Fly cheap to Europe from NYC, Boston, DC and Chicago on SAS

If you want to avoid congested airports and crowded attractions this summer in favor of a more leisurely fall or winter trip, you’re in luck.

Scandinavian Airlines, or SAS, has put almost its entire network of flights from the U.S. to Europe on sale. Flights are for travel from October 2023 through March 2024. We’re big fans of shoulder season travel here at TPG, and this is a good opportunity to get a flight for a deal.

These discounted routes depart from major U.S. hubs to popular European destinations like Amsterdam and Paris. However, SAS is also offering cheap flights to lesser-known destinations such as Bergen, Norway; Umea, Sweden; and Gdansk, Poland.

Depending on where you’re flying from and to, prices range from $361 to $499. Since there are so many route options on sale, you could easily hit multiple European destinations in one trip by booking an open-jaw itinerary (flying to one city but leaving from another).

Houses in Bergen, Norway. RYHOR BRUYEU/GETTY IMAGES

Deal basics

Airline: SAS.
Routes: From Boston, Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Paris, Stockholm, Zurich and many others.
How to book: Search for availability on Google Flights, then book directly with the airline.
Travel dates: October 2023 through March 2024.
Book by: As soon as possible.

Sample flights

The following flights were priced as listed at the time of publication. We cannot guarantee the below round-trip flights will be available when you book.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), starting at $383.
BOS to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), starting at $398.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Heathrow Airport (LHR), starting at $429.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Oslo Airport (OSL), starting at $432.
O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN), starting at $409.
ORD to Brussels Airport (BRU), starting at $424.
Washington, D.C., to CPH, starting at $433.

Consider this November itinerary from Boston to Copenhagen. You could fly overnight on Nov. 6, (hopefully) get some rest on the plane and land in Copenhagen early Tuesday morning.

After spending about five days exploring the city, you would head back to the U.S. on Nov. 12. The returning flight would put you back in Boston with ample time to rest before work on Monday.

The sale applies to fares in the SAS Go Light level. Tickets include a personal item and a larger carry-on bag. If you want to check a suitcase, it’ll cost $75 each way. Or, you could upgrade to the SAS Go Smart level for an extra $35 each way because those fares include checked bags.

As you can see below, fares are considerably lower than usual. Also, because you would be traveling during the offseason, accommodations in Copenhagen will be much cheaper than they are in the summer.

If you want to capitalize on these deals by visiting multiple European destinations, use the multicity feature on Google Flights to plan your open-jaw trip. Below is a sample itinerary from New York City to Stockholm and Oslo.

You would depart on Saturday evening and land in Stockholm on Sunday morning, Oct. 8. You could spend Sunday through Wednesday exploring the Swedish capital, then take a short flight or high-speed train journey to Oslo.

Venture around Oslo until you leave for New York City on Sunday morning, Oct. 15.

The journey will only cost you $428 total, but you will have to budget for the separate journey from Stockholm to Oslo. Luckily, flights between the two cities can be as low as $38, while trains might cost about $60.

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 2 points per dollar on travel.
American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel.
The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year.
Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar on airfare.
Chase Sapphire Reserve: 3 points per dollar on airfare.

Bottom line

Jet off to Europe this fall or winter with cheap flights from SAS. This is a great opportunity to visit multiple destinations at once or to explore under-the-radar spots in Poland, Norway and other countries.

Make sure to snag your seats as soon as you can to get in on the deal.

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