Award prices, routes and transfer ratios change often — search the live price before you move any points.
New York is the best-connected city in the US for Europe on points: between JFK and Newark there are nonstops to more than 50 European cities in summer, flown by all three alliances. Delta and United run the biggest networks (Delta and its SkyTeam partners at JFK, United at Newark), American and British Airways split London with Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue, and almost every European flag carrier flies in. That competition is why this is the easiest transatlantic route to book with transferable points.
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Quick answer
- Cheapest economy route: Air France/KLM to Paris or Amsterdam with Flying Blue — Promo Rewards ran from 18,750 miles one-way in September 2026; standard economy starts around 25,000.
- Best business-class value: Aeroplan on Star Alliance partners (Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels, TAP, United) — 60,000 points one-way to cities within 4,000 miles of New York, with no fuel surcharges.
- Best program to collect: Flying Blue or Aeroplan — both take Chase, Amex, Capital One and Bilt points at 1:1 (Citi also feeds Flying Blue).
- Best card: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve for the widest 1:1 partner list from New York; Amex Platinum or Gold if you want Delta, ANA and Avios in the same pot.
Nonstop flights from JFK and EWR
Winter 2026–27 schedule. "Seasonal" routes are summer-only and won't run between roughly November and March.
| Route | Airline | Alliance | Book with |
|---|---|---|---|
| JFK–London LHR, Manchester | Virgin Atlantic | SkyTeam partner | Virgin Points, Delta |
| JFK/EWR–London LHR | British Airways | oneworld | Avios, AAdvantage, Atmos |
| JFK–London, Paris, Madrid, Milan (+ summer Rome, Athens, Barcelona, Edinburgh) | American | oneworld | AAdvantage, Avios, Atmos |
| JFK–14 year-round cities incl. Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Lisbon, Zurich | Delta | SkyTeam | SkyMiles, Flying Blue, Virgin |
| EWR–16 year-round cities incl. Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva | United | Star Alliance | MileagePlus, Aeroplan, LifeMiles |
| JFK–Paris CDG / Amsterdam | Air France / KLM | SkyTeam | Flying Blue, Virgin |
| JFK/EWR–Frankfurt, Munich; Zurich, Geneva; Vienna; Brussels | Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels | Star Alliance | Aeroplan, United, LifeMiles |
| JFK/EWR–Lisbon (EWR also Porto), Istanbul, Warsaw, Copenhagen | TAP, Turkish, LOT, SAS | Star Alliance (SAS: SkyTeam) | Aeroplan, United, Turkish; SAS via Flying Blue |
| JFK–Madrid, Helsinki | Iberia, Finnair | oneworld | Avios, AAdvantage |
| JFK/EWR–Dublin (JFK also Shannon) | Aer Lingus | none | Avios (Aer Lingus) |
| JFK–London LHR, Paris (+ summer Dublin, Edinburgh) | JetBlue | none | TrueBlue |
| JFK–Rome | ITA Airways | Star Alliance | Aeroplan, United |
| JFK/EWR–Reykjavík | Icelandair | none | Icelandair Saga Club |
Low-cost and leisure carriers (Norse, Level, French Bee, La Compagnie, Condor) also fly from New York; they're cash-only for most points travelers.
Best ways to book
Air Canada Aeroplan
Partner business costs 60,000 points one-way for flights up to 4,000 miles and 75,000 for 4,001–6,000 miles on the chart that took effect 1 June 2026; economy in the shorter band dropped to 32,500. London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid and Lisbon all fall under 4,000 miles from New York. Munich, Rome, Vienna and Istanbul are just over, so they price at 75,000. Partner awards carry no fuel surcharges; United and Air Canada's own flights are priced dynamically. Feeds: Chase, Amex, Capital One and Bilt at 1:1.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Business starts at 60,000 miles one-way and economy at about 25,000. Pricing is dynamic, so peak summer dates run much higher. The monthly Promo Rewards cut 25% off select routes (September 2026: economy from 18,750, business from 45,000 on select gateways). Since 8 September 2026 there are also cheaper-sounding "Light" awards with no changes and no seat selection — read the rules first. Business taxes are roughly $300–$350 each way. Feeds: Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi and Bilt at 1:1.
