The Cheapest Ways to Fly to Europe Using Points and Miles

An affordable trip to Europe is within reach if you play your points right.
Ariana Arghandewal
By Ariana Arghandewal 
Updated
Edited by Mary M. Flory

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Whether you’re fantasizing about touring the ruins of Athens, eating your way through Italy or exploring the art scene in Berlin, chances are a European vacation is on your list. While airfare to Europe has been dropping over the years, thanks to low-cost carriers and basic economy deals, it can still be tough to budget for a big trip. That’s where points and miles come in. Stock up on the right points currency and you can fly to Europe on points and save your cash for fun once you get to your destination.

Here are five of the cheapest ways to fly to Europe using points and miles:

American Airlines AAdvantage

At 45,000 miles round-trip, American Airlines’ off-peak economy class awards to Europe are a bargain. The airline defines “off-peak” travel to Europe as Jan. 10 to March 14 and Nov. 1 to Dec. 14. If you can make these dates work, this is a great way to get to Europe on points. Best of all, you can swing it with a single credit card welcome bonus thanks to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.

Delta SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles are vastly underestimated as a rewards currency. While the airline’s dynamic pricing model can make redemption rates unpredictable, you can find some incredible deals when it comes to flights to Europe. For example, in October and November, you can find fares between San Francisco and London for as low as 22,000 miles and $182 round-trip.

Delta’s price calendar is a great tool to determine the lowest redemption rates year-round. It’s definitely a good idea to book in advance — having a nice stash of Delta SkyMiles on hand helps. Currently, the Delta SkyMiles credit cards are offering higher welcome bonuses. With these increased welcome bonuses, you can book at least two round-trip tickets between San Francisco and London — assuming you get in on the 22,000-mile redemption rate.

Korean SkyPass

Korean SkyPass has some of the cheapest options if you’re looking for award flights to Europe. A round-trip economy class award costs just 50,000 miles while business class is just 80,000. Korean SkyPass is part of the SkyTeam alliance, providing plenty of partner booking options to Europe including flights on Delta and Air France.

The one downside is that ever since Korean SkyPass ended its relationship with the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program, there is no longer a way to transfer points to your SkyPass account. The only other option is to pick up one of the co-branded SkyPass credit cards:

  • Skypass Visa Business.

  • SKYPASS Visa® Signature Credit Card.

  • Skypass Visa Classic Card.

  • SKYPASS SkyBlue Visa® Card.

  • SKYPASS Visa® Secured Card.

ANA Mileage Club

All Nippon Airways Mileage Club has several sweet-spot redemptions, and flights from the U.S. to Europe is one of them. A partner award ticket to Europe costs just 55,000 miles round-trip in economy or 88,000 in business class. Considering how easy it is to earn ANA miles, you should have no problem saving up for an award. ANA is a transfer partner of AmEx Membership Rewards, meaning you can top off your Mileage Club account with rewards from the following credit cards:

Terms apply.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers some of the cheapest award flights to Europe. You can fly between the U.S. and U.K for as little as 20,000 miles and $350 round-trip. That’s a spectacular deal, especially if you’re flying during the summer months when fares tend to be higher. Since the taxes on these awards are higher than usual, it’s important to compare these rates with the cost of paid airfare to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

  • Boston, Newark, New York JFK, Washington DC: 20,000 miles and $350.

  • Atlanta, Miami, Orlando: 25,000 miles and $435.

  • Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle: 30,000 miles and $475.

The information related to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
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