How to find the cheapest flights to Europe

1. Use the Alternative Airlines Best Fare Finder Tool 🗓️

Our Best Fare Finder Tool displays the cheapest days of the month to fly, with a convenient traffic light system to help you decide. Dates displayed in green are the cheapest days to fly in that month, while the amber dates are average value, and the red dates are the most expensive. If your travel dates are flexible, you may be able to save money by booking on a cheaper date instead of on your original date!

2. Consider flying in off-seasons 🍂

For cheaper flights, you could opt to travel in the off-season - also known as the 'shoulder season' - the period between the high and low seasons of a vacation destination. Europe has shoulder seasons during spring, fall, and winter. Shoulder season means fewer crowds and better deals on accommodation too.

3. Take advantage of flexible payment options 💸

Alternative Airlines offers over 40 different methods of payment, including buy now, pay later services. Using a buy now, pay later service to book your flight means you can split the cost of your flight into weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly instalments - making travel more accessible even if you’re on a tight budget.

4. Prepare early ⏰

Flights become available for booking around a year in advance and ticket prices usually change frequently until the departure date. By preparing early, you can keep an eye on prices and secure the best fares. Sometimes, deals can be found with last minute flights as airlines offer discounts to fill their planes, but booking early is a good guideline to follow with international flights.

5. Check out our flight discounts and promo codes page 🤑

Finding promotional codes that actually work can be complicated. At Alternative Airlines, we offer discount codes that can be used on a wide range of airlines, payment providers, and destinations, securing you a great deal on flights.

6. Check for alternative routes 🔎

Flying into a secondary airport (e.g. Stansted instead of Heathrow in London) or booking a flight to a nearby European country instead of your main destination can be a cheaper option. You can also use our Best Fare Finder tool to explore multi-city or stopover flight options. Once you land in Europe, you have access to a variety of European low-cost airlines to help make travel easy and cheap within the continent.

Use a budget airline

Flying from the US to Europe doesn’t have to be expensive! While most transatlantic routes are operated by major carriers, several low-cost airlines offer affordable alternatives. Tap Air Portugal, LEVEL, Norse Atlantic Airways, PLAY Airlines, and French Bee all offer transatlantic flights from the US to major European cities like London, Paris, and Berlin.

Tips for flying budget from the US to Europe:

• Book Early – Budget airline seats sell fast, so book 3-6 months in advance for the best prices.
• Pack Light – Most budget airlines charge for checked baggage, so a carry-on can help you save.
• Check Airport Locations – Some budget airlines fly to secondary airports, which may require extra transport costs.

Fly from a different departure city

It's not always the cheapest option to depart from your closest international airport. You may be able to find better prices on flights to Europe by catching a flight between your closest regional airport and an international airport elsewhere in the USA.

Here are some of the most affordable departure cities for transatlantic flights:

New York City (JFK & EWR)

• Most budget airline options (Norse Atlantic, PLAY, French Bee, LEVEL, TAP Air Portugal).
• Frequent sales and low fares to London, Paris, Barcelona, Reykjavik, and Lisbon.

Boston (BOS)

• Great for Iceland stopovers with PLAY Airlines offering cheap flights to Europe via Reykjavik.
• Budget options with Norse Atlantic, LEVEL, and TAP Air Portugal.

Miami (MIA & FLL)

• Flights to Spain & Portugal with TAP Air Portugal and LEVEL.
• French Bee offering cheap flights to Paris from Miami.

Los Angeles (LAX)

• Cheap options with Norse Atlantic, LEVEL (to Barcelona), and French Bee (to Paris).
• Ideal for West Coast travellers looking for affordable routes to Europe.

Washington D.C. (IAD & BWI)

• Norse Atlantic and PLAY Airlines offer low-cost transatlantic options.

Fly Now, Pay Later

With Alternative Airlines, you can secure your flight from the US to Europe now and spread the cost over time with flexible Buy Now, Pay Later options. Choose from top BNPL providers like Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay, and PayPal Credit.