Cheap Europe travel: Try these low-cost airlines
Demand for travel remains strong, but with prices rising across the board, travelers themselves may be looking to save on their trips.
According to data recently released by Deloitte, international airfare from the U.S. was 31% more expensive in November 2022 than it was a year prior.
Even so, more people said they were planning to travel abroad around the holidays, and the firm expects such trips to increase throughout the year.
Since the dollar is still relatively strong, Europe remains a popular destination for travelers from the U.S., and although international airfare can be expensive, there are deals to be had and competition among low-cost carriers to get you across the pond on the cheap.
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The landscape has changed since before the pandemic, so if you haven’t looked for a transatlantic deal in a while, here are some players to keep tabs on. Keep in mind that as low-cost carriers, the cheapest fares typically won’t include meal service, checked baggage, or other amenities, but check with the airline for the specific conditions and options to buy up.
Norse Atlantic
The Norwegian low-cost carrier operates a fleet of Boeing 787s with two classes of service and seatback entertainment for all.
The airline currently serves New York, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Los Angeles in the U.S., and has direct service to London, Paris, Oslo, Norway, and Berlin, with an expansion to Rome planned for June and connections to other European cities available as well.
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Play
This Iceland-based low-cost carrier routes passengers from North America to Europe through its Reykjavik hub, meaning you have to connect to go anywhere other than Iceland.
In North America, Play serves Baltimore, Boston, New York (Stewart) and Washington (Dulles) as well as Toronto.
European destinations include Athens, Greece, Barcelona, Spain, Lisbon, Portugal, and Prague among others.
Play operates a fleet of single-aisle Airbus A320-family aircraft with a single class of service on board.
French Bee
The oldest operator on this list, French Bee uses a fleet of Airbus A350s to connect Newark, New Jersey, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco with Paris (Orly), as well as direct flights from San Francisco to Tahiti.
Like Norse Atlantic, French Bee has seatback entertainment for every passenger and is arranged in a two-class configuration. Extra legroom seats are available for an additional fee in economy class as well.
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Other airlines
Sometimes mainline carriers will have deals, so if you’re definitely planning to take a European vacation, it’s worth using a tool like Kayak, Skyscanner, or Google Flights to compare prices. Especially if you’re bringing luggage, it can be more cost-effective to buy an all- (or more-) inclusive fare.