How to find cheap flights to Europe

Airline tickets - according to reports - have increased in price by as much as 25% in the year 2022-2023¹, as travel-starved consumers snap up tickets at any price.

If you’re wondering how to find cheap flights to Europe in this climate, this guide is for you. Join us as we walk through ways to snag a good deal to Paris, London or wherever else you fancy - plus, how to find cheap flights from Europe to the USA on the way home.

Travel may not be as cheap as it once was - but you may be able to save on foreign currency spending with Wise, which gives you the mid-market exchange rates and low fees from 0.43%². More on that, later.

How can you find cheap flights to Europe?

Let’s start out with some general tips to help you search for the best cheap flights to Europe.

Start your search early

If you’re traveling to a popular destination in Europe, at a peak time, or on a very fixed schedule, start your search early. That way you’ll have as much choice as possible, to help you find a decent flight deal.

Be flexible with your dates and destinations

If at all possible, be flexible about exactly where you’re headed and when. Many flight search engines let you search by month to see the cheapest days to fly, and many also let you include other local airports in your search.

Most major European cities are served by multiple airports, which can all be convenient - so expanding your search can net you a better ticket price.

To put that in context, London has multiple airports, which range from very central (like London City) to further out (like Stansted and Gatwick) - but the travel time, even from the outlying options to the center of town is usually under an hour.

Look at a selection of departure airports

Just as flexibility on the destination side can help, being flexible with where you fly from may also be a bonus.

If you’ve got relatively easy access to multiple airports on the US side, remember to search for the costs of traveling to Europe from each of them. You may just find a bargain.

Consider using a travel agent

It sounds counterintuitive to involve a third party in your search - but as travel agents can often access unpublished deals, you may actually find they have good options for you, particularly if you’re booking a package.

Another smart option is to look at the agent support you may already have through other memberships, with organizations like AAA®³, or stores like Costco®⁴. These agents can bulk buy deals and flights, which may allow them to pass on better deals for their customers.

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Are there specific search engines that can help you find cheaper flights to Europe?

Most people start their search for cheap flights online, with a search engine dedicated to travel bookings. Let’s look at how to use search engines to get cheap flights to Europe more easily.

Using flight search engines effectively

Look on flight search engines like Kayak®⁵ or Skyscanner®⁶ to get insights into the routes available from your location in the US to Europe, and the range of costs.

You’ll also often be able to set up alerts for price drops, which trigger a message or notification if a flight route you’re looking at offers lower prices.

Hidden gems: lesser-Known flight search engines

Using lesser-known search engines to find flights may also be a smart option. The exact providers available, and which are best for cheap flights to Europe, change frequently, so doing your own research is important to find the ones that work for you.

One good place to start for handy search options is (unsurprisingly) Google®. Google Flights⁷ offers great ways to search which some other engines don’t have, which can help you find better options for your trip.

Another handy option is Skiplagged®⁸. Skiplagging is where you book a flight with a connection, but don’t take the trip right through to the end, getting off at the connection airport instead of the final destination.

This can work out cheaper, depending on the popularity of different routes - although Skiplagged does warn people about some specific issues with this method, which are worth looking into⁹.

Best search engines to try when booking flights:
Kayak Skyscanner Google Flights Skiplagged ITA Matrix®¹⁰ (also from Google) The Flight Deal®¹¹

Booking cheap flights

Next, let’s take a peek at some tips to get that cheap flight deal in the bag.

Navigating airline websites

Airline websites and apps aren’t always the easiest to use. You’ll need to take some time to understand the airline’s pricing schemes and features, to make the most out of your booking.

For example, many airline apps also show you different departure and return date combinations, which can help bring down the costs, or you may get cheaper tickets by reducing the amount of luggage you have for example.

Leveraging flight points and rewards

Travelers can also leverage airline points, credit card rewards, and loyalty programs to score cheaper or even free flights to Europe.

How this works will depend on the type of points or rewards you have, but you’ll be able to find the full redemption and booking process detailed on the website of your credit card or in the frequent flier app for your miles.

Bear in mind, restrictions may apply on the dates and routes you can use your points on - so shopping around is essential.

Can you use airline points or rewards to get cheaper flights to Europe?

You may be able to use accumulated miles or points, either from previous travel, or through your credit card for example, to get cheap flights to Europe.

Double check your airmiles account or your card’s terms and conditions to learn how their specific scheme works.

Finding the best time to travel

Search engines and airline apps often give you easy ways to find the cheapest flights to your destination across a few days or a month. But other options - like Kayak - can give you top level insights into the best times of year based on ticket costs, on an annual basis¹², for example.

If you’ve got complete flexibility on when you take your trip, starting here can help you save.

Cheap flights from Europe to the US: a reverse look

If you’re not booking a return flight, you may also be wondering about how to book cheap flights on the way home - from Europe to the US.

While many of the same rules apply, you may find different seasons come with different price tags in this direction.

When is the best time to book flights from Europe?

If you’re flexible about when to fly from Europe to the USA, the Kayak tool mentioned above can help. For example, if you were flying from London to New York in 2023-2024, it predicts that the cheapest time to go would be November, with February just behind on cost.

The day of week, and time of day you want to travel will also matter. Try to avoid popular business travel times (early morning flights from the UK to the US East Coast for example), and weekend travel times, such as Friday night and Sunday.

You may find that by comparing flight options and picking a mid-week ticket, your costs come down

Top tips for finding cheap flights from Europe to the USA

Here are a few final tips for cheap flights from Europe to the US:

Start your search early and be as flexible on dates as possible Consider flying out of a range of European airports - European travel times are pretty short, and budget airlines make connections quite cheap Use miles or reward points to bring down costs if you can Consider setting up price alerts on search engines, or even signing up to a paid program like the Thrifty Traveler¹³, which will pass on excluding flight deals

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Good luck with your hunt for cheap flights to Europe. They're still out there, even if you have to search a bit more than pre-pandemic. And no matter where you’re headed, take Wise, to bring down the costs of spending and withdrawals when you’re away.

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Sources:

1. CNBC report - flight prices
2. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
3. AAA travel
4. Costco travel
5. Kayak - flights US to Europe
6. Skyscanner - flights to Europe
7. Google Flights
8. Skiplagged
9. Skiplagged - FAQ
10. ITA Matrix
11. The Flight Deal
12. Kayak - best time to travel
13. Thrifty Traveler

Sources checked on 08.21.2023