The Best Flight Deals We’ve Found in 2024

Flight prices might seem high, but cheap flights are out there if you know where to look – and our team at Thrifty Traveler does. 

Day after day after day, we’re sending spectacular flight deals straight to our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers’ inboxes, helping them travel all over the world in 2024 (and even 2025) for less. That includes cheap domestic flights, trips to Europe for under $500 (and sometimes even under $400), and tons of lie-flat business class fares you can book with your credit card points and airline miles.

Want a glimpse of just how good flight deals can get? These are the best flight deal alerts we’ve found and sent so far this year.  

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Europe in the $300s, Hawaii under $493, and more!

At Thrifty Traveler Premium, cheap flights are our bread and butter. And this year, we’ve dug up some stunningly low fares to some of the best destinations on Earth.

Here’s the perfect example for travelers looking to visit Iceland this year or next … for under $400 roundtrip! 

These flights are long gone now – get the next alert with Thrifty Traveler Premium! Use promo code THANKS to get 50% off your first year of deals!

These nonstop fares to Iceland in the $300s are cheaper than some domestic flights – you might see higher fares to Los Angeles (LAX) than you will to Reykjavik (KEF) from some of these cities. 

Europe fares in the $300s are some of our favorite things, so you can imagine how excited our members were to see these fares from New York City (JFK) and Newark (EWR).

If you love roundtrip flights to Europe in the $300s, you’re probably also fond of roundtrip fares to Europe in the $200s. We recently found these fares to Barcelona (BCN) just a few days ago and we still can’t stop thinking about them! 

You know how I said you’d love Europe flights in the $200s better than $300? Well, somehow, it got even better in 2024.

Mistake fare! We love it when airlines screw up, leading to shockingly low flights. In this case, Air France forgot to tack on a fuel surcharge to these fares from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) to Dublin (DUB). The end result was some peak summer flights to Dublin (DUB) at mesmerizing prices.

But if you’re looking for those elusive double-digit roundtrip flights, they’re usually easiest to find with our friends at Southwest Airlines. 

Just last week, we found sub-$100 roundtrip flights to Arizona, Colorado, Las Vegas, and all of these flights to and from Florida! 

And then a few months later, JetBlue said “Hold my fare” with this insane sale with flights as low as the $50s roundtrip, too. 

Finally, there’s no more popular destination than Hawaii. Yes, we’ve found cheap flight deals out to the islands, too.

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Our latest Hawaii deal offered half-off fares to the islands from more than 150 U.S. and Canadian cities! It’s not unusual to see $1,000-plus fares to Hawaii, so our subscribers in Pocatello, Idaho (PIH), El Paso, Texas (ELP), and Regina, Saskatchewan (YQR) must have been thrilled to see fares in the $400s instead. 

Tokyo from 34K SkyMiles, Europe from 24K Points

At Thrifty Traveler, we love giving our readers the inside scoop on the best ways to earn points and miles to fuel their travels. Because what’s better than a cheap flight? A (nearly) free one. 

Here’s a cocktail that our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers love: Japan, Delta and … 70% off SkyMiles fares. 

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Flights to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) will typically run you close to 100,000 SkyMiles roundtrip or more. But not for our members: We found rates nationwide for half that – and sometimes even less!

From Allentown (ABE) in Pennsylvania to San Francisco (SFO) and countless cities in between, this was one of the cheapest Delta deals to Tokyo we’ve seen in years. Scope out the full list of just how widespread this Delta SkyMiles deal was.

We find flight deals from more than 200 U.S. and Canadian airports – more than any other service!

Just 50,000 SkyMiles or so could have gotten you to Tokyo this fall, during peak ski season in Japan, and into the early cherry blossom season next spring. Plus, with a Delta SkyMiles credit card, you get 15% off those listed rates. 

Travelers based in cities like Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Philadelphia (PHL), and Seattle (SEA) lucked out with the lowest rates.

