Delta is offering nonstops to Amsterdam and Paris from some hubs for $510 basic economy February-April. I specifically checked Minneapolis, Seattle and Detroit but worth checking others.
Editing to add: Good connections to Nice, Toulouse, Marseille, or Prague less than $600.
"Basic"
**No seat(s) assigned until after check-in, not together
No changes allowed
Cancel for partial eCredit (ticket minus cancel charge)
Last to board & not eligible for upgrades
No miles earned; no credit toward SkyMiles Medallion Status**
Comfort+ at under $900 r/t, looks to be a much better value
Edited to delete a comment some found inappropriate
Regular coach with seat assignments and checked bag and full voucher refund is $150 more. The Delta A330 has slightly more coach legroom than other transatlantic flights, 32” vs 31.” Still tight but it isn’t that many hours.
Worth looking at their code-share partners Air France and KLM.
I know that at least Air France is offering refundable vouchers even for their economy light.
Yes the same fares are offered on Airfrance.com and Klm.com.
Budapest also under $600, Rome $535 and Athens $550 both the cheapest I’ve ever seen, all good connections with a single connection usually AMS.
Even plus $150 for regular coach these are excellent spring fares.
If you fly above the Basic Economy ticket you will have the honor of changing your flights...returned points and e-credits for cash paid.
I'm now on Plan D for a spring 2022 trip and have not lost points or cash. For me, it is worth the extra cost.
I'm a basic economy traveler. I think of an airplane as a means to get from point a to point b. Money is tight and I prefer to save it for once I'm at my destination. So far, I've been lucky with being able to change my flights without additional cost.
And as an added note, I'm 5'10 so not petite.
I’m curious, do you plan your trip around budget
airfare or the airfare around your preferred trip? Which is most most important: where you go or the cost to go somewhere?
@joe - I’m a basic economy flyer too. Not everyone on this forum has the luxury to spend more money for more comfort. Some people here are on a tighter budget than others. Some people here have different priorities. Like Aimee and Gail, I’d rather spend my travel money once I’m in Europe.
Tom, thank you for posting this.
@horsewoofie to answer your question, a bit of both. I use google flights to take a look at costs to different places I would like to travel to. Then I make sure they are affordable, both airfare and accommodations. In covid times, I also take a look at the different airlines to see what kind of flexibility they are offering.
Then I track those airlines and routes over a few months until I'm able to get a price that I'm good with.
Thank you Tom, for this post. Even out of Spokane, I am seeing RT on Delta for under $600 to Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, etc. I, too, usually fly economy and have survived numerous trips to Europe. Although, for an additional $150, the might take the slight upgrade.
I also balance fares with desired destinations. For example I have always wanted to visit Malta, and here is for $608 (cheap, google flights is saying "$1100 cheaper than usual").
