Why It's Nearly Impossible to Find a Flight Deal Between New York and Paris (2024)

So then how is it that Norwegian is able to offer nonstop NYC-Paris trips starting at $140 each way? “One of the main reasons why Norwegian chose to launch service from New York to Paris back in July of 2016 was that we believed it was an overpriced market where we could compete with our low-fare, high-quality approach,” says Anders Lindström, the director of communications for Norwegian in North America.

“Norwegian has one of the world’s youngest, and thereby also most fuel-efficient aircraft fleets, which is a major fact in keeping costs down,” he explains. But of course, on a budget airline, the cost of meals and luggage check-in aren’t built into your ticket, which means you may have to cough up for them later.

The sustainability of the low-cost airline business model remains to be seen: Wow Air and other budget lines have gone belly up in the last few years.

Business travelers are always willing to pay

How is it possible that more New Yorkers are flying to Paris than all of China in a given month? While Paris is a wonderful tourism destination, it’s also one of Europe’s great centers for business, and many on that flight path are actually traveling for work. “When you have flights with a lot of frequency, they’re not geared toward leisure travelers—those spots are being paid for mostly by business travelers,” says Ma. “In terms of business demand between New York and Europe, the top routes are NYC-London, one of the few billion dollar routes in the world, and then NYC-Paris.”

Amelie Derrieux-Sable, the marketing director of wine company Maisons & Domaines Henriot, travels between New York and Paris throughout the year and actually thinks business prices are getting worse. “It seems to keep on going up as of recently,” she says of the route. “For some reason, round-trips Paris-New York are less expensive than New York-Paris.”

She has a few tricks to game the system, though. “The earlier you book your flights, the better—booking opens 10 or 11 month in advance,” Derrieux-Sable says. “Flights seem to be less expensive when booked on Wednesdays. Better to fly Tuesday to Thursday and spend seven nights on site to get best pricing.”

Increasingly, though, she’s choosing another new-ish rival for her business flights. “[The high price] is how I ended up flying La Compagnie,” Derrieux-Sable says of the boutique airline that flies only business-class flights between New York/Newark and Paris. (It merged with XL Airways in 2016.)

Mario Carta, a chef who has been flying back and forth from NYC to Paris to open a new restaurant called Coco J’Adore in New York this summer, agrees. “I tend to stick with [La Compagnie] as the service is consistent, and I prefer to fly business class so I hit the ground running when I get there.”

How to spot a good deal

If La Compagnie is out of your price range, there are other ways customers can save when purchasing this common (and commonly expensive) path. The first is to keep an obsessive eye on prices, because these days they can change every hour, says Ma. He advises setting alerts for desired travel days on sites like Google Flights or Kayak. When “all of a sudden it drops to $400? Guess what, you should buy,” he says.

Hesitating after seeing a great price is a typical mistake Ma sees among his users, as any flight in the U.S. can legally be canceled within 24 hours anyway. Other rules of thumb: trips under a week are more expensive, and summer is the costliest time to fly to Europe, and winter the cheapest, according to Seaney, which was likely the reason I couldn’t find a good direct Paris flight for June. Also, a connection will save you as well: “In addition to Icelandair and TAP, airlines between North America and Europe that offer free stopovers—a stopover is more than 24 hours, while a layover is less than 24 hours—include Air Canada and Finnair,” Ma says.

In general, any flight between the U.S. and Europe for under $400 is a solid deal, our experts say. Even if your company isn’t the one picking up the check.

Why It's Nearly Impossible to Find a Flight Deal Between New York and Paris (2024)

FAQs

Why It's Nearly Impossible to Find a Flight Deal Between New York and Paris? ›

The simplest reason for the high cost is, of course, supply and demand, says Rick Seaney, the CEO of FareCompare: “So, how many flights there are into Paris, that would be the supply.

What is the best way to get from New York to Paris? ›

Several airlines offer nonstop flights from New York to Paris, and the fastest flight takes about 7h 15 minutes. The flight is available from Newark International Airport (EWR) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).

Will international flight prices go down in 2024? ›

Not only are airfares down 7% year-over-year based on March 2024 prices, but they're even down 12% versus a decade ago. That's according to consumer price index data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in February. Some experts predict airfares to international destinations will drop even lower in 2024.

Why are international flights so cheap right now? ›

The single biggest factor for why we see cheap flights is competition,” says Nastro. “We want (budget) carriers in the mix because it actually places downward pressure on the legacy carriers” and keeps prices down. Airline mergers could affect that, meaning less competition and, potentially, higher fares.

