Cheap flights from Europe to Alaska a pretty rare. Which is unfortunate, since the most northern US state is definitely worth a visit. Luckily, United Airlines and other Star Alliance carriers are currently selling discounted tickets for economy class flights from Belgrade to Anchorage. Prices start at around €481.
As with most cheap flights from Europe to North America, the competitive offer is a Light fare. If you want to check a bag, you will have to pay €100 extra per round-trip. The availability of affordable and short connections is limited to February and March 2020. But if you’re willing to pay a little extra or don’t mind longer travel times, you’ll be able to find flights from December through April.
Of course, flights to such a remote destination aren’t direct flights. The best route will take you from Belgrade to Frankfurt and then to Denver before continuing to Alaska. But there are several other possible ways how you could get to Anchorage.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, tickets have to be sold until November 18th, and the offer is valid for trips commencing on or before November 30th, 2020. There are seasonal restrictions:
- October 23rd through May 14th, 2020
- October 1st through November 30th, 2020
As already mentioned, the cheap and convenient connections can be found in February and March next year. The minimum stay requirements are 6 days or the night from Saturday to Sunday, and you can spend up to 3 months in the USA. But you must not forget that an ESTA is only valid for 90 days.
Use Google Flights (instructions) to find cheap seats and dates that work for you. Once you’ve found the perfect flights, use our Travel Dealz flights search to compare prices or just book on United’s website. The latter is recommended if you want to add checked luggage.
This is a Star Alliance fare that does not include check-in luggage. Additionally, some other disadvantages may apply, especially when flying with United:
Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian
Lufthansa Group airlines call this fare Economy Light. You can select your seats during the check-in process. While these airlines still allow Star-Alliance-Gold customers to bring one 23kg bag, it is said that this benefit will soon be eliminated without much warning – like on European flights.
United Airlines
The long-haul United Basic Economy allows Star-Alliance-Gold customers to fly with 2 x 23 kg luggage, or even 3 x 32 kg if you’re a MileagePlus frequent flyer. Nevertheless, there are other restrictions:
- You cannot reserve your seats. Even at the time of check-in, you’ll be automatically assigned a seat, which you cannot change.
- You’ll be the last one to board the plane (except if you’re a frequent flyer).
- Additionally, if you’re a MileagePlus-customer:
- No free Economy-Plus upgrades
- Only 50% PQM instead of 100%, and only 0.5 PQS per flight
- No modifications (e.g. Same Day-Changes) possible
- Upgrades are not permitted
Air Canada
On flights with Air Canada, there is also a Basic Economy, but it is not quite as restrictive as United’s. If you have a Star-Alliance-Gold-Status, you can give up a 23 kg luggage, and Air-Canada-Altitude status holders can even be allowed up to 3 x 32 kg.
Other restrictions include:
- You can reserve seats, but at a higher price than usual for Economy.
- For Air Canada Altitude customers:
- 25% miles for transatlantic flights, none for domestic.
- Upgrades are not permitted.
- From Prestige 25K onwards you can select your seats.
If you feel that these restrictions are unbearable, you should book over Lufthansa.com or United.com and select the rate that includes luggage for roughly €100 more.
Mileage
All tickets will be issued in booking class K. If your routing looks like the one we found and displayed in the map above, you should earn the following amount of miles:
- 8,082 Miles on Asiana Club
- 8,082 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 8,082 Award Miles + 1,618 Tier Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 8,082 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 8,082 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 8,082 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 8,082 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 8,082 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 8,082 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 8,082 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 8,082 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 4,850 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 4,214 Award Miles + 280 Points on Miles&More
- 4,042 Award Miles + 808 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 4,042 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 4,042 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 4,042 CV Points on Vistara Club Vistara
- 4,042 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 4,042 Avios on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 4,042 Award Miles on Emirates Skywards
Information & Tips for USA
The USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA
Cover Picture: ©Rocky Grimes - stock.adobe.com