USA: Star Alliance Flights Starting at €299 From Dublin (w/o Luggage)

Star Alliance partners Lufthansa, United Airlines, Swiss, and Air Canada are selling really cheap flights from Dublin to various US destinations, such as Chicago, Washington DC, or Las Vegas, among others.

There’s daily availability from September 1 onward, with some dates also being available before September.

Here are some of the most interesting destinations that you can fly to:

• Chicago: €299
• Washington DC: €302
• Denver: €307
• Orlando: €308
• Miami: €313
• Las Vegas: €318
• Philadelphia: €323
• and more…

There are incredibly many different possible routings. You could fly via Munich with Lufthansa, via Zurich with Swiss, or via a United hub in the USA or an Air Canada hub. It’s really up to you as the price difference is minimal, as is the difference in service between the airlines.

By the way, there are also other economy class deals from Ireland:

Kuala Lumpur: €433 Turkish Airlines Flights from Brussels; Rest of Europe Starting at €508 (With 30 Kg Luggage)

Phuket & Bangkok: €466 Etihad Flights from 9 European Countries (€533 With 25 Kg Luggage)

Search & Book

This deal expires on June 15, 2021. There’s daily availability from September 1 onward, with some dates also being available before September. Your trip does, however, have to include a Sunday.

You can find all available dates on Google Flights, as always. As there’s daily availability, however, you might just as well simply use our form above to select your preferred dates and be redirected to Lufthansa’s booking site. Another option is to search for the cheapest OTA price on our Travel-Dealz flight search, which would save you roughly €25.

Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?

More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:

Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.

If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.

This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.

Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.

This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.

This is a Star Alliance fare that does not include check-in luggage. Additionally, some other disadvantages may apply, especially when flying with United:

Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian

Lufthansa Group airlines call this fare Economy Light. You can select your seats during the check-in process. While these airlines still allow Star-Alliance-Gold customers to bring one 23kg bag, it is said that this benefit will soon be eliminated without much warning.

United Airlines

The long-haul United Basic Economy allows Star-Alliance-Gold customers to fly with 2 x 23 kg luggage, or even 3 x 32 kg if you’re a MileagePlus frequent flyer. Nevertheless, there are other restrictions:

• You cannot reserve your seats. Even at the time of check-in, you’ll be automatically assigned a seat, which you cannot change.
• You’ll be the last one to board the plane (except if you’re a frequent flyer).
• Additionally, if you’re a MileagePlus-customer:
  • No free Economy-Plus upgrades
  • Only 50% PQM instead of 100%, and only 0.5 PQS per flight
  • No modifications (e.g. Same Day-Changes) possible
  • Upgrades are not permitted

Air Canada

On flights with Air Canada, there is also a Basic Economy, but it is not quite as restrictive as United’s. If you have a Star-Alliance-Gold-Status, you can give up a 23 kg luggage, and Air-Canada-Altitude status holders can even be allowed up to 3 x 32 kg.

Other restrictions include:

• You can reserve seats, but at a higher price than usual for Economy.
• For Air Canada Altitude customers:
  • 25% miles for transatlantic flights, none for domestic.
  • Upgrades are not permitted.
  • From Prestige 25K onwards you can select your seats.

If you feel that these restrictions are unbearable, you should book over the airline’s website, such as Lufthansa.com, and select the rate that includes luggage for roughly €100 more.

Mileage

The tickets are issued in booking class K. To give you an example, flying to Chicago via Munich with Lufthansa would get you:

Information & Tips for USA

The United States offers a wide range of tourist sights, from national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon to cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The currency is the U.S. dollar (USD), and card payments are widely accepted. Prices vary by region but can be high in major cities, especially for accommodation and dining. Weather differs greatly across the country—winters can be harsh in the north, while the south often stays mild; summers are generally hot and humid in many areas.

The U.S. transport infrastructure is highly car-dependent, especially outside major cities. Urban centres like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have functional public transit, but many other cities have limited options. Between cities, domestic flights are common for long distances, while intercity buses and Amtrak trains cover some routes, though often with slower speeds and less frequency compared to other countries. Without a car, getting around can be inconvenient in many parts of the country.

We’ve compared various esim providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:

The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared

→ All Dealz for USA

Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange