All three major alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam, Oneworld) are currently selling very cheap business class tickets to almost all North American cities for less than €1,500 (often even less than €1,400), as long as you start your trip in Hungary, Denmark, Italy, or Greece. The list of possible destinations is huge, regardless if you wish to fly with British Airways, American Airlines, Lufthansa, United, Finnair, Air France, Delta, Air Canada, etc. Availability is generally very high from March through May 2021.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
Here are some of the cities that all alliances will fly to:
- Washington DC: €1,342
- Vancouver: €1,384
- Calgary: €1,388
- Houston: €1,392
- Denver: €1,392
- Minneapolis: €1,428
- Salt Lake City: €1,429
- Austin: €1,429
- Atlanta: €1,433
- Raleigh: €1,436
- Nashville: €1,440
- and more…
The flights are usually the cheapest from Budapest, and not all alliances and destinations are always available from each city, but generally, availability seems to be quite good for those 4 countries to the North American destinations.
Most of these flights will have 1-2 layovers in the alliance’s main hubs, such as Munich, London, Lisbon, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Toronto, etc. The possibilities are almost endless.
Search & Book
The three alliances did not only copy each other’s prices, but even their fare rules are almost identical, especially for SkyTeam and Oneworld. You can search for your perfect flight on Google Flights, as you’ll be shown the prices for all three alliances there. You can also use the filters to find the flight that suits your preferences the most.
SkyTeam & Oneworld
You can purchase the SkyTeam flights until November 22, 2020 and there’s no official expiration date for the Oneworld prices. The trips have to include a Sunday and your flight to North America has to be from Tuesday to Thursday, while returning to Europe from Monday to Wednesday.
For SkyTeam we recommend booking on KLM’s website, and on British Airways’ website for Oneworld.
Star Alliance
You can fly until May 31st, as long as you respect a minimum stay requirement of 6 days.
We recommend booking the flights either on Lufthansa‘s or TAP‘s website.
Miles
Star Alliance
The Star Alliance tickets are usually issued in booking class P. To give you an example, a Lufthansa roundtrip from Budapest to Vancouver via Munich should get you:
- 22,136 CV Points on Vistara Club Vistara
- 13,836 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 11,864 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- 11,864 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 11,068 Award Miles + 2,212 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 11,068 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 11,068 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 11,068 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 10,716 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 7,746 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
Oneworld
Most Oneworld tickets are issued in booking class I. To give you an example, a British Airways roundtrip from Budapest to Austin, with layovers in London, should get you:
- 29,146 Award Miles + 17,488 Elite Qualifying Miles on Alaska Mileage Plan
- 17,488 Avios + 360 Tier Points on British Airways Executive Club
- 17,488 Avios + 1,230 Elite Points on Iberia Plus
- 17,488 Miles on American AAdvantage
- 17,488 Points on Finnair Plus
- 17,488 Avios on Aer Lingus AerClub
- 14,572 Avios + 102 Qpoints on Qatar Privilege Club
- 14,572 AsiaMiles + 170 Club Points on Asia Miles
- 14,572 Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 14,572 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 14,572 Miles on Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer
- 14,572 Miles on Royal Jordanian Royal Club
- 14,572 Miles on SriLankan FlySmiLes
- 11,658 Points + 22 Elite Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
SkyTeam
The SkyTeam flights are issued in booking class Z. To give you an example, a KLM roundtrip from Budapest to Minneapolis via Amsterdam would get you:
- 19,520 Award Miles + 240 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 19,520 RDM + 2,928 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 14,640 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 12,886 Miles on Aeromexico Club Premier
- 12,202 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 12,202 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 12,202 Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 12,202 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 12,202 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 12,202 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 12,202 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 12,202 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 12,202 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
- 12,202 Miles on ITA Volare
- 9,760 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
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
Information & Tips for Canada
The North American country of Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of surface area. In Canada, English and French are the official languages. Tourists visit Canada because of its many natural attractions and large cities, and the flight prices vary between the east and west coasts. Flights to the east coast e.g. to Toronto or Montreal regularly cost less than 400€. For flights to the west coast, e.g. to Vancouver or Calgary, prices are closer to 400€ – 600€. Other destinations are mostly only reachable with an additional domestic flight. Just like in the USA, most airlines now only offer cheap fares that do not include checked baggage. For checked baggage you should budget an additional 50€ per direction.
Best Time to Travel
Canada is a huge country with many varying climate conditions, but it is safe to say that the winters (November to March) are very cold and snowy in most regions. Summers are relatively mild and partly rainy.
Immigration & Visa Requirements
Most EU citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 6 months. However, an electronic travel waiver (eTA) must be applied for, similar to the ESTA required for entry into the USA. This costs CA$7 (~€5) and is valid for up to 5 years.
Currency
Canada’s national currency is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). One euro is approximately CA$1.46. Many credit cards may charge a foreign currency fee of up to 2% to pay in CAD.
Transfer from Canada to the USA
Canada is located north of the USA and is the only other country apart from Mexico that shares a border with it (2 borders, actually: Alaska borders Canada in the southeast!) At many airports in Canada US immigration is already done before departure, so you arrive in the USA as a “domestic” passenger in the domestic terminal which can potentially save you lots of time since you do not have to stand in line at customs upon arriving. By land the same entry formalities take place as at the airport or by train at the station in Canada. Most EU citizens don’t need a visa and can instead make use of the digital ESTA procedure.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Maya Mobile. 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 Canada 🇨🇦 Compared
→ All Dealz for Canada
Comment (1)
Hi,
all fares have a reservation minimum time mentioned in the fare rules: RESERVATIONS FOR ALL SECTORS ARE REQUIRED AT LEAST 180 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. Means they are only available from today+6months onwards. If you want to book for Christmas you need to hurry up.