Prices for European travel in the summer and fall continue to drop.

There’s a  new sale that includes fares to Paris from a variety of U.S. cities at prices up to half the normal cost of a round-trip ticket. If you live in Atlanta, Charlotte or Texas, start thinking about the meals you want to eat and museums you want to visit while in the City of Love.

This deal is for travel in August, and also from October through March 2025. Depending on the route, Thanksgiving is included in the sale fares, but not Christmas or New Year’s Eve. This sale involves economy-tier tickets, and just about every one of the discounted routes includes a layover. You’ll get a free carry-on with most every airline involved. Paying to check a bag will cost you around $75 each way.

Related: How to get from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Paris city center

Deal basics

Airlines: Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, Lufthansa, and United Airlines

Routes: From Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston and Minneapolis to Paris

How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline

Travel dates: Mainly August 2024 and October-March 2025; availability varies by route

Book by: As soon as possible

This deal was originally sent out by Going. Sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year for access to all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.

Sample flights

You can fly to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (CDG) from the following U.S. cities:

• Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
• Austin, Texas (AUS)
• Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT)
• Dallas, Texas (DFW)
• Houston, Texas (HOU AND IAH)
• Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP)

 There is good availability on flights from Atlanta to France in August. This British Airways itinerary from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris (CDG) is only $546 round-trip. The return flight involves a long layover in London, but that’s not a bad city to get to enjoy a day in, is it?

This is an excellent price during Paris’ peak travel season. Google Flights estimates this ticket is just a fraction of the normal cost.

If you want to visit Paris in November, you can fly out of Atlanta on BA for just $517 round-trip. No long layovers with this itinerary, either.

There is excellent availability out of North Carolina in November and December. We found lots of flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Paris for as low as $515 round-trip on American.

The deal of this deal may be out of Dallas. We found a nonstop itinerary from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) to Paris in December for just $516 round-trip. That’s less than half what this ticket normally costs.

Related: Disneyland Paris to transform second park into new Disney Adventure World

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar spent on travel

Bottom line

If you book a family trip to Paris, consider a detour to Disneyland Paris. It’s only an hour drive from Charles de Gaulle Airport. Disney aficionados will no doubt enjoy the lighter crowds, cheaper food and drink options, and the various rides and attractions that are different from the U.S. parks.

Related reading:

• Here are the best credit card welcome offers
• 7 things to understand about credit before applying for a new card
• How to apply for a credit card
• What is APR on a credit card?
• How to check your credit score for free

We’ve seen several solid flight deals to Europe pop up in the past few weeks, including some to perennial favorite Paris. Now, there’s another fare sale to the French capital, and this one is for premium economy seats.

Air France and American Airlines have discounted premium economy tickets on a number of flights from Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York City and Washington, D.C. Some routes are roughly $1,000 cheaper than normal. Premium economy is a nice way to make long flights more tolerable, given the extra amenities you receive. Making this deal even sweeter is that the sale is for nonstop routes.

The bulk of the availability in this deal is from November 2024 through February 2025, but some routes are also discounted in August and October 2024. Air France and American premium economy tickets come with a free carry-on and free checked luggage.

Deal basics

Airlines: Air France and American Airlines

Routes: From Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York City, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., to Paris

How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline

Travel dates: Mostly November 2024 through February 2025; some routes have availability in August and October 2024

Book by: As soon as possible

This deal was originally sent out by Going. Sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year for access to all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.

Sample flights

You can fly to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) from the following U.S. airports:

• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City
• Miami International Airport (MIA)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Nonstop flights on Air France from ORD to CDG are readily available in November and December for $1,199 round-trip.

Nonstop flights from DFW to CDG are available for less than $1,300 round-trip in January.

If you live in Miami, November is an excellent month to book a trip to the City of Light. Air France has nonstop options from MIA to CDG for $1,170. There is decent availability at this price in December, too.

You can also book American Airlines flights from JFK to CDG for just $1,239 round-trip. This price is fairly easy to find in October and November.

If you’re in the New York City area but prefer flying out of Newark, you can actually save a little money on the airfare. Air France has nonstop options from EWR to CDG in January for less than $1,200.

You can also fly Air France from SFO to CDG for less than $1,400 round-trip. That’s a nice discount for this route, especially on a nonstop. The best availability we saw for these discounted fares out of San Francisco was in January and February.

Related: Paris Pocket Guide: What to see, do and eat in the City of Light

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar spent on travel

Bottom line

There are plenty of premium economy options from major U.S. cities to Paris this fall and winter. We always encourage you to be as flexible as possible with your travel schedule, and the same goes for this deal. Some routes have limited availability, so be patient and keep checking.

Related reading:

• Here are the best credit card welcome offers
• 7 things to understand about credit before applying for a new card
• How to apply for a credit card
• What is APR on a credit card?
• How to check your credit score for free

Summer is nearing, so now is the time to start planning your sunny getaways. With Southwest’s “Wanna Get Away” sale, you can save money on your spring, summer and early fall vacation with flights for as little as $49 one-way.

You must book your flights by Thursday to take advantage of this sale for travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between May 7 and Nov. 20. A 21-day advance purchase is required.

Deal basics

Airline: Southwest.
Routes: Across the Southwest network.
How to book: Directly with the airline; no code is required.
Travel dates: Tuesdays and Wednesdays between May 7 and Nov. 20.
Book by: 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday.
Blackout dates: No specific blackout dates. On select routes, a limited number of seats are available, and a 21-day advance purchase is required.

For this sale, only Wanna Get Away fares are discounted. Wanna Get Away fares are nonrefundable, but you can receive flight credit for future travel if you need to cancel your flight for any reason. All Southwest fare types also include two free checked bags, one free carry-on and personal item, and free inflight entertainment and messaging.

