The cost of flights to Europe has decreased significantly in recent years.

• The cost of traveling from the U.S. to Europe is still affordable during the slower months of late fall and winter.
• Airlines have recently increased their services to meet the growing demand for travel after the pandemic.

The cost of flights between the U.S. and Europe is currently at its lowest in three years, coinciding with the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in many countries.

Even during the traditionally slow late-fall and winter months outside of major holidays, fares remain low.

According to Brett Snyder, who runs the Cranky Flier travel website, filling seats during these times of year is brutally challenging.

The average fare for flights across the Atlantic to Europe in November, according to Hopper, is $578, a decrease of $41 from the same month last year.

This month's lowest deal fare is $479, according to Hopper data, which shows that international travel was in a slump due to the pandemic in 2021.

In January 2025, fares are lower than in January 2024, but higher than in January 2022, according to Hopper.

In contrast to last year, U.S. domestic airfare is more expensive every month from November through March.

Airlines, both financially troubled and profitable, have reduced flights or scaled back growth plans for the next year, which has kept U.S. fares stable. The limited availability of aircraft is preventing airlines from adding many flights.

Executives at the largest U.S. carriers, including and , have stated that there are periods of weaker demand overall, specifically during the week before and after the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday.

How airlines got here

To meet the increased demand for travel between the U.S. and Europe following the pandemic, airlines rushed to increase the number of seats available.

Executives have observed an increase in shoulder-season demand to Europe, prompting them to add flights outside of peak periods.

The airline capacity between the U.S. and Europe in the fourth quarter is higher than in 2019 and nearly double the amount in the same period of 2021, but marginally lower than last year, according to Cirium.

Hayley Berg, Hopper's lead economist, stated that she anticipates airfare to Europe to be affordable into the next year.

With the recent surge in European travel, many customers have just returned from their big trips to popular destinations such as Spain and Italy, leaving fewer people to fill seats during the offseason.

Scott Keyes, founder of Going, stated that it's not as easy to make money in the airline industry as it was last year, with fewer opportunities for low-hanging fruit.

This year, flights are even cheaper during the offseason than they have been traditionally.

""When they need to boost demand, they discount," Keyes stated."

Airlines are expanding their schedules to include off-the-beaten-path destinations such as Greenland and Mongolia to keep travelers from getting bored with European vacation mainstays during next year's peak warm-weather travel season.

"United's Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella stated on an earnings call last month that the company can perform financially just as well outside of its partner hubs. He revealed that the company looks for new destinations, hot destinations, and most importantly, those that can generate revenue."