Head to Europe this fall or winter with discounted tickets from Icelandic budget carrier Play Airlines. In honor of World Tourism Day on Wednesday, the airline is offering 30% off flights from multiple U.S. East Coast cities to many popular European destinations.
Deal basics
Airline: Play
Routes: Boston, Baltimore, New York’s Hudson Valley and Washington, D.C., to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Reykjavik and more
How to book: Directly on Play’s website
Travel dates: October 2023 through March 2024
Book by: Sept. 30
Blackout dates: Dec. 15 to Jan. 8; March 22 to 31
Sample flights
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN), starting at $286
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), starting at $295
- New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) to CDG, starting at $340
- Dulles International Airport (IAD) to CDG, starting at $340
All of the above flights have a short layover at Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport (KEF).
You can enjoy the holiday season in Paris for just $353 round trip from Washington, D.C. The outbound flight is normally about $187 but it’s discounted to $152. It would leave at 6:10 p.m. and land the following day in Paris at 10:30 a.m., all times local.
The Play Basic fare on the return flight isn’t discounted by as much but still costs about $152. This brings the round-trip total to just about $304.
Unfortunately, the cheapest basic fare only includes one personal item. So, if you can fit all your clothes in one backpack, you’ll be set. If not, you’ll have to pay extra for baggage.
The above fares apply to each flight, so if you brought a carry-on to and from Paris, you’d have to pay the $59 fee twice.
Or, if you have a bit more money to spend, you could upgrade to Play Value to get an included carry-on and checked bag as well as priority boarding and seat selection.
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 through the airline or American Express Travel
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly through the airline or 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
These flights to mainland Europe are much cheaper than usual, but don’t forget you’ll have to pay extra to bring a carry-on or checked bag if you fly on the basic ticket. There are plenty of options from multiple East Coast cities and dates are flexible, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a trip that works for you.
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