Looking for a budget-friendly way to fly your family to Europe using points? Two major sweet spots stand out right now: Aer Lingus and Iberia. Both offer some of the lowest economy award rates from the U.S. to Europe—starting at just 13,000 Avios one way during off-peak dates. And with a 30% transfer bonus from banks like Amex (ending 7/15!), now’s the perfect time to book.

In this post, I’ll break down the best routes, how many points you need, and exactly how to book these award flights.

If you’re looking for additional sweet spots to Europe for families, Flying Blue has a great award program.

Related: The Best Way for Families to Fly to Europe

1) Aer Lingus: Fly from the U.S. to Dublin for as Low as 13,000 Avios

Aer Lingus offers incredible value for economy flights to Ireland. The sweet spot? Flights from the East Coast (like Boston or Chicago) to Dublin.

Sample Routes & Award Pricing (One-Way, Off-Peak):

Route	Avios (off-peak)	Taxes & Fees
Boston (BOS) – Dublin (DUB)	13,000 Avios	$120+
New York (JFK) – Dublin (DUB)	13,000 Avios	$120+
Chicago (ORD) – Dublin (DUB)	13,000 Avios	$130+
San Francisco (SFO) – Dublin (DUB)	16,250 Avios	$140+
Seattle (SEA) – Dublin (DUB)	16,250 Avios	$140+

💡 With a 30% transfer bonus, a 13,000-point flight only requires ~10,000 points!

Keep in mind that on-peak flights will require more points; for instance, SFO to Dublin will be 25,000 Avios, and Chicago to Dublin will be 20,000 Avios. If you can plan your summer trip before June 4th, you can take advantage of off-peak rates for summer travel for Aer Lingus.

Full List of US routes:

• New York (JFK & EWR): Aer Lingus flies nonstop from both JFK and Newark (EWR) to Dublin.
• Boston (BOS): Nonstop service to Dublin (DUB) and Shannon (SNN).
• Chicago (ORD): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Washington, D.C. (IAD): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Orlando (MCO): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Miami (MIA): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Philadelphia (PHL): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Los Angeles (LAX): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• San Francisco (SFO): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Seattle (SEA): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Minneapolis (MSP): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Hartford (BDL): Nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Indianapolis (IND): Starting in 2025, nonstop to Dublin (DUB).
• Nashville (BNA): Starting in 2025, nonstop to Dublin (DUB).

Visit the Aer Lingus route map and look under ‘North America’ for the most up-to-date list of routes (this page on Aer Lingus) and search under North America for the most current routes.

How to Book Aer Lingus Flights:

• Search and book on the British Airways website (yes, even for Aer Lingus flights)
• Transfer points to British Airways Avios from:
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards®
  • Amex Membership Rewards®
  • Capital One Venture Miles
  • Citi Thank You Points -First transfer to Qatar and then combine to BA Avios
• Watch for off-peak dates on the Aer Lingus award calendar for the lowest award rates

Unsure how to transfer points? Grab my FREE guide to transferring points.

Check out my Best Offers Page for the current best offers. Or reach out on Instagram @melissastraveladdiction for a personalized recommendation!

Booking Tips:

• Aer Lingus opens award availability ~355 days out
• British Airways calendar opens about 25 days earlier than Aer Lingus, so booking on BA is preferred
• Aer Lingus seems to release just 5 award seats for economy nonstop bookings and only 4 award seats for connecting flights. Business class seats are harder to come by.
  

For Connecting Flights:

Book connecting flights through the Aer Lingus website as taxes will be lower. Here’s an example of what British Airways will charge in taxes vs Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus charges just $16 in taxes compared to British Airways $100+.

💡TIP: For Cash economy bookings on Aer Lingus, you can upgrade to business class with miles. This could be a great option if you find a cheap cash fare; unfortunately, this doesn’t work on award bookings.

Avios required for a Business Class upgrade (one way): Data taken from the Aer Lingus Website, Found HERE

The amount of Avios you’ll need will vary by route and date of travel:

To and from Ireland and North America	Off-Peak	Peak
Boston / Chicago / Cleveland / Hartford / Indianapolis / Minneapolis / Newark / New York / Philadelphia / Toronto / Washington /	37,000	44,750
Cancún / Denver / Las Vegas / Los Angeles / Miami / Nashville / Orlando / San Francisco / Seattle	46,250	55,000

To and from Manchester and North America	Off-Peak	Peak
New York	37,000	44,750
Barbados, Orlando	46,250	55,000

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2) Iberia: Fly Nonstop to Madrid from Just 16,000 Avios

Iberia also offers amazing off-peak award pricing from several major U.S. cities to Spain.

Sample Routes & Award Pricing (One-Way, Off-Peak):

Route	Avios (off-peak)	Taxes & Fees
New York (JFK) – Madrid (MAD)	16,000 Avios	$90+
Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD)	16,000 Avios	$90+
Chicago (ORD) – Madrid (MAD)	16,000 Avios	$100+
Miami (MIA) – Madrid (MAD)	20,000 Avios	$100+
Los Angeles (LAX)- Madrid (MAD)	20,000 Avios	$100+

✅ With the 30% transfer bonus, that’s only ~12,300 points needed!

Keep in mind that on-peak flights will require more points; for instance, LAX to Madrid will be 24,250 Avios.

Full List of US routes:

• Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD)
• New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD)
• Boston (BOS) to Madrid (MAD)
• Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Madrid (MAD)
• Washington D.C. to Madrid (MAD)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Barcelona (BCN)
• Boston (BOS) to Barcelona (BCN)
• Miami (MIA) to Barcelona (BCN)

For the most up-to-date list of flight routes, check out this page.

How to Book Iberia Flights:

• Search directly on the Iberia.com website or the British Airways website
• Transfer points to British Airways from:
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards®
  • Amex Membership Rewards®
  • Capital One Venture Miles
  • Citi Thank You: First transfer to Qatar and then combine to BA Avios
• Search for off-peak dates for the lowest award prices
• Many travelers prefer booking through British Airways due to more responsive customer service compared to Iberia

Check out my Best Offers Page for the current best offers. Or reach out on Instagram @melissastraveladdiction for a personalized recommendation!

Booking Tips:

• Iberia opens its calendar 6 days before British Airways
• Iberia releases 7-8 award seats as well as some in premium economy
• Iberia releases plenty of business class seats, which can be great for families

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Tips for Families Booking These Flights:

• Easier to book multiple seats in economy
• Booking early (11–12 months out) gives you the best shot at 4+ seats.
• Iberia’s business class is a great option for families, with low rates and more award availability.
• Nonstop flights reduce travel stress for kids
• If you’re short on points, you can choose to use fewer Avios and more cash (Just check the rate—it might be cheaper to buy Avios directly!)

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Save Even More with a Transfer Bonus

Watch for bank transfer bonuses of 20–30% to stretch your points even further!

✔️ 13k → ~10k points
✔️ 17k → ~13.1k points

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Final Thoughts

These economy award flights to Europe are some of the best deals available using points—especially for families. Booking nonstop flights for 10k–13k points is nearly unheard of, and bank transfer bonuses make these deals even sweeter. If you’re planning a trip to Ireland or Spain, or beyond, save this post for your next award booking.

Not sure which cards are best for these award bookings? Check out my best offer page to start earning flexible points!

Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me on Instagram @melissastraveladdiction!

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