Summer is peak time for transatlantic flights, and prices reflect the number of travelers looking to visit Europe right now.
Round-trip economy class flights for less than $500 are popular during the slower winter months. But if you want to walk the cobbled streets of Rome or watch the sunset on a Greek island this summer, you may have to pay more than this.
While redeeming points and miles for long-haul economy class flights isn’t usually a huge value — aim for premium cabin points instead — we’re at the point of flights. $1,500 worth of economy class in one “summer sales. If a stroll past Buckingham Palace or the Eiffel Tower is more important to you than a flat bed, we’ve rounded up the best value economy awards for Europe this summer.
The Big Three US loyalty programs offer very low fees, low taxes, and a good supply of economy class flights to Europe this summer. However, their dynamic pricing means you could expect to pay as little as 80,000 points or miles round-trip to Europe — not a big problem. Instead, check out these programs for a flat or more reasonable price.
The good news is that these programs partner with some of the major transferable credit card point currencies, so you have plenty of options for funding your account.
Virgin Atlantic Flight Club
If you’re traveling to the UK this summer, consider redeem Virgin Atlantic points. Typically, you’ll need 40,000 points for a round trip from the East Coast or 50,000 points from the West Coast, which is a decent deal.
However, Virgin is 30% off now when redeeming points in all cabins to and from the United States through September 30, as long as you book by July 24; it is reducing the number of points needed to buy a flight so that a round trip will only cost 28,000 to 35,000 points. This discount applies to flights operated by Virgin Atlantic only. Unfortunately, there are no discounts for fees, taxes and surcharges.
Virgin imposes fees, taxes and fuel surcharges of just under $500 per person round-trip, so compare this to a comparable cash fare. If you can manage to find a cash ticket for under $800 on the days you want to travel, paying with cash is probably a better deal.
Award tickets include free seat selection and checked baggage.
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If you’re traveling to European destinations outside of the UK, Virgin Atlantic is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, which means you can redeem Virgin Points on airlines like Delta, Air France-KLM, Air Europa and AeroMexico. The current 30% discount does not apply to flights operated by SkyTeam partner airlines.
Redemption on SkyTeam airlines is based on distance and there is no peak/low price. Most European destinations from North America will be within the following distances (prices per person, per way and excluding fees, taxes and surcharges):
| 3,001-4,000 | 20,500 |
|---|---|
| 4,001-5,000 won | 25,500 |
| 5,001-6,000 won | 31,000 won |
| 6,001-7,000 won | 37,000 won |
| 7,001-12,000 | 50,000 won |
Air France-KLM flies green
The Blue flight program Bonus prices are flexible, which means they can change dramatically. It’s not uncommon to see more than 100,000 miles for round-trip economy class flights to Europe during peak times.
However, with some flexibility and different city pairs, we’ve found return flights for as low as 34,000 Flying Blue miles, plus reasonable fees, taxes and surcharges of $208.75 for Air France and/or KLM. So you should spend some time experimenting with date and city combinations to see if you can find a good deal.
Also, watch for Flying Blue amazing monthly promotion bonuswhere a limited number of routes can only be discounted.
Iberian Plus
dream of Sunny Spain? Iberia flies from several destinations in the United States, including Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD). You will only need 20,000 Iberian Avios each way in economy class to Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) from the Midwest and East Coast.
Fees, taxes, and surcharges are reasonable around $100 each way, and these flights include checked baggage.
British Airways Executive Club
If a trip to The Emerald Isle is on your summer to-do list, you can fly to Ireland via British Airways Executive Club Program. Aer Lingus flies to Dublin Airport (DUB) from several destinations in the US If you’re focusing on the Northeast, like New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL), you can book round-trip economy class flights for as little as 40,000 Avios plus about $350 in fees, taxes and surcharges, depending on the departure airport.
You can also combine your Avios over four airlines use it as currency.
Read more: 4 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Iberia and British Airways
Avianca Life Miles
weird Colombia’s Loyalty Program has long been an underrated choice for booking Star Alliance flights on airlines like United, Lufthansa and Air Canada.
While maintaining a region-based rewards chart, this is a complex one, with each of the US and Europe being divided into three different regions, resulting in nine different rewards chart options only available to customers. for the economy. Most of these area pairs are 30,000 miles each way (so 60,000 round trips), which is an OK but not excellent deal.
There’s a catch, though: Flying from the northeastern United States to North and some Western Europe costs just 20,000 miles each way. In Europe, this includes the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway.
With minimal fees and taxes, it’s a worthwhile way to fly to select countries in Europe. It’s convenient that Scandinavian Airlines, a member of Star Alliance, has more Nordic facilities located in this region, opening up more flights and more redemption options.
How to earn transfer points
Earn transferable credit card points that allow you to use your points in different programs when and how suits you. As the major airline programs move to dynamic pricing with those 100,000-mile rates for economy class trips, flexibility becomes more valuable than ever.
You can transfer points to the following programs at a 1:1 ratio:
If you’re looking for a new pass in one (or more) of these programs as you plan your future travel, here are some solid options:
For additional options, be sure to check out ours best credit card site.
bottom line
If you’re still hoping to book flights to Europe this summer, you have very few affordable cash options right now. Round-trip economy class flights over $1,000 are the norm, not the exception.
This means points and miles can be a great way to save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. While some programs will now charge you 100,000 miles or more for an economy class return flight to Europe, there are a number of affordable options available. If you have transferable points, you should focus on the above programs for the best redeemable value.
