6 Airlines Where You’ll Get Round-Trip Flights to Europe or Asia for Under $450

ZIPAIR is the low-cost airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines that was launched in 2020. Already a much more affordable option than other airlines, ZIPAIR regularly offers promotions with round trip flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo for less than $400.

ZIPAIR technically allows a personal item and carry-on bag but only up to a combined weight of 15 pounds. There is no entertainment system at all on ZIPAIR’s planes, although the airline offers free wi-fi (it’s definitely spotty, but you can check email and social media from time to time).

Each passenger gets a small bottle of water when they board. Additional food and drinks cost extra, but the cost is reasonable. You should pre-order hot meals ahead of time if you want one (around $10 per person), as ZIPAIR doesn’t tend to stock extra food.

The Norwegian-based Norse Atlantic Airways is a good option for transatlantic flights between the U.S. and various destinations in Europe. For example, you can find round trip, nonstop flights from Los Angeles to London Gatwick airport for around $450 on select dates.

Unless you pay to select your seats, you’ll likely end up in the middle seat. One trick to try with Norse is to bid on a “neighbor-free seat” which would guarantee an empty seat next to you. Depending on the seat configuration, you’ll automatically get a window or aisle seat if you win this bid. This writer has won a neighbor-free seat bid on a flight from Paris to Los Angeles for $55.

For the cheapest Economy Light fares, food must be pre-purchased 24 hours before departure, but at least Norse Atlantic’s aircrafts offer seatback entertainment screens.

This airline promotes flights from New York to Paris (Orly) starting at $104 each way and from Los Angeles to Paris starting at $145 each way, so you can save the rest of your money for croissants.

French Bee’s seats are on the narrower side compared to your full-service airlines. The good news is French Bee operates a fleet of newer Airbus A350 aircrafts that have seatback entertainment screens. 

The fare categories have changed since the airline first launched. Now, the cheapest fare (called Bee Light) gets you a carry on and a personal item but only up to 26 pounds total weight, and meals cost extra. The hot food isn’t cheap ($35 when purchased at booking), but reviews of the food are generally pretty good.

In addition to France, French Bee also flies to Tahiti, and you can get roundtrip flights from San Francisco to Papeete for less than $600.  

Spain-based LEVEL operates a fleet of Airbus A330-200 and promotes one-way flights from the East Coast to Barcelona starting from just $169 each way. The airline was initially operated by Iberia but very recently became its own independent carrier. As far as U.S. travelers are concerned, LEVEL currently operates flights to Europe from Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

The Economy Light fares on LEVEL include carry-on luggage up to 22 pounds and the long-haul flights are usually equipped with screens for onboard entertainment. You can also connect to Wi-Fi for free for messaging only. Everything else, from food and drinks to Wi-Fi for browsing, costs extra.  

While TAP Portugal isn’t considered a budget airline, this Star Alliance member tends to offer affordable fares from the U.S. to various European destinations. The carrier recently offered round trip flights from Chicago to Madrid or Rome for $400 or less, although you’d likely have to transit through Lisbon. On the other hand, the airline offers free stopovers in Lisbon or Porto so you might as well take advantage of that transit and explore Portugal before heading to your next destination.

Unlike the ultra-low-cost carriers on this list, TAP Portugal’s Discount fare includes a carry-on bag up to 22 pounds and meal service is included. The long-haul flights are also equipped with personal screens for entertainment.

The Ireland-based airline is promoting roundtrip flights from Boston to Dublin starting from just $308 and connecting flights to the rest of Europe are often much cheaper compared to other airlines as well.

Aer Lingus isn’t technically a budget airline and is part of OneWorld Alliance, so the cheapest fare includes a carry-on up to 22 pounds and complimentary meal service. Seatback entertainment is offered on most transatlantic flights, although it may not be available on some aircrafts on flights within Europe.

The airline also allows you to bid for business class seats with a minimum bid of around $700, so that’s worth a try for those up for a splurge.