Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is happening now! Follow us as Greg, Nick, and Stephen compete to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines before November 23rd. Who will complete the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
There are currently some excellent airfares available from New York to Europe on all three alliances (OneWorld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance). Base fares are available from just $2.50, with taxes and fuel surcharges bringing round trips up to ~$370 depending on the route. Prices were available from the $350’s earlier, but fares are starting around $370 as of this writing — still a great deal on round trip (and potentially nonstop) travel to Europe at this time of year!
For example, this nonstop round trip from New York to Zurich, Switzerland is just $369 on American in May:
Or nonstop on Delta for $373 on similar dates:
As you can see, some routes price out with base fares as low as $2.50 each way, with taxes and fees bringing the totals into the $360’s/$370’s:
More routes and dates are possible, with cheap flights available to cities a variety of European cities including Zurich, Paris, and London. The variety of airlines offering similar pricing gives you the ability to credit to a vast array of mileage programs to potentially earn some useful miles while getting a great deal.
See this View From the Wing post for more analysis.
If you happen to be in Europe right now looking for a cheap route to the US, Secret Flying has found a round trip fare from Nice to Chicago on Swiss Airlines from about $251 round trip – though in a few minutes of searching, I’ve seen some dates with mixed-carrier itineraries (Swiss with Air Canada/United/Brussels) a few dollars/euros cheaper still if you don’t mind booking in French.
French vs English:
HT: Secret Flying
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.