Many of our subscribers have told us that they have Delta SkyMiles, and they’re looking to use them. Fear not, Delta flyers. We’ve got you there, too. How does Tahiti (PPT) sound? 

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Just 70,000 Delta SkyMiles (or less if you have a Delta SkyMiles credit card) can get you a roundtrip fare to Tahiti from all of these airports. Some of these flights were as low as 50,000 miles from the West Coast!

And for even fewer SkyMiles, you can tick Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada off your bucket list, too! This deal included peak summer availability from all cities as well. 

It’s been an embarrassment of riches for Delta SkyMiles deals this year. Here are some of the best ones we’ve sent in 2024: 

• Maui (OGG) under 39,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Denver (DEN) from 7,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Santiago, Chile (SCL) under 69,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Anchorage, Alaska (ANC) under 39,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Europe from 27,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Taipei (TPE) under 54,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Cabo (SJD) & Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Mexico under 22,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Miami (MIA) under 19,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Sydney, Australia (SYD) under 66,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• Brisbane, Australia (BNE) under 80,000 SkyMiles roundtrip
• and more!

But if you don’t have SkyMiles, don’t worry. Travelers who earn American Airlines miles had their chance at two incredible flight deals earlier this year, too. 

Europe for just 38,000 miles roundtrip? It doesn’t get much better than that. The best part: These fares all book into Main Cabin, meaning you get a free checked bag and the ability to select your seat. Plus, you can change or cancel these fares anytime and get your miles redeposited into your account and your taxes and fees refunded, all for free! 

It’s one of the reasons why we love American miles so much. Another reason? These flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America for just 10,000 AAdvantage miles roundtrip! 

Whether you’re booking an all-inclusive in Cancún (CUN), a bougie getaway to Aruba (AUA), or you’re looking to cross anywhere else in American’s network off your bucket list, these 10,000-mile roundtrips are as cheap as you’ll find using points and miles. 

But American miles holders don’t get to have all the fun. These flights to Europe and some cities in North Africa were bookable for just 30,000 Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles roundtrip, too!

Don’t think you have Flying Blue miles? Think again. If you’ve been earning points on cards from American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, or even Wells Fargo, you can transfer them to Flying Blue to book these flights. Plus if there’s a transfer bonus, you can book these flights for as few as 24,000 points roundtrip.

Lie-Flat to Europe, Hawaii & the World’s Best Biz Class

Booking a roundtrip flight in economy for as few as 10,000 points is great, but the best value in using points and miles is flying up front. And you might be surprised how few points you need to make it happen. 

When it comes to lie-flat business class, our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers are always clamoring for Delta One business class. So when we found a ton of Delta One seats bookable through Virgin Atlantic earlier this year, we sent our subscribers a Unicorn Alert – a text message alert for the rarest, most time-sensitive flight deals – so they could be the first to book. 

The Minneapolis (MSP) to Dublin (DUB) route and the New York (JFK) to Munich (MUC) routes were outstanding because they featured Delta’s new closed-door suites. But Delta’s old business class offers plenty of comfort, especially for just 50,000 points each way. That’s what we found on these routes. 

This deal was so good, in fact, that it’s been killed off: Virgin Atlantic scrapped these dirt-cheap Delta One deals earlier this year … but not before our Thrifty Traveler Premium members locked in a lie-flat Delta flight to Europe for 50,000 points.

But sometimes, all you need are Delta SkyMiles to snag these wonderful suites. It’s rare, but it’s possible. So when we found such ultra-rare availability flying Delta’s new route to Taipei (TPE), we sent out another Unicorn Alert text message to our members. 

This deal got all of our members buzzing, and for good reason! Among a recent slew of deeply discounted Delta One deals, this remains one of the best.

These deals were a huge boon for our members, especially considering how hard it is to secure a Delta One seat for cheap. 

