“This May Be One of the Most Affordable Summers to Fly Internationally in Years,” Says Flight Deals Expert

As summer 2025 approaches, transatlantic travel between the United States and Europe is undergoing a notable shift from recent years.

“The last two summers have been very strong for transatlantic travel, particularly among Americans,” Brian Sumers, editor of “The Airline Observer,” a newsletter covering the business of airlines, tells Afar. “People who remembered being denied the right to travel abroad jumped to fill airplanes. Demand was red-hot, not only in the peak of the summer but also in May and October, two months that traditionally have been less popular.”

However, in recent months, there’s been a softening demand for flights between the United States and Europe for reasons ranging from rising inflation and fluctuating exchange rates to concerns over stricter immigration control and uncertainty around visa processes. They have led many travelers to reconsider their long-haul travel plans and instead opt for domestic trips.

As traveler priorities have changed on both sides of the Atlantic, so too have the airline routes. In recent weeks, there have been various reports of European carriers pausing transatlantic growth and paring back planned flights to some major U.S. cities. Lufthansa, for example, has reduced frequencies on routes to New York, Miami, and Chicago, while KLM cut back on flights to San Francisco and Boston. Similarly, British Airways pared back operations to Orlando and Philadelphia and pulled out of Las Vegas entirely, while Iberia cut back on flights to Chicago and shelved a planned Dallas route indefinitely.

Despite reduced flight options on some routes, airfare is lower than expected.

“We’re actually calling it the Golden Summer of Cheap Flights,” Scott Keyes, founder and chief flight expert of Going, a travel app and flight deals newsletter, tells Afar.

It’s a rare example of fewer flights leading to lower prices. For U.S. travelers still keen on a European vacation, this presents a unique opportunity to fly at a cheaper rate (relative to the sky-high prices of the last few years). There will, of course, be some tradeoffs.

More European airlines are cutting flights to the U.S.

According to Keyes, nine European airlines have reduced flight volume to the U.S. this year. For context, in 2024, there were six European carriers with fewer U.S. flights, and in 2023, there were eight. He added that while there are more European airlines cutting U.S. flights this summer, it’s not a significantly higher number than previous years. What is different, however, is the degree of reduction between Europe and the United States this year.

“In previous years, capacity reductions were typically low single digits,” Keyes says, noting that this summer, flight capacity is down 16.5 percent for Norway’s Norse Atlantic, 33 percent for the United Kingdom’s TUI, 24.4 percent for Portugal’s Azores Airlines, 12.8 percent for Germany’s Condor, and 38.2 percent for Iceland’s Play. “Not only are these dramatic cuts,” said Keyes, “but are all on airlines geared toward leisure vacationers as opposed to business travelers.”

While other European airlines cut certain flight paths to the United States, Keyes points out that many increased flight volume (either by adding flights on other transatlantic routes or by using larger planes that can transport more passengers).

“Overall capacity is still 4 percent higher this summer compared to 2024,” Keyes says. “In spite of some high-profile flight reductions, there’s never been a summer with more transatlantic flight options than this year.”

Given that late-schedule reductions are rare, Sumer says he doesn’t think we will see many more summer flight cuts—routes that are currently planned for July and August should fly.

Mike Arnot, a spokesman for Cirium, an aviation analytics company, also notes, “The major U.S. airlines have not adjusted their schedules in any significant way.” This means there are still many options for Americans to travel to Europe.

Lower fares are available right now

Though airlines had hoped for another big summer when they could charge high prices and passengers would fill their planes, Sumer says the airline executives he’s spoken with have reported softer demand than they’d hoped—it’s likely not going to be a record revenue summer.

“For consumers, this is really good news,” Sumers says. “Even with the reductions, there are probably too many transatlantic seats for sale. I expect that passengers will see summer fare sales to Europe at a level they haven’t seen for a while. And that’s in all classes, from economy up to business.”

Travelers may also find better chances to upgrade at decent prices, says Sumers, and they should see more award seats available. That’s great for people who have a lot of miles and credit card points.

Keyes echoes that sentiment: “When demand dips, airlines look to drop prices to fill seats. This may be one of the most affordable summers to fly internationally than we’ve seen in years—travelers still have a shot at booking peak summer deals, even for July and August.”

Some recent flight deals that Going has shared with its users include New York or Boston to Mykonos, Greece, for $486 (the cheapest rate for July and August), Chicago to Naples, Italy, for $560 in July, and Dallas to Dublin, Ireland, for $479 in July, all round trip in economy.

Fewer flights, fewer alternatives when something goes wrong

With a reduced number of available flights, travelers should be prepared for potential headaches in the event of cancellations or delays. There are fewer alternatives if a flight is grounded, and airlines may have limited capacity to rebook passengers on the same day, which could lead to longer wait times, overbooked flights, or even extended layovers.

“The best thing travelers can do proactively is book on a full-service carrier rather than a budget airline,” Keyes says. “That’s because full-service carriers have significantly more flights and partner airlines, and thus significantly more options in case your original flight changes.”

If there’s a disruption to a flight itinerary, Keyes stresses speed. “When a flight gets disrupted, rebookings are handled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Being the first one to book—whether by rebooking yourself through the app or calling an airline’s sparsely used international hotline—is critical to avoid a lengthy delay.” Here are a few tips for handling a flight delay or cancellation.