An extensive, peak summer deal to fly to Europe in premium economy for the price of coach? Sounds like a mid-winter daydream, but we're happy to say you're wide awake — this deal is real.
SAS has a wide range of premium economy seats at economy class prices. Even better, many routes have availability in June and August 2023, peak summer season.
There's even more good news: SAS has its own branded lounges in New York, Chicago and many European airports, and premium economy passengers are allowed entrance to them. In addition, SAS usually provides free basic Wi-Fi to premium economy passengers.
One thing to note -- SAS is currently operating under bankruptcy protection, though it doesn't appear to be impacting operations too significantly after disruptions this summer after pilots went on strike.
Related: 9 things to know about flying premium economy
Deal basics
Airline: SAS.
Routes: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and other U.S. cities have discounted flights to various European destinations.
How to book: Search through Google Flights to find your best available dates and then book directly with SAS.
Travel dates: March through August. Dates vary by route.
Book by: Within the next two days.
Hat tip to Scott’s Cheap Flights for spotlighting this deal. For $49 a year, the site’s Premium membership provides discounts of up to 90% and includes a 14-day free trial. The Elite membership also highlights premium, business-class and first-class deals.
Sample flights
Many major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles have a great deal of availability to many Europe hot spots. Destinations include Copenhagen, Denmark; London; Oslo, Norway; Paris; and Milan. We're seeing the best availability often coming out of New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) airport, with the best pricing often available in May.
Here are some standout flights:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), starting at $672 (includes a layover in Copenhagen) — a record low for this route.
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dublin Airport (DUB), starting at $483 (includes a layover in Stockholm).
- Miami International Airport (MIA) to Vilnius International Airport (VNO), starting at $628 (includes a layover in Copenhagen).
- JFK to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), starting at $668 (includes a layover in Copenhagen) — a record low for this route.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) nonstop to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), starting at $739.
We recommend finding your ideal dates through Google Flights and then booking your flights directly on the airline’s website since airlines are more reliable in the event your flight faces a delay, cancellation or booking change.
Here's one of our favorite offers for Paris: See the City of Light in May with a round-trip flight for just $640.
A nonstop, round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Copenhagen for $739 in premium economy also caught our eye.
Premium economy on SAS comes with several benefits, including lounge access, priority boarding, more spacious seats and multi-course meals. As you can see below, this sale provides this premium experience for about $4 more than the basic economy fares.
Maximize your purchase
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, then 1 point per dollar), Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar on airfare), 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). See 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
All things considered, these are some incredible deals for flights to Europe. You can fly in comfort at a discounted price to many of the continent's most popular tourist destinations.
What makes this deal even better is that the travel dates for some of these cities fall during the summer — Europe’s peak tourist season. That means you can visit during the most popular time of the year without paying exorbitant fares.
This deal won't last long, and prices will likely change frequently. We recommend seizing this opportunity and booking your tickets as soon as possible.
