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 tipsThe 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/KLMRoutes: JFK/EWR/LAX and more to CDG/ATH/LHR/OSL and moreCost: $285+ round-trip in basic economyDates: January-November 2020Pay 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:Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.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 purchaseDon’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.
