What are the best flight options between Spain and the US?
From carriers offering direct flights, to the most popular airlines, stopover options and the destinations you can fly to, here's everything you need to know about flying between Spain and the United States in 2023.
According to the flight search engine Skyscanner there are 966 flight options each week between Spain. This is a huge amount, so how do you decide which are the best flight?
Flight times
The average flight time between Spain and the US is 8 hours 59 minutes, depending on where you fly to. The quickest direct route is between Madrid and Boston, which takes just seven hours, while the longest is between Barcelona and Los Angeles, taking a total of 11 hours and 45 minutes.
Airlines with direct flights between Spain and the US
While American Airlines remains the most popular carrier to the US, according to Skyscanner data, there are many different airlines that offer direct flights between the two countries.
Other popular airlines that fly direct include United, Iberia, Lufthansa, Air Europa, Finnair, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Delta and Level.
READ ALSO - US-Spain city comparison: A guide to help Americans decide where to move to
Destinations with direct flights
Keep in mind that direct flights typically leave from and arrive at Spain’s biggest cities – Madrid and Barcelona. You may however be able to fly directly from other Spanish cities, depending on the time of year (mostly in summer).
For example, United offers seasonal direct services (usually during the summer) between New York and Málaga, Mallorca or Tenerife. Its Málaga route began in May 2023.
In terms of the cities in the US with direct flights to and from Spain, these include Miami, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.
READ ALSO: Why Spain is second favourite country for Americans to move to
Budget airlines and added extras
Most of those mentioned above are international carriers from countries within Spain, the US and throughout Europe, but some such as Level are budget airlines.
Level is owned by Spain’s Iberia, but is a no-frills airline where everything costs extra, including food. If you're happy to take everything with you, this might be the cheapest option.
Be aware that many national carriers (from various countries) now also charge for baggage, so the cost of your flight can go up significantly once you add this on.
Sometimes it will seem like one airline is cheaper, but when you go to add your bag, you’ll find that it’s actually more expensive than another, which initially seemed cheaper.
This means that looking at flight comparison sites such as Skyscanner does not always give you the most accurate prices, unless you are flying with hand luggage only.
READ ALSO: Where in Spain do all the Americans live in 2023?
Airlines with stopovers that fly between Spain and the US
If you don’t mind stopping over and getting a connecting onward journey, there are many more options of airlines you can choose from. You may also need to do this if you’re travelling between Spanish and US cities that don’t offer direct flights.
Some of the most popular airlines from Spain to the US with stopovers are TAP Portugal, Aer Lingus, British Airways and Sata Azores.
You can also fly from the Canary Islands with Binter, stopping over in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.
Stopover flights can either offer cheaper deals than direct ones or a great opportunity to see two destinations for the price of one. For example, TAP Portugal offers free stopovers in both Lisbon and Porto.
Be aware, that if you are changing planes and going straight through many airlines that stop over don’t offer a lot of time in between. This means that if your first flight is delayed, you will likely miss your connection and it can end up being more stressful.
Airlines suggest that you book your two legs of the journey with the same carrier so that if you do miss a connection it’s their responsibility to organise another flight at no added cost for you. This may be more tricky if you have booked with two different airlines.
Prices
According to Skyscanner, there are round-trip flights from as little as €265 and one-way flights from Spain to the United States from €199, for East Coast cities.
Prices currently range from around €345 in July, the most expensive month, to around €199 in January and March, the cheapest months.
However, deals as good as that are not the norm anymore. Given that flight prices have increased by between a quarter and a third over the past couple of years of high inflation - as well as other factors to consider such as extra costs for checked-in luggage and no cancellation options on the cheapest deals - you can expect to pay more in practice.
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According to the flight search engine Skyscanner there are 966 flight options each week between Spain. This is a huge amount, so how do you decide which are the best flight?
Flight times
The average flight time between Spain and the US is 8 hours 59 minutes, depending on where you fly to. The quickest direct route is between Madrid and Boston, which takes just seven hours, while the longest is between Barcelona and Los Angeles, taking a total of 11 hours and 45 minutes.
Airlines with direct flights between Spain and the US
While American Airlines remains the most popular carrier to the US, according to Skyscanner data, there are many different airlines that offer direct flights between the two countries.
Other popular airlines that fly direct include United, Iberia, Lufthansa, Air Europa, Finnair, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Delta and Level.
READ ALSO - US-Spain city comparison: A guide to help Americans decide where to move to
Destinations with direct flights
Keep in mind that direct flights typically leave from and arrive at Spain’s biggest cities – Madrid and Barcelona. You may however be able to fly directly from other Spanish cities, depending on the time of year (mostly in summer).
For example, United offers seasonal direct services (usually during the summer) between New York and Málaga, Mallorca or Tenerife. Its Málaga route began in May 2023.
In terms of the cities in the US with direct flights to and from Spain, these include Miami, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.
READ ALSO: Why Spain is second favourite country for Americans to move to
Budget airlines and added extras
Most of those mentioned above are international carriers from countries within Spain, the US and throughout Europe, but some such as Level are budget airlines.
Level is owned by Spain’s Iberia, but is a no-frills airline where everything costs extra, including food. If you're happy to take everything with you, this might be the cheapest option.
Be aware that many national carriers (from various countries) now also charge for baggage, so the cost of your flight can go up significantly once you add this on.
Sometimes it will seem like one airline is cheaper, but when you go to add your bag, you’ll find that it’s actually more expensive than another, which initially seemed cheaper.
This means that looking at flight comparison sites such as Skyscanner does not always give you the most accurate prices, unless you are flying with hand luggage only.
READ ALSO: Where in Spain do all the Americans live in 2023?
Airlines with stopovers that fly between Spain and the US
If you don’t mind stopping over and getting a connecting onward journey, there are many more options of airlines you can choose from. You may also need to do this if you’re travelling between Spanish and US cities that don’t offer direct flights.
Some of the most popular airlines from Spain to the US with stopovers are TAP Portugal, Aer Lingus, British Airways and Sata Azores.
You can also fly from the Canary Islands with Binter, stopping over in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.
Stopover flights can either offer cheaper deals than direct ones or a great opportunity to see two destinations for the price of one. For example, TAP Portugal offers free stopovers in both Lisbon and Porto.
Be aware, that if you are changing planes and going straight through many airlines that stop over don’t offer a lot of time in between. This means that if your first flight is delayed, you will likely miss your connection and it can end up being more stressful.
Airlines suggest that you book your two legs of the journey with the same carrier so that if you do miss a connection it’s their responsibility to organise another flight at no added cost for you. This may be more tricky if you have booked with two different airlines.
Prices
According to Skyscanner, there are round-trip flights from as little as €265 and one-way flights from Spain to the United States from €199, for East Coast cities.
Prices currently range from around €345 in July, the most expensive month, to around €199 in January and March, the cheapest months.
However, deals as good as that are not the norm anymore. Given that flight prices have increased by between a quarter and a third over the past couple of years of high inflation - as well as other factors to consider such as extra costs for checked-in luggage and no cancellation options on the cheapest deals - you can expect to pay more in practice.
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