Lufthansa‘s leisure subsidiary Eurowings Discover is currently selling pretty cheap tickets from multiple French airports to Panama City. You can fly for as little as €782 with departure from Nice. While the price is pretty decent for a premium economy ticket to Central America, it comes with a catch:
The outbound flight requires a stopover in the Dominican Republic in order to get the lowest fare. The final segment of the outbound is a Copa Airlines economy class flight from Punta Cana to Panama City. The inbound is a nonstop from Panama to Frankfurt.
You can depart from the following five French airports for less than €800:
You can use our Go2 form to book the tickets directly on Lufthansa.com. Flights at the lowest fare are available in June and September 2023.
The first flight is always an economy segment from France to Frankfurt in economy class. An Eurowings Airbus A330 will take you across the Atlantic in both directions – you will find a 2-3-2 seating in the premium economy section compared to the 2-4-2 in economy. While the inbound takes you directly from Panama City to Europe, your outbound flight ends in Punta Cana, where you will most likely have to re-check your baggage. A Copa Airlines 737 takes you the final 2-and-a-half hours from Punta Cana to Panama City, in economy class.
Search & Book
The fare rules give no sales or travel period for this deal. Your minimum or maximum stay is not limited, either. You can find availabilities in June and September 2023.
We recommend to use Google Flights to find possible flight dates. The good news: You can simply search for a roundtrip and therefore can use the calendar to see when prices are lowest. Sadly, booking this flight on lufthansa.com is only possible when using their multistop search. We recommend booking an itinerary like this directly with the airline.
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.
Mileage
Lufthansa segments are booking class Y, Copa Airlines segments are booking class W and the Eurowings flights are booking class N. Due to the Eurowings segments, Star Alliance frequent flyers can earn the following (somewhat limited) mileage:
- 11,931 Award Miles + 1,822 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 11,596 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 3,488 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 3,488 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 2,988 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 1,988 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 1,988 Miles on Asiana Club
- 1,862 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 1,628 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 1,615 Award Miles + 1,323 Tier Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 1,570 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 1,570 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 1,570 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 1,374 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 1,274 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 988 Award Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 874 CV Points on Vistara Club Vistara
- 741 Award Miles on Flying Blue
- 741 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 582 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
Destination
Hotel prices in Panama City usually start at roughly €30, depending on the hotel category. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for Panama
Panama is the safest and most developed country in Central America. Thanks to the construction of the Panama Canal, the country experienced a strong economic boom and is now considered an important trade destination. Tourists also get their money’s worth thanks to the numerous natural sights and the capital Panama City.
Best Time to Visit
Winter between December and March is the best time for a trip to Panama. This is the dry season where temperatures are moderate and humidity relatively low. However, you should be aware that prices are significantly higher at this time of year. On the Caribbean (East) coast the weather is always a bit rainy and warmer than on the Pacific (West) coast of the country. From May to November there can be strong tropical storms with high wind speeds and massive amounts of precipitation.
Immigration & Visa Requirements
Most EU citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 180 days and can enter with a passport. Please note that in some cases a return flight ticket or a certificate of onward travel is required on entry. Consult with your country’s state department or ministry of foreign affairs for the exact regulations.
Currency
The national currency of Panama is the Balboa (PAB). It is anchored 1:1 to the US Dollar exchange rate (USD), i.e. one Balboa is always equal to one US Dollar. Many credit cards may charge a foreign currency fee of up to 2% for payment in Balboa or Dollars. Credit cards are accepted relatively widely, and the US Dollar is virtually as widespread as the Balboa.
→ All Dealz for Panama
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