece has yet to do so. Perhaps that's why we are seeing today's deal of round-trip flights to Greece for under $300, courtesy of our friends at Scott's Cheap Flights.

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Airline: Alaska, American, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia (and Oneworld partners).
Routes: Multiple departure cities, including ORD/JFK/STL/PHL/BWI/SJU/CLT/SFO/LAX/MIA/PHX/MSY, to ATH.
Cost: From $286 round-trip for select routes.
Dates: Book for travel between November and February; some routes even include holiday travel.
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x 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 5x on airfare, the Citi Premier® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3x on air travel, the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x 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

This deal is massive and includes basic economy flights from over 150 U.S. cities, ranging in price from as little as $286 to $521.

Flights can be found from three cities — New York, Philadelphia and Chicago — for less than $300, such as the below flight departing from Chicago in late October.

Because these are basic economy fares, checked baggage is not included. On American, it'll cost you $150 to do so, which is also the same price for an upgraded seat in the main cabin, which includes a checked bag and waived change fees.

Related: What it’s like visiting Greece right now

Today's deal marks the best price on record for the included routes. Previously, the lowest price for ORD-ATH was $294 round-trip, and it normally costs $850.

There are more than 100 departure cities with round-trip flights totaling $400 or less, including from St. Louis' Lambert International Airport (STL). You can take the below flight in January for $365 round-trip when it would typically cost you $950.

This one has two particularly excruciating layovers on both legs, but that's the price you pay for living in St. Louis I suppose (no shade, I was born and bred in St. Louis). Alternatively, if you prefer convenience over everything, you could price a flight from STL-ORD to take the aforementioned ORD-ATH deal. Direct flights from St. Louis to Chicago can be found for as little as $113 in January on Southwest, and around $150 on other carriers.

Read more: 8 reasons my first trip to Greece was better than I expected

You can fly from over 20 cities to ATH for under $500, including this half-price flight for $456 from Pittsburgh to Athens that has just one relatively short layover on the way there.

Although this is via Air Canada, the same rules apply regarding checked baggage and basic economy.

Related: Luxury in Greece’s next coastal hot spot: The Westin Resort, Costa Navarino

Other deals include round-trip flights from the below U.S. cities:

• Baltimore (BWI), starting at $352.
• Austin, Texas (AUS), starting at $352.
• Kansas City, Missouri (MCI), starting at $365.
• Atlanta (ATL), starting at $377.
• West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI), starting at $417.
• Dayton, Ohio (DAY), starting at $499.
• Hilton Head, South Carolina (HHH), starting at $504.
• Detroit (DTW), starting at $517.
• Salt Lake City (SLC), starting at $538.
• Westchester County, New York (HPN), starting at $598.

Read more: New health warnings for travel to Greece following the lifting of most lockdown measures

As of September, fully vaccinated residents from both the U.S. and EU can enter Greece by showing proof of vaccination. Otherwise, travelers may submit results of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival or rapid antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival). Additionally, all passengers to Greece must complete a passenger locator form at least 24 hours before arrival. Indoor restaurants and cafes currently require a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 for entry, per the U.S. Embassy.