SkyTeam carriers Delta, Air France, KLM, and their partner Virgin Atlantic have teemed up to offer very cheap business class flights from London to various US destinations. Fantastically, the cheap prices are also available for flights to the West Coast.
Air France and KLM will let you cancel all trips until December 31 for free. You would first get a voucher, which you can then get a full refund on. If you’re traveling in 2022, you can only rebook the flights, paying a (possibly high) fare difference. You can read the exact rules here.
You can fly anytime between November and April, as long as you fly to the USA from Tuesday through Thursday, and back to London between Monday through Wednesday.
All reasonable destinations from London:
- Las Vegas: €1,356 (~£1,168)
- Portland, OR: €1,356 (~£1,168)
- Los Angeles: €1,360 (~£1,172)
- San Francisco: €1,360 (~£1,172)
- Boston: €1,360 (~£1,172)
- Washington DC: €1,360 (~£1,172)
- San Diego: €1,361 (~£1,172)
- Austin: €1,361 (~£1,172)
- Denver: €1,361 (~£1,172)
- Dallas: €1,361 (~£1,172)
- Phoenix: €1,361 (~£1,172)
- Miami: €1,362 (~£1,173)
- Chicago: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- Pittsburgh: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- Nashville: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- Memphis: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- Tampa: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- Philadelphia: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- New Orleans: €1,365 (~£1,176)
- Seattle: €1,370 (~£1,180)
- Key West: €1,390 (~£1,197)
- New York: €1,476 (~£1,272)
Usually, the flights will have a layover, usually either in Amsterdam or Paris. If you have a Virgin Atlantic flight in your itinerary, the layover will be in the USA (e.g. in Boston or Seattle). During the flights, no matter which airline you select, you’ll receive free food and drinks.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Search & Book
The minimum stay requirement is 7 days. The outbound flight has to take place from Tuesday through Thursday, and the inbound flight needs to take place between Monday through Wednesday. You are allowed to take the inbound flight up to 12 months after the outbound flight. The deal expires on June 13, 2021.
You can find suitable dates via Google Flights (instructions). You should book directly on KLM’s website once you’ve found your ideal dates.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
Tickets are issued in booking class Z. The flights should at least give you a 110% credit, potentially more depending on your frequent flyer program of choice. Here’s an example mileage credit for a roundtrip to San Francisco:
- 23,998 Award Miles + 320 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 23,230 RDM + 3,485 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 17,423 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 15,499 Miles on Aeromexico Club Premier
- 14,999 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 14,874 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 14,874 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 14,749 Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 14,519 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 14,519 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 14,519 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 14,519 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 14,519 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
- 11,615 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 7,231 Award Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 4,164 Award Miles + 87 XP on Flying Blue
AerolíneasPlus and Flying Blue are probably among the best options to credit these flights. Another great option is Alitalia Millemiglia, as they would directly give you the SkyTeam Elite status for these bookings.
Hotels
Hotels in the US are definitely quite pricey. Because of that it definitely makes sense to compare prices but also location and reviews, just to get the best quality possible for your budget. A good tool to do that is booking.com:
If you are lucky, you can also use on of our hotel vouchers and coupons:
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: © KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Comment (1)
no longer bookable to key west. the fact that all destinations were the same price hints at the fact that they removed the sale quickly