In addition to cash bookings, Rapid Rewards redemptions are discounted, though you will still be responsible for the September 11 Security Fee of $5.60 per one-way flight.

Sample flights

How much you can save depends on your origin and destination cities. Our search found nonstop flights between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) between $50 and $70 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the summer and early fall.

If you want to visit the East Coast, we found flights between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) for $89 each way throughout the summer.

If you want to use Southwest Rapid Rewards points, you can book this same flight for 4,971 points each way. According to TPG’s Awards vs. Cash Calculator, you can save the equivalent of $8 by booking with points versus cash. If you have Rapid Rewards points, this sale could be a good time to use them.

To search for these Wanna Get Away deals, enter your desired travel month and departure and arrival airports into Southwest’s low-fare calendar. This is the quickest way to see Southwest’s lowest daily fares between two airports.

Maximize your purchase

To book this deal, use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases. Southwest frequent flyers should use the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card to earn 3 Rapid Rewards points on Southwest purchases or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card to earn 2 points.

Otherwise, consider using:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. 

Bottom line

You can find some deep discounts on flights this summer and fall with Southwest’s Wanna Get Away sale.

If you’ve already booked travel via Southwest in the coming months, it may be worth re-pricing your reservations since Southwest doesn’t apply change fees. You’ll receive a flight credit for the difference if you change your existing flights for a lower fare as part of this sale.

Also, this sale is appealing for Southwest travelers with a Companion Pass: A friend or family member can join you on your discounted flights for just the cost of taxes and fees.

To take advantage of this sale, book your flights by the end of the day Thursday.

Related reading:

• How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
• How to qualify for Southwest Companion Pass with 1 credit card sign-up bonus
• How to use the Southwest Companion Pass
• Is the Southwest Performance Business Card worth the annual fee?
• It just got easier to use your Chase points to book Southwest Airlines flights

Are you a sucker for a status match? If free coffee, a cocktail reception and free laundry service sound like perks you’d enjoy on your next vacation, listen up. For three days only, Virgin Voyages will extend its existing status match offer to include airline and hotel loyalty status matches.

Members of Virgin Voyages’ Sailing Club loyalty program have been able to match with other cruise lines’ loyalty programs for a while. However, if you have airline or hotel status, now could be the time to book that voyage you’ve been considering.

Here’s all you need to know to take advantage of this offer.

For more cruise news, guides and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter.

What’s the deal?

Book one of several select cruises with Virgin Voyages from Wednesday to Friday, submit proof of your loyalty status on Virgin Voyages’ website by Friday, and you’ll be automatically moved to Blue Extras, the second tier of Virgin Voyages’ three-tier Sailing Club program. You’ll be awarded the corresponding perks, starting on your first cruise following the match. (Rates start at $149 per person, per night for four-night sailings.)

Perks include one free bag of laundry to be sent out and returned to your cabin, one free specialty coffee per day and a cocktail reception.

Which brands will Virgin Voyages match?

This promotion will take loyalty status match requests into account for the following major airline and hotel brands:

• United Airlines MileagePlus
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• Frontier Airlines Miles
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Hilton Honors
• World of Hyatt
• Choice Privileges
• IHG One Rewards
• Wyndham Rewards
• Radisson Rewards
• Best Western Rewards

Virgin Voyages will also match your status if you are a loyal repeat traveler with another cruise line, but that offer is ongoing. The cruise line will continue to consider cruise line status matches after this deal ends.

What’s the catch?

The obvious caveat is that you must book a cruise for your hotel or airline match to be considered.

You also can’t be at the lowest tier within your airline’s or hotel’s loyalty program. Entry-level tiers don’t qualify for the match. It’s not enough to just be enrolled in a loyalty program. You must have earned some status within it first.

Additionally, this isn’t a traditional type of match. Regardless of the level you’ve reached with your airline or hotel, you will only be awarded middle-tier status — Blue Extras — with Virgin Voyages. This promotion won’t earn you the perks of Deep Blue Extras — the highest tier — no matter how elite you are elsewhere.

Which other cruise lines offer status matches?

Status matches are not common in the world of cruising. The only line that offers matches to cruise lines, hotels and airlines is MSC Cruises. MSC’s matching program awards passengers status based on the loyalty level they submit for consideration. The drawbacks are that major U.S. airlines aren’t yet part of the program, and if you don’t cruise within three years of obtaining your status match, you’ll lose it.

The only other megaship cruise lines that allow status matches are Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises — but only with one another since they’re sister brands. If you have status with one, you can submit a request to have it matched with the other.

Bottom line

Virgin Voyages prides itself on being a bit of an outlier in the cruise industry. The line has refreshingly managed to turn cruising on its head by eliminating buffets, hiring a resident drag queen and installing tattoo parlors on its ships.

Its current Sailing Club loyalty program hotel and airline status match is a great way to earn status and perks with a cruise line that offers a different way to cruise.

Want to learn more about Virgin Voyages? We’ve got you covered:

• Here’s what it’s like to sail Virgin Voyages
• A guide to Virgin Voyages cabins and suites
• We tried every single one of Virgin Voyages’ bars
• Virgin Voyages drink packages
• All you need to know about Virgin Voyages entertainment
• I just got a tattoo on a cruise ship!
• Where you can sail on Virgin Voyages ships
• Do Virgin Voyages ships have buffets?
• Order Champagne on these ships by shaking your phone
• What are Virgin Voyages’ fitness classes like?
• Here’s how Virgin Voyages will make you feel like a kid again
• Scarlet Lady ship review
• A first look at Valiant Lady
• Resilient Lady ship review