SkyTeam partners Air France, Delta Air Lines, and KLM are offering cheap business class tickets from Sofia to several destinations in North America right now. Prices are starting at €1,080 to Montreal. The west-coast destinations, however, are especially attractive!
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.
You can find cheap flights to the following destinations:
- Montreal for €1,080
- San Francisco for €1,092
- Detroit for €1,092
- Miami for €1,096
- Boston for €1,097
- Houston for €1,097
- Los Angeles for €1.097
- Chicago for €1,098
- Atlanta for €1,098
- Kansas City for €1,101
- Rapid City, South Dakota for €1,101
- Shreveport, Louisiana for €1,101
- Philadelphia for €1,102
- Pittsburgh for €1,102
- Las Vegas for €1,146
- Tampa for €1,151
- Phoenix for €1,151
- Charleston, South Carolina for €1,152
- Seattle for €1,198
- Salt Lake City for €1,200
- Spokane for €1,200
- Portland, Oregon for €1,200
- San Diego for €1,200
- Halifax for €1,209
- Vancouver for €1,292
- Calgary for €1,298
- Edmonton for €1,308
- and more…
Most destinations are available with a single stop in Amsterdam or Paris. Flights from Sofia to those cities are operated by Bulgaria Air. The airline uses Airbus A320 family aircraft with recliner seats in a 2-2 configuration up front. Flights across the pond feature lie flat business class seats.
By the way, this isn’t our only deal from Bulgaria:
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According to the fare rules, this deal is available until September 30, 2020. The minimum stay requirement is a night from Saturday to Sunday. The inbound flight has to commence no later than 3 months after the outbound flight. No stopovers permitted. Availability is great from March until July 2021 (it varies somewhat from destination to destination).
You can find your preferred travel dates with Google Flights (instructions). You should then book directly with Air France or KLM. Here’s why:
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
All flights are in booking class Z. This results in a pretty rewarding trip on most SkyTeam frequent flyer programs. A roundtrip to San Francisco via Amsterdam, for instance, will get you:
- 21,836 Award Miles + 200 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 21,836 RDM + 3,276 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 16,378 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 13,648 Miles on Aeromexico Club Premier
- 13,648 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 13,648 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 13,648 Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 13,648 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 13,648 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 13,648 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 13,648 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 13,648 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 13,648 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
- 10,918 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Hotels
Especially in North America, hotels can be a very pricey affair. That’s why we would recommend comparing prices, location, and reviews with our preferred platform:
Before you book, make sure to check out our hotel vouchers and coupons as well:
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$1.47. 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
Cover Picture: © Delta Air Lines