CNBC Points Pro: What credit card bonus is best for saving on flights to Europe?

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Jessica wants to visit her children in Europe in the spring of 2027. They are studying in Barcelona and Paris, and she wants to visit them on the same trip from New York City. Newark is her preferred airport, but she says JFK could also work.

New York City is a great departure point for Europe and offers many direct flights for this itinerary. The good news is that plenty of credit card bonuses can help you save on flights from New York City to Europe.

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There are helpful tools that make searching for award flights extremely easy. I frequently use sites such as AwardTool, Seats.aero and PointsYeah to compare options from multiple airlines at the same time.

But for this specific trip, I don’t think Jessica needs to bother with an in-depth price comparison. Based on what I found, she can find the flights she needs with basic searches through American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, which partners with American Airlines.

Both of these programs currently have plenty of economy award flights in April and May 2027. Many one-way flights cost 30,000 miles or less per person, plus taxes and fees. The taxes on these flights tend to be lower compared to programs such as Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic.

She also won’t have to worry as much about fees. American Airlines has no award flight change or cancellation fees. You can cancel and receive a full refund of your miles and eligible taxes with no fees for up to one year from the date you purchased the flight.

Atmos Rewards, the loyalty program for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, has no award ticket change or cancellation fees. However, there is a $20 partner award booking fee per person each way for flights with one or more partner award segments, and this fee is nonrefundable.

Citi ThankYou® Points transfer to American Airlines, and Bilt Points transfer to Atmos Rewards. In this instance, Jessica opening an American Airlines or Atmos Rewards credit card could also be helpful.

Based on the award prices I found at the time of writing, 50,000 to 60,000 miles should be enough to book two one-way awards to and from New York City to Spain and France. She could use miles to get from Barcelona to Paris, but it’s important to check prices on Google Flights first. I found nonstop cash fares for under $40, not including carry-on or checked bag fees, which could cost as much as the airfare.

Right now, there are travel credit cards with bonuses large enough to cover the entire trip. Keep in mind that award prices are dynamic and availability can change.

The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® has a $95 annual fee, and the best publicly available welcome bonus is worth up to 80,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23). You’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days from opening the account and an additional 20,000 bonus points and the Companion Fare after spending $5,000 or more in total purchases within the same 90-day period.

This is a strong bonus that can easily cover the flights to and from Europe, and it has a manageable spending requirement.

The Citi Strata Premier^® Card has a $95 annual fee and a 60,000-point welcome bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. It also offers a strong return for common spending categories such as restaurants, supermarkets and gas and EV charging.

Citi ThankYou® Points transfer to American Airlines, and with the Strata Premier Card, you can convert points at a 1:1 ratio. Based on the award prices available at the time of writing, this bonus is enough for flights from New York City to or from Barcelona and Paris.

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