Why flights to Europe are the most cost effective they have been in years

Flights between the U.S. and Europe haven’t been this low-cost in three years, when many countries were just lifting Covid-19 era rules.

Fares are low even for the traditionally slow late-fall and winter months outside of major holidays.

“It’s brutal to fill seats during these times of 12 months,” said Brett Snyder, who writes the Cranky Flier travel industry site.

In accordance with flight-tracking company Hopper, “good deal” fares across the Atlantic to Europe are averaging $578 in November, down from $619 a 12 months earlier.

It’s the bottom deal fare for this month since 2021, after they were going for $479 and far of international travel was in a slump due to pandemic, Hopper data shows.

In January, after the year-end holidays, 2025 fares are even lower: $558 in comparison with $578 for a similar month in 2024, though higher than $488 in January 2022, in line with Hopper.

U.S. domestic airfare, alternatively, is dearer compared with last 12 months in every month from November through March.

Many airlines from financially troubled Spirit Airlines to profitable Southwest Airlines have cut flights or trimmed growth plans into next 12 months, which has helped keep U.S. fares firm. Aircraft scarcity can be limiting airlines from adding many flights.

There are also some periods of weaker demand overall, executives at the most important U.S. carriers, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have said, calling out the week before and after the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday.

Carriers raced so as to add seats between the U.S. and Europe to cater to post-pandemic travel demand.

That buildup was not only through the peak months. Executives noted that they’re seeing more shoulder-season demand to Europe as travelers look to escape scorching summer temperatures and crowds. Consequently, they’ve also added flights outside of peak periods.

Airline capability between the U.S. and Europe within the fourth quarter is marginally lower than last 12 months, however it is higher than in 2019 and nearly double the quantity in the identical period of 2021, in line with Cirium.

“I expect airfare [to Europe] to be low into next 12 months,” said Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economist.

Now, on the heels of two big years for European travel, many shoppers are fresh off their big trips to popular destinations reminiscent of Spain and Italy, which suggests fewer people to fill seats within the offseason.

“It is not as if there’s a lot low-hanging fruit and where airlines could print money hand-over-fist like last 12 months,” said Scott Keyes, founding father of travel app Going, which was previously generally known as Scott’s Low-cost Flights.

Airlines traditionally discount flights within the offseason, but they’re even cheaper this 12 months.

“That is the tell,” Keyes said. “After they’re having to exit and discount, they’re having to juice the demand.”

In order that travelers don’t get uninterested in European vacation mainstays when next 12 months’s peak warm-weather travel season rolls around, airlines try latest things. United Airlines has noted many shoppers have already taken trips to major European cities and the airline plans to expand its schedule next 12 months to more off-the-beaten-path destinations reminiscent of Greenland and Mongolia.

“We’re also in a position to do exactly as well financially outside of our partner hubs,” United’s Chief Industrial Officer Andrew Nocella said on an earnings call last month. “So we glance across the globe, we glance for brand spanking new destinations, we glance for warm destinations and destinations, most significantly, we are able to earn money in.”