But Delta One isn’t the world’s best business class. That honor goes to Qatar Airways Qsuites, so go figure it’s become nearly impossible to book using points and miles.

That’s why we search for availability day, day out, sending alerts to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members any time we find some. And as tough as it is, we’ve sent nearly a dozen such alerts so far this year. But one stands out.

Something different happened: While searching for that vaunted Qsuites award space you could book with points, we found that you could fly business class to Doha (DOH) … then connect onward to destinations like the Maldives (MLE), Thailand, or even Australia in Qatar Airways first class … for the same rate as flying business class the whole way!

This deal is long gone – join Thrifty Traveler Premium to get the next amazing award alert! Use promo code THANKS and get 50% off your first year, bringing the price to just $49.99!

Think of it as a free upgrade to first class after a Qsuites journey across the Atlantic to destinations like Bangkok (BKK), Hong Kong (HKG), the Maldives (MLE), and Perth (PER). Best of all, that gets you access to the Qatar Al Safwa Lounge – widely considered the finest airport lounge on earth. 

This deal was so good we dubbed it a “Unicorn deal” and sent a text message alert to our subscribers so they could run – not walk – to book this bucket list air travel experience. 

The Unicorns have been well represented in 2024, the latest of which was some brand-new – and shockingly cheap – pricing flying Virgin Atlantic’s fancy new A330-900 business class. 

How cheap? How about just 21,000 points and $250 for a lie-flat seat across the pond?!

When Virgin Atlantic announced it would shift its Virgin redemptions to dynamic pricing, we all groaned. We expected rates to start skyrocketing. That’s not what happened at all! Instead, rates went down to as low as 29,000 points each way! Throw in an excellent 40% transfer bonus from Chase, and it got even cheaper!

In fact, almost all of the members of our team booked this deal right when we sent it to our subscribers. 

If a trip to Japan is on your list, Japan Airlines business class has long been one of the best ways to fly to Tokyo. But it got even better when Japan Airlines (JAL) unveiled its brand-new first and business class suites. Award availability has been tough to come by… 

… until this month, when we sent this alert to Thrifty Traveler Premium members.

That’s right: We unearthed some rare availability to book Japan Airlines business class early next year for just 60,000 American AAdvantage miles each way. And while four U.S. cities got in on the action, the ability to book the brand new suites from New York (JFK) for the long ride to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) set off alarm bells at Thrifty Traveler HQ.

Air France had really stepped up its business class game, too, just in time for France to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. Because everyone seemingly wanted to go to Paris this summer, we thought finding award space would be impossible. We were wrong…

We couldn’t believe our eyes on this deal: Peak summer (including the Olympics) lie-flat seats flying nonstop to Paris (CDG) for just 50,000 miles each way. Especially considering economy rates were $1,200 roundtrip or more, this was an amazing deal.

Nearly every single Air France and KLM gateway was included in this sizzling deal, which we had no choice but to declare a Unicorn Alert, too. 

You never see an airline just open up all of its business class seats like this during the middle of summer. We couldn’t believe our eyes.

Speaking of high-demand destinations, finding a lie-flat seat out to the Hawaiian Islands isn’t a walk in the park, either. These brand-new suites from Hawaiian Airlines just rolled out this year, but we’ve already found some stellar deals to fly them. 

Just 40,000 points (transferred to Hawaiian or Virgin) could put you in one of these seats for your flight to or from Hawaii. It’s a pretty remarkable deal. But if you add a transfer bonus like recent 30% bonus from Capital One to Virgin Atlantic, then you’re looking at just 31,000 points each way. 

Finally, let’s look at the only thing better than business class: First Class flights … and Emirates First Class, at that!

Emirates First Class is about the fanciest way to fly in the world, and everybody knows it. That’s why it typically costs $10,000 a ticket and is usually so hard to book using credit card points.

Until earlier this year. Check this out. 

