December 11, 2024

Olympia Travel Tips

Maniac Travel Update

Premium economy round-trip flights to Europe for less than $1,300

Premium economy round-trip flights to Europe for less than ,300

Stroll through Stockholm’s Old Town or take a tour of Westminster Abbey with this deal: Multiple airlines are offering premium economy round-trip flights to Europe for less than $1,300.

With this deal, you can fly to London, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Geneva and other European destinations at a discount. Premium economy tickets to these cities can otherwise cost upward of $1,500.

The travel dates for these discounted flights are from January-March 2023. Given that some of the featured cities happen to be some of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, flights are almost certain to fill up and prices will also change. So, snag this deal as soon as possible.

Sunrise view of London in autumn. KARL HENDON/GETTY IMAGES

Deal basics

Airlines: Icelandair, SAS, Scandinavian Airlines and United Airlines.
Routes: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and other cities to various European destinations.
How to book: Search for the best dates with Google Flights, then book directly with the airline of your choice.
Travel dates: January to March.
Book by: The next one to two days.

Kudos to Scott’s Cheap Flights for flagging this deal. Costing $49 a year, the Premium membership offer discounts of up to 90{0b5b04b8d3ad800b67772b3dcc20e35ebfd293e6e83c1a657928cfb52b561f97} and comes with a 14-day free trial. The Elite membership also scouts premium, business-class and first-class deals.

Sample flights

While you can fly to places like Stockholm and Amsterdam from a wide range of U.S. cities, the cheapest fares are primarily found on the West Coast — many of them are less than $1,000.

Here are some flights we’ve bookmarked:

  • Scandinavian Airlines: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Heathrow Airport (LHR), starting at $746 (includes a layover in Stockholm).
  • Scandinavian Airlines: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Bergen Airport (BGO), starting at $827 (includes a layover in Copenhagen).
  • SAS: LAX to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), starting at $870 (includes a layover in Copenhagen).
  • Icelandair: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), starting at $967 (includes a layover in Reykjavik).
  • Scandinavian Airlines: Miami International Airport (MIA) to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN), starting at $1,290 (includes a layover in Copenhagen).
  • United: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Geneva Airport (GVA), starting at $1,197.

When booking your flights, we suggest determining availability with Google Flights and then purchasing your tickets directly from the airline of your choice because airlines are more dependable in the event of a cancellation, delay or booking change.

If you’re flying from Chicago and want to visit London the week of Feb. 24, the SAS flight at 4 p.m. is the cheapest option.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

As for returning flights, the SAS flight on March 3 at 9:55 a.m. has the best price; all the other available options for that day cost almost $6,000.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Remember that sometimes Google Flights shows lower prices than what’s advertised on the airline’s website due to third-party options. In this case, Google Flights said the cheapest available flight from London to Chicago was $714, but if you were to book on the SAS website, it’s actually $746. The $714 sticker price is from a third-party booking site.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS
GOOGLE FLIGHTS

Since these deals to Europe are for premium economy, you’ll notice fewer restrictions compared to basic economy. SAS Plus Smart fares include seat selection, one personal item, a carry-on and checked luggage. The fare also includes priority boarding, free Wi-Fi and a three-course meal.

FLYSAS.COM

If you’d like to add another checked bag, SAS charges an additional $85 fee each way, so you’d end up paying $170 to check two bags for your trip.

FLYSAS.COM

Maximize your purchase

Be sure to 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), Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, 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

Flying to Europe can be quite pricey, but many of the deals fall below $1,000 for premium economy, making them worth booking. Also, premium economy doesn’t come with the same limitations as basic economy, so you can fly to Europe in some comfort as well.

Stockholm. STEFAN CRISTIAN CIOATA/GETTY IMAGES

With this deal, you can explore Scandinavia or opt for a vacation to London or Geneva. There’s so much to see and do in Europe, so you can’t really go wrong with any of the available options.