When we talk about airfare priced under a thousand for flights to Europe, we’re usually talking about seats in coach. Right now, though, the same can be said for more comfortable seats on flights to Italy.
At the moment you can find round-trip flights to the beautiful northern Italy city of Milan for less than $1,000 in premium economy. The cheap prices include travel during most of the fall, winter and early spring. In fact, if you haven’t locked in your Thanksgiving plans yet — and you should as soon as possible — it’s a great week to go overseas and take advantage of this airfare.
The deals include a variety of SkyTeam carriers, including international airlines KLM, Air France and Italy’s flag carrier ITA. However, most of the deals are aboard Delta Air Lines, in the Atlanta-based carrier’s Premium Select seating.
If you do book Delta Premium Select tickets as part of this deal, you’ll get wider seats, more recline, adjustable leg rests, Tumi amenity kits, better food and drink options, and wider entertainment screens while in flight. You’ll also be able to take advantage of Sky Priority benefits at the airport.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Milan, from its incredible restaurants to its historic sites and shopping options. Plus, you’ll be in a great position to branch out and visit other Italian cities, whether close by or farther away, by train.
Premium economy seating is a great way to get there with more ease in the airport and additional comfort in the air, without shelling out far more money for a business class seat.
Deal Basics
Airlines: Delta, KLM, Air France, ITA; slightly higher price points available on American, United, British Airways and other carriers.
Routes: New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Miami to Milan for the lowest deals; slightly higher fares on flights from Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities to Milan.
Travel dates: November 2022 through March 2023, including Thanksgiving but excluding Christmas.
How to book: We recommend finding your itinerary on Google Flights and then booking directly through the airline.
Thanks to Scott’s Cheap Flights for flagging these great premium economy deals across the Atlantic. For premium memberships starting at $49 annually with the site, you’ll get alerts on great economy deals. For $199 per year, you’ll get premium economy and business class deal alerts.
Sample Flights
The best deals we noted were round-trips in premium economy to Milan out of New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Charlotte and Miami.
However, given how high the prices on premium economy seating to Europe can often be, we want to note that there are quite a few cities with round-trip deals in the $1,100 to $1,300 range, which may be worth exploring.
So, even if you don’t see your city listed here, there’s a chance you may be able to get a premium economy round-trip in that price range.
It’s likewise worth noting that while Delta and its SkyTeam partners were generally the carriers with the cheapest options, if you’re loyal to American, United or another airline, you may also be able to get a round-trip premium economy ticket in that $1,100 to $1,300 range. This may be worth it if you’re pursuing status with one of those airlines or if the perks you already enjoy — thanks to your existing status or cobranded credit card benefits — outweigh the price difference.
Most of the lowest-priced routes will send you through New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) before the transatlantic flight to Milan, so if you’re traveling from another city on the East Coast or West Coast, there’s a good chance you’ll have to make a stop at JFK.
Here are a few of the routes and prices we found, again, for premium economy deals on Delta:
- New York to Milan for $985 on Delta.
- Boston to Milan for $972 on Delta.
- Washington to Milan for $1,037 on Delta.
- Miami to Milan for $972 on Delta.
- Charlotte to Milan for $1,067 on Delta and ITA.
Flights on other airlines include:
- Atlanta to Milan for $1,173 on American and British Airways.
- Chicago to Milan for $1,259 on United.
- San Francisco to Milan for $1,183 on Air France.
- Los Angeles to Milan for $1,273 on British Airways.
Let’s start with a Thanksgiving flight option out of New York. Spend the holiday enjoying some incredible Italian cuisine instead of turkey with a Monday evening departure aboard a Delta Airbus A330 from JFK. You’ll arrive mid-morning on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week in Milan. It’s also a nonstop return flight, leaving late morning from Milan and arriving back in New York at 3:15 p.m. the Tuesday after the holiday.
You can even get a good deal, depending on your departure city, by flying closer to the holiday. Here’s a 5 p.m. departure the night before the holiday (get to the airport early) from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) aboard Delta. Again, you’ll make the connection at JFK, but it’s a short one — just more than an hour — before you’re on the same Delta itinerary to Milan pictured above.
Looking to take advantage of this deal with an eye on spring break? These deals extend into the early spring months. Departing from Miami, you’ll have to make the stop in New York on the outbound and return trips, but you’ll get the whole Premium Select round-trip journey for less than $1,000.
Finally, here’s an option that includes a non-Delta flight. Yes, you’ll be aboard Delta for the positioning flight, but then you’re aboard Italian carrier ITA — a SkyTeam partner — for the overseas flights. The transatlantic eastbound flight departs JFK at 8:45 p.m. and you’ll leave Milan early afternoon just over a week later for the trip back to the U.S.
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). The Citi Premier® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve earn 3 points per dollar on airfare, and the American Express® Gold Card also earns 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2 points per dollar on travel. Learn more here about maximizing your air travel purchases.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for a way to visit Italy but want to be comfortable on the long flight, book this deal for the fall, winter or next spring.
