You can visit London, Geneva, Frankfurt and the Greek islands for $550
By this time next week, all of Greece’s COVID-19 entry restrictions will be suspended. As the country gears up for what’s projected to be a busy summer travel season, the Greek islands are sure to be one of the most sought-after destinations.
Anyone who has ever looked at booking a trip to Greece’s beautiful islands, though, knows a ticket there can come at a hefty price.
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For that reason, the deals some airlines are offering for limited parts of 2022 to islands like Mykonos and Santorini caught our eye.
A round-trip ticket to Greece from numerous U.S. cities could normally set you back well over $1,000. We found a limited number of itineraries that are going for $500 to $600 this year. Now, a word of caution: To tap into the savings, your trip timeline may need to be flexible enough to roll with whatever the airline is offering in terms of cheap travel dates. You may also need to be prepared for a layover (or, on the brighter side, a visit) in a city — or two — along the way.
Read more: 9 things I wish I knew before visiting Greece
TPG first learned of these deals from Scott’s Cheap Flights, which offers a premium membership that alerts readers to discounted fares, starting from $49 per year for economy-class deals and $199 per year for an elite membership, which also includes first-class, business-class and premium economy deals.
Deal basics
Airlines: American Airlines, British Airways and a combination of Star Alliance partners.
Routes: New York and Washington, D.C., to Mykonos and Santorini.
How to book: Directly through the airlines or through Google Flights.
Travel dates: September through October, or ASAP if you can swing it.
Sample flights
The deals that caught our eye were round trips between $500 and $600, which we primarily found out of Dulles International Airport (IAD) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The deals are showing up during September and October, but they’re not widespread. In other words, you’re not going to be able to just pick your travel dates during those months and be sure the airlines are offering great deals on those dates. Rather, you may need to see when the deals are being offered, book your flights and then plan your trip around those dates.
That being said, there are a lot of days during those months where you can find flights in the $600-to-$800 range which, frankly, compared to what we’re seeing for much of the summer is still a great bargain.
Here are some of the itinerary options we found:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Mykonos Airport (JMK) for $536 on British Airways.
- Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Santori Airport (JTR) for $553 on a Star Alliance combination of United, Lufthansa and Swiss.
- Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Mykonos (JMK) for $596 on a Star Alliance combination of United, Lufthansa and Swiss.
We’ll start by taking a look at an itinerary out of New York. These flights are all on British Airways, for the $536 round trip in mid-October. You kick off the trip with an overnight from JFK to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) on a Boeing 777. After an hour-plus layover, you have a four-hour haul to Mykonos.
Now, as is going to be the case with a number of itineraries, in order to get the great fare, you’re going to need an appetite to spend some time in an additional European city. Is that a bad thing, though? In this case, you’ll get to Heathrow for your connection just before 9:30 p.m. on the way home. You’ll have to spend the night in London before departing at 3 p.m. from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) the next day. It’s not terribly convenient, but, hey, it gives you a chance to have breakfast in the city and do a few hours of sightseeing before heading back to the airport for the final leg of the trip.
Read more: 8 Greek islands you’ve probably never heard of
For those travelers looking to depart from our nation’s capital, there are more itineraries available. The flights departing from Dulles International Airport (IAD) tend to involve a combination of Star Alliance partners. While some might find the number of layovers on this trip excessive, I think these stopovers provide a great way to see a bunch of European cities at a relatively affordable price.
Related: See 2 cities for the price of 1 with stopovers
So, here goes: You’ll leave Dulles late Wednesday night on United for an overnight flight to Heathrow, arriving midmorning Thursday. Then you have the whole day Thursday to explore London, spending the night in the city. Friday, you leave just before 9 a.m. on Swiss Air for a short, 90-minute flight to Geneva on Swiss Air. You’re there by 11:30 a.m. You spend all of Friday afternoon exploring Geneva, spending the night there.
Then, you depart Geneva at 7 a.m. Saturday for a flight just under three hours to Mykonos, where you’re finally done traveling and able to spend however many days you’ve planned exploring the Greek islands!
On the way home, it’s a bit simpler. You take an evening flight from Mykonos to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) on Lufthansa, arriving about 8 p.m. You’ll have to spend the night in Frankfurt, and then you have some time to relax the next morning before catching your long-haul flight back to Dulles on Lufthansa at about 1 p.m.
I’ll highlight one more itinerary, because it’s the exception in this story. While most of the deals I found were in the fall months, I also found a few options for around $500-plus if you’re willing to head to the Greek islands right as they’re opening up. Lufthansa has a round trip from Dulles to Mykonos for $514 with a May 4 departure. It’s a lot more straightforward, too. You have a three-plus-hour layover in Munich Airport (MUC) on the outbound trip; you’ll have to spend the night in Munich on the way back, but you do get a pretty full day in the city before catching your 4:35 p.m. flight back to D.C.
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 Citi Premier® Card or 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 Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
A note about COVID-19 restrictions
While Greece does plan to shed its COVID-19 restrictions at the start of May, they might not be gone for good — and, in fact, could be back by the time your trip arrives if you book for this fall. Greek tourism officials have suggested some measures may return in September, after the busy summer travel season.
It will just be something to keep an eye on as you consider travel to the country later this year.
Bottom line
The Greek islands are likely to be in high demand in 2022, and many of the flights reflect that, with high pricing. If you’re hoping to get there affordably, though, you can find a deal. You just have to be willing to be flexible with what the airline offers in terms of trip dates, and in some cases, be willing (maybe even excited) to visit a couple extra European cities along your journey.
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Rewards Rate
6X | 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases 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 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.Earn 125,000 points75,000 pointsAnnual Fee
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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
- 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
- 2 points per dollar 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 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
- 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.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases 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 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.