Despite the excitement surrounding Europe finally reopening to U.S. leisure travellers after a 15- month ban, demand remained low and there was not the mass exodus that some had predicted. The result is that there are not only plenty of seats available but some surprisingly good deals as well. So as the summer draws to a close, there is no better time than now to book a holiday aboard to catch the last rays of the Mediterranean sun.
Flights to France
While flights to Paris never came to a complete halt during the pandemic, airlines significantly reduced their services from the US. But since the start of the summer airlines have been heading back to France with a force. American Airlines is flying from Dallas and New York to Paris, while United has routes to Paris from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago, and Washing ton, D.C. Also Delta, who are partners with Air France and KLM, offer flights from New York’s JFK, Atlanta, Detroit, and Boston to several different locations in France.
This summer, Air France launched a nonstop service from Denver, with three flight a week to Paris Charlies De Gaulle airport. Having started on July 2nd this route has been a great success.
From those passengers who you would like to travel in luxury, boutique airline La Compagnie which had previously been grounded since spring of 2020, is back with its all-business-class flight from Newark to Paris Orly. While started with only two flights a week at the beginning to the summer, they have now increased flight to more than four times a week.
Flights to Italy
Delta is flying daily to Milan from JFK, and flights Rome from Boston and JFK three times a week. Emirates, which services Milan as an intermediary point on some of its Dubai–New York flights four times a week, is offering its trademark premium service. Coach fares on the route start at $599.
Italian budget start-up Neos entered into the market earlier this summer with twice-weekly flight between JFK and Milan, making this particular route one of the more crowed this season.
Flights to Spain and Portugal
After Spain began admitting U.S. visitors on June 7, American, Delta and United began to reboot their flights to Barcelona and Madrid. Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group (an airline conglomerate that also includes British Airways), has resumed flights to some U.S. gateways, including flights to Barcelona on its low-fare offshoot, level.
Flights to Lisbon and Porto, are as much as 50% off when compared to pre-COVID airfare. Delta resumed its service between JFK and Lisbon on the August 1st to four times a week. TAP Air Portugal has also reinstated all six of its U.S. gateway cities this summer: Newark; Washington, D.C.; Boston; Chicago; Miami; and San Francisco.
How long will low fares last?
The bottom line is that the market is uncertain, by don’t expect this advantageous pricing environment to last much beyond this year. Experts say that if (and when) business travel returns to normal, higher fares are sure to follow.
Photo: Royal Caribbean