There’s never been a better time to fly to Europe — or anywhere, for that matter — on the cheap.
These days, New Yorkers can take advantage of service on at least seven ultra low-cost, no-frills airlines. Most sell seats one way at a low price, so feel free to mix and match different carriers to suit your budget and schedule.
Just be aware that you’ll often pay not just for checked bags, but also for carry-ons — unless they’re small enough to fit under the seat in front of you or weigh a certain (small) amount.
Those fees can add up. So traditional airlines, which carry bags for free, have taken notice and often sell their seats on competing routes at a price that comes close to these discounters when bag fees are calculated. For example, most people can expect to pay about $200 on top of Iceland-based WOW Air’s low fares for a carry-on or checked bag that would fly free on, say, British Airways.
Keep in mind that these airlines often fly a route just once a day or a few times per week. If a flight is canceled, you’re stuck. A larger airline can put you on a later flight or on one within a partner alliance, such as One World or SkyTeam.
Here, we round up the low-cost carriers that fly from the New York area, along with any associated fees and insider tips for each. Also shown are representative round-trip airfares, culled from a recent search, but note that they’re subject to change.
Let’s go.
Norwegian Air
Flies from: JFK and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY
Flies to: Nonstop to London, Barcelona and Paris with connections to many other European cities
Carry-on bag fee: $0, as long as it’s smaller than 21-by-16-by-9 inches and less than 22 pounds
Checked bag fee: $135
Sample fare: Stewart to Belfast nonstop for $227 round-trip
Tips: This summer, Norwegian started flying out of Stewart airport in New York state’s Orange County, which is about 60 miles north of Manhattan. The routes have reportedly been operating 90 percent full. Also, with Norwegian, you can play exchange rates by buying the return segment in euros rather than dollars. Norwegian mostly flies new 787 Dreamliners, known for providing a more comfortable cabin atmosphere.
Primera Air
Flies from: Newark
Flies to: Nonstop to London, Paris and Birmingham, UK
Carry-on bag fee: One standard 21-inch bag is free, but the maximum weight limit is 22 pounds
Checked bag fee: $45
Sample fare: Newark to Birmingham nonstop in August 2018 for $370 round-trip
Tip: Service doesn’t begin until spring 2018, but this newcomer to the low-cost pool serves 97 destinations in total with a fleet of just 17 planes. New Airbus A321neo models will fly the trans-Atlantic routes.
Condor
Flies from: JFK
F lies to: European cities including Oslo, Munich and Milan (many via Manchester, UK)
Carry-on bag fee: None if the bag is smaller than 21-by-15-by-7½ inches and weighs less than 13 pounds
Checked bag fee: Free up to 50 pounds
Sample fare: JFK to Manchester nonstop for $490 round-trip in September
Tip: Condor is part of the Thomas Cook Group. A meal is included with your fare, but the low carry-on weight limit means you might end up having to check your bag.
Flies from: Newark
Flies to: Many European cities — and Israel — with a change of planes in Iceland
Carry-on bag fee: A bag no larger than 7-by-13-by-10 inches and 22 pounds flies free; otherwise, you’ll pay $100.
Checked bag fee: $100
Sample fare: Newark to Tel Aviv via Reykjavik in October for $379 round-trip
Tips: There are frequent promo code discounts, so sign up for WOW’s email list. The carrier, known for its magenta color scheme, also offers stopovers in Iceland at no additional charge.
Allegiant Air
Flies from: Newark and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY
Flies to: Asheville, NC, Cincinnati, Knoxville, Tenn., Savannah, Ga., and various cities in Florida
Carry-on bag fee: $15 to $25, varies by destination
Checked bag fee: $18 to $30, varies by destination
Sample fare: Newark to Savannah nonstop in September for $87 round-trip
Tips: If you can swing it, buy at the airport instead of online to save $26 on all round-trip fares. Some routes only operate a couple of times a week, so cancellations will leave you stranded until the next flight out.
Frontier
Flies from: LaGuardia and Islip
Flies to: US cities and Los Cabos, Mexico
Carry-on bag fee: $30
Checked bag fee: $25
Sample fare: NYC to Las Vegas in September for $101 round-trip (using a promo code)
Tip: Add “The Works” perks bundle to make your fare fully refundable. It comes with a free carry-on and free checked bags, plus extra legroom for a lot less than a refundable fare would cost on other airlines.
Spirit
Flies from: LaGuardia and Newark
Flies to: US cities, the Caribbean, and Central and South America
Carry-on bag fee: $37 to $65, varies by route and travel date
Checked bag fee: $30 to $60, varies by route and travel date
Sample fare: LaGuardia to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., nonstop for $80 round-trip throughout the fall
Tips: Sign up for their emails to get frequent promo codes. If you like to spread out, Spirit’s “Big Front Seat” (with two seats on either side of the aisle instead of three) is equivalent in roominess to some airlines’ business classes.