Why flights to Europe are the cheapest they’ve been in years

Flights between the U.S. and Europe have not been this cheap in three years, when many countries were just lifting Covid-19 era rules. Fares are low even for the traditionally slow late-fall and winter months outside of major holidays. “It is brutal to fill seats during these times of year,” said Brett Snyder, who writes the Cranky Flier travel industry site. According to flight-tracking company Hopper, “good deal” fares across the Atlantic to Europe are averaging $578 in November, down from $619 a year earlier. It is the lowest deal fare for this month since 2021, when they were going for $479 and much of international travel was in a slump because of the pandemic, Hopper data shows. In January, after the year-end holidays, 2025 fares are even lower: $558 compared to $578 for the same month in 2024, though higher than $488 in January 2022, according to Hopper. U.S. domestic airfare, on the other hand, is more expensive compared with last year in every month from November through March. Many airlines from financially troubled Spirit Airlines to profitable Southwest Airlines have cut flights or trimmed growth plans into next year, which has helped keep U.S. fares firm. Aircraft scarcity is also limiting airlines from adding many flights. There are also some periods of weaker demand overall, executives at the largest U.S. carriers, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines have said, calling out the week before and after the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday.<br/>