During our daily searches, we found the unthinkable: Availability next year for two passengers to use points and miles to book these snazzy suites flying Emirates’ route between New York City (JFK) and Milan (MXP) on the airline’s signature double-decker A380. 

By transferring 102,000 credit card points to Emirates – or sending even fewer Capital One miles to Qantas, thanks to a transfer bonus available at the time – you could take one of the coolest flights in the world of travel. Bottomless caviar and an onboard shower, anyone?

It was a stunning deal that allowed travelers to use 102,000 Emirates miles each way, or just 108,000 Qantas miles. 

No Points, No Problem: Cheap Biz Class Fares to Europe

Flying business isn’t just achievable for travelers with points and miles. Over the last few months, we’ve found cheap business class flights flying to some of the most tried-and-true destinations paying cash, too. 

Buying a business class flight will almost always be more expensive than buying an economy ticket, but you might be surprised at just how close to the economy price some seats can get. 

Take this JetBlue Mint Business class deal, for example. 

These prices are gone now – sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium to get the next deal delivered to you! Use promo code THANKS for 50% off your first year!

Flying nonstop from Boston (BOS) and New York City (JFK) to Dublin (DUB), you can get a roundtrip, lie-flat fare for just $1993!

For our neighbors to the north, it was even better. Check out these cheap business class fares flying mainly Air France and KLM. 

Some of these fares are unbeatably cheap – plus, it’s rare to see so many connections throughout Europe for such cheap prices, too. 

Your next lie-flat seat doesn’t have to cost $5,000 roundtrip! With Thrifty Traveler Premium, you’ll get an alert when prices dip.

Nerd Alerts: Our Weirdest, Coolest Flight Deals

We strive to find and send easy-to-book, useful, and valuable flight deal alerts to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members every day, but for our fellow aviation geeks, we have something we call Nerd Alerts. 

Nerd alerts are tailor-made for those who travel … differently. These deals range from incredible last-minute award space to unique aircraft to some of the best seats in the world on routes wholly outside the U.S. and Canada. For some seats, like this one offered up by Etihad, this exception can help you book something once-in-a-lifetime. 

There’s first class, and then there’s the Etihad First Class Apartment. Just look at this thing. Yes, that’s on an airplane!
 

 

These ludicrously spacious first class seats are widely viewed as among the best in the world, firmly earning their place on the bucket lists of many aviation geeks. There’s just one problem: Etihad only flies the Airbus A380 – the so-called Whale Jet – equipped with these Apartments on a handful of routes, including just one U.S. destination: New York City (JFK). And finding award availability to book these seats with points and miles is incredibly difficult. 

Your best bet at finding affordable award rates for The Apartment is on the on the route between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and London (LHR). When we sent this Nerd Alert to our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers, 62,500 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles was all you needed to make this apartment your home for a six-hour flight.
 

Just a few days ago, we found the same seat flying to and from Mumbai (BOM) in India for just $921 each way, too. That’s the cheapest fare for Etihad  Apartment we’ve ever seen, so we sent it as a Nerd Alert, too. 

Want to fly First Class to Australia instead? This nerd alert was an all-timer. 

What makes this a nerd alert? This deal featured incredibly low rates to fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney for just 70,000 points one-way – just with no availability for return flights. 

Another bucket-list worthy first class flight? ANA’s The Suite First Class. We sent this as a Nerd Alert because it included availability for only one seat. But if you’re traveling across the Pacific alone or you want to upgrade a friend or family member, this was the cheapest way to book these seats. 

Get alerts more Nerd Alerts with Thrifty Traveler Premium!

Bottom Line

It’s been a year to remember at Thrifty Traveler Premium, and we’re not done yet!

We’ve sent hundreds of cheap flight alerts, points and miles availability alerts, Unicorn Alerts, and Nerd Alerts to our members in 2024 and there’s so much more to come.

Sign up now during our Black Friday sale and get a full year’s worth of flight deals like this for less – use promo code THANKS for 50% off your first year!