British Airways and Iberia Avios
BA charges heavy carrier fees on its own flights. Its December 2025 repricing put London–New York Club World off-peak at 88,000 Avios one-way (99,000 peak) in the most-Avios option, and BA's own May 2026 example for a JFK–London round trip is 176,000 Avios plus about £499. Iberia is the better Avios play from JFK: off-peak business to Madrid prices around 50,500 Avios (59,000 peak) with moderate surcharges (about $175 round-trip), per Frequent Miler's 2026 guide. Feeds: Chase, Amex and Bilt at 1:1 to both; Capital One and Citi reach Iberia by first moving points into BA or Qatar.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Delta One from the East Coast to Europe costs 47,500 points off-peak or 57,500 peak one-way. Virgin's own Upper Class is priced dynamically from about 29,000. Watch the cash fees, especially on flights leaving the UK, and remember Virgin prices every segment separately. Feeds: Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi and Bilt at 1:1.
United MileagePlus
No fuel surcharges and free changes, but expensive: about 80,000 miles in business on United-operated flights and around 88,000 on partners, with economy around 26,000–27,000 (2026). United cardholders get a 10–15% award discount. Feeds: Chase and Bilt at 1:1.
American AAdvantage
Partner business to Europe is 57,500 miles one-way; economy runs from about 22,500 off-peak to 30,000. Booking BA flights to London adds large surcharges, so aim for American, Iberia or Finnair metal. Feeds: Citi ThankYou at 1:1 (Strata Premier or Elite).
Sweet spots from New York
- Aeroplan to London, Paris or Frankfurt in business for 60,000. New York's location keeps most Western European capitals inside the cheapest 4,000-mile band. Swiss to Zurich or Brussels Airlines to Brussels are reliable places to look for partner space.
- Iberia to Madrid on Iberia Avios. About 50,500 Avios off-peak in business with modest surcharges — and Madrid connects cheaply to the rest of Spain and Portugal. See our Avios guide.
- Flying Blue Promo Rewards. When JFK is a promo gateway, economy drops below 20,000 miles one-way.
- Delta One via Virgin Atlantic. 47,500 off-peak is far below what SkyMiles usually charges for the same seat.
Which card to earn with
| Card | Points | Transfers to | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve | Ultimate Rewards | Aeroplan, Flying Blue, BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Virgin, United | The broadest 1:1 list for Europe |
| Amex Gold / Platinum | Membership Rewards | Aeroplan, Flying Blue, BA, Iberia, Virgin, Delta | SkyTeam and Delta flyers out of JFK |
| Capital One Venture X | Capital One miles | Aeroplan, Flying Blue, BA, Turkish, Virgin | 2x on everything, simple earning |
| Citi Strata Premier | ThankYou | AAdvantage, Flying Blue, Virgin, Turkish | The only bank route to AAdvantage |
| Bilt (see our Bilt guide) | Bilt Points | Aeroplan, Flying Blue, BA, Iberia, United, Atmos | Earning on New York rent |
Don't chase a welcome bonus number from this page — offers change; check each card page for the current one.
Taxes & surcharges
The program you book through matters as much as the miles. Aeroplan, United and LifeMiles add no fuel surcharges on partner flights, so a Lufthansa or Swiss business seat costs roughly $100 or less in tax from New York. BA (and AAdvantage on BA flights) adds several hundred dollars to over $1,000 round-trip in business. Flying Blue lands in the middle at roughly $300–$350 each way in business. Leaving London costs more than arriving because of UK departure tax. One more: Lufthansa has released no First award space to partner programs since 1 June 2026, so plan on business.
FAQ
What's the cheapest way to fly New York to Europe on points? In economy, Flying Blue Promo Rewards (from 18,750 miles one-way when JFK is included) or Aeroplan's 32,500-point partner rate. In business, Aeroplan at 60,000 to cities within 4,000 miles of New York.
JFK or Newark for award flights? Newark if you're booking Star Alliance (United plus Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP, SAS and others); JFK for SkyTeam (Delta, Air France, KLM) and oneworld (American, BA, Iberia, Finnair). Search both — the same program often shows space from one airport and not the other.
Is BA worth using from New York? Usually not for BA's own business class, because of the fees — and AAdvantage passes the same surcharges on for BA's London flights. Use Avios on Iberia from JFK or Aer Lingus via Dublin instead, or fly American's own London flights with AAdvantage.
Do award prices to Europe change by season? Yes. Flying Blue, Virgin, United and Delta price dynamically or by peak and off-peak, and summer is dearest. Aeroplan's partner chart and AAdvantage's partner rates are fixed, which makes them most useful in July and August.
Should I transfer points now for a summer 2027 trip? No. Find bookable space first, then transfer — transfers are one-way and most are instant to these programs.
Related guides
- Fly to Europe with points
- JFK airport lounges · Newark airport lounges
- London Heathrow lounges · Paris CDG lounges
- Credit card transfer partners
- Chase Aeroplan guide · Avios guide
Award prices and availability change daily. Search before you transfer points — transfers are one-way.