Why are plane tickets so high right now? ›

Demand is outpacing supply

While, yes, airplane production has slowed down, fleet sizes are still increasing—in other words, airlines now have more planes than they did last year. However, demand for travel is still higher in the summer months. High demand + lower supply = higher fares.

What is the cheapest way to get into Paris from the airport? ›

The least expensive and most flexible option is to take the train, called the RER B, which stops at major metro stations throughout Paris. The Paris City Pass concession card offers a free one-way shuttle bus from CDG to Paris. Read our guide to the Paris City Pass here to see if this is a good option for you.

How much is a private plane from New York to Paris? ›

NYC to Paris Private Jet Pricing

Heavy Jet: $57,800 to $70,600 — These jets can carry up to 16 passengers and have the ability to fly the route nonstop. Jets in this class include the Gulfstream G-IV, Challenger 604, and Falcon 900EX.

How far in advance should I book flights for the best price? ›

A new study is solving the eternal question of when to book your flight for the best price. According to CheapAir.com's Annual Airfare Study, booking a ticket at least three weeks before departing, and no more than 2.5 months in advance, is the sweet spot for snagging the best flight deal.

How far in advance should I book an international flight in 2024? ›

“For international flights — [it's] four to 10 months.” If you're traveling during an off-peak season, you're going to want to look at airfares one to three months in advance for domestic flights, and two to eight months ahead of the flight for international trips.

Do flight prices go down closer to the date? ›

No, they don't. Quite the opposite in fact, the closer to the flight date the higher the ticket prices. If you want low prices, make sure you buy your ticket as far in advance as you can. It has been tried in the past, selling last-minute tickets at a very low rate.

What day is cheaper to buy international flights? ›

While booking your flight on a Sunday helps you get the lowest price, actually flying on a Thursday may help you save an average of 16 percent off airfare. Data shows that, almost across the board, travelers who flew on Thursdays instead of Sunday saved this much on both domestic and international flights.

How to book the lowest flight ticket? ›

Tips to book cheap flight tickets
  1. Be flexible with your Travel Dates. ...
  2. Rely on New Incognito Mode. ...
  3. Avoid Believing in Myths. ...
  4. Track Airlines on Social Media Platforms. ...
  5. Utilise Flight Search Engines. ...
  6. Keep An Eye on Flyer Programs. ...
  7. Consider the Destination. ...
  8. Look Forward to Beneficial Deals.
Apr 16, 2024

How far out are international flights the cheapest? ›

How far in advance should you book a flight to get the best deal? The best time to book a flight is one to three months before your departure for domestic airline tickets and two to eight months prior for international flights. “We call these the 'Goldilocks windows,'” Scott Keyes, founder of Going.com, tells AFAR.

Why are flights so expensive in 2024 in Europe? ›

Airfares: what to expect in 2024

Global airfares are expected to rise between 3%-7% next year, as airlines grapple with high fuel costs, sustainability changes and fleet upgrades, according to the FCM Consulting's "Global Trend Report" for the third quarter of 2023.

How far out should I book a flight? ›

A good rule of thumb is to start looking roughly 6 months before your specific travel dates, and not wait much later than 3 months before you're planning to get into the skies.

When should you buy plane tickets? ›

The Expedia study found that the sweet spot is 28 to 35 days before departure while the Google study found prices bottomed out 44 days before departure. However, both studies agree that you don't want to wait until the last minute. Book at least 21 days before departure.

Is it cheaper to fly or Eurostar to Paris? ›

Unless you book well in advance, the cost of traveling to Paris on the Eurostar is more expensive than flying.

What is the best way to get to Paris France? ›

Getting to Paris
  1. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Most major US carriers and many foreign airline carriers servicing Paris are likely to fly directly into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. ...
  2. Orly Airport. ...
  3. Paris Métro (Métro de Paris) ...
  4. App-based car services. ...
  5. Taxis. ...
  6. Micromobility.
May 18, 2022

What is the most efficient way to get around Paris? ›

The best way to get around Paris is on foot and by metro. The elegant arrondissements are practically made for pedestrians. Still, Paris is very big, so you should take the efficient metro to travel long distances.

Is it better to fly or take the train between London and Paris? ›

On paper you have a choice of three modes of travel using public transport between London and Paris: train, coach and air. In reality, the majority of people travelling city centre to city centre choose the Eurostar train service. As the fastest and most stress free option it is with good reason.

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