Deal alert: Flights to Europe from $286 round-trip

Jan. 03, 2020

•

3 min read

Deal alert: Flights to Europe from $286 round-trip

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Flights to Europe on major carriers in all three airline alliances appear to be available at sale prices throughout the year. With ticket prices beginning as low as $285 round-trip, a getaway to Paris for Valentine's Day is more affordable than a fancy dinner in New York City.

Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips

The only drawback is that most of these fares begin in basic economy. Basic economy means different things to different airlines, but you may not have free use of the overhead bins for a carry-on bag, and you probably won't be able to select your seat, get an upgrade, or earn PQM/PQS/PQDs. However, it’s possible to defeat many of basic economy’s negative aspects by having elite status or a cobranded credit card.

To find a deal, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or an OTA like Orbitz or Expedia.

Airline: United, Air Canada, American, Finnair, British Airways, Iberia, Delta, Air France/KLM
Routes: JFK/EWR/LAX and more to CDG/ATH/LHR/OSL and more
Cost: $285+ round-trip in basic economy
Dates: January-November 2020
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (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.

Here are some examples of specific flights that are available:

Newark/New York (EWR) to Athens (ATH) for $285 round-trip on United:

New York (JFK) to Oslo (OSL) for $317 round-trip via Delta:

Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR) for $339 round trip via American:

New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) for $383 round-trip via Finnair:

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this guide for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Getty Images/iStockphoto

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.