Whether it's a $196 roundtrip flight to Hawaii, or a fancy business class seat to New Zealand for 80,000 miles, the flight deals we've been finding have been incredibly good so far in 2026 … and that shows no sign of stopping!
So what's the key to finding the best flight deals? It's constantly searching thousands upon thousands of airfares – domestic and international – and watching for any time prices drop or points and miles rates decrease. If this sounds like a lot of work, it is: Most airlines don't advertise their best sales, but we have a team of a dozen flight deal analysts constantly searching for our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert subscribers every day.
It's a labor of love helping our subscribers get the best flight deals. The year isn't even a quarter through, and 2026 is already shaping up to be one of the best years of deals yet. Take a look and see for yourself.
✈️ These deals were sent to Thrifty Traveler Premium members the moment they went live — often disappearing within hours.
Premium costs $99/year and includes instant flight deal alerts from your home airport, step-by-step booking instructions, and a 100-day money-back guarantee. Start Saving Now
1. All Over Europe from 22K Delta SkyMiles RT!
Delta SkyMiles flash sales to Europe are arguably the best value you can get for your miles. Many of these itineraries will cost you $800 or more in basic economy, so when Delta slashes its SkyMiles rates instead, we always notify our subscribers.
The lowest rates on these big Delta sales are typically in basic economy, which means you can't pick a seat or check a bag for free. But not this one: These rates were all in Main Cabin economy, flying from more than 150 U.S. cities to Europe this spring!
Main Cabin fares mean you get free seat assignment, free changes, and even a checked bag included in your fare when flying to Europe. It was the best deal of the year so far. But there are plenty more worth pointing out!
2. Hawaii from $196 Roundtrip
A flight halfway across the Pacific Ocean should never be this cheap. But a few times a year, Southwest, Alaska, and Hawaiian Airlines get into a fare war, slashing prices on these coveted nonstop routes to less than $200 roundtrip. And we always find them.
We check these routes several times a day to make sure we catch when these impossibly cheap rates pop up. It only takes a few minutes for us to send our members an alert when they do!
3. Qantas Biz Class to New Zealand from 80K Miles
For one of the longest flights in the world, you're going to want a comfortable seat. Trouble is, booking a business class seat with points to Australia or New Zealand can be incredibly difficult and expensive. But not if you get an alert like this one in your inbox!
That's right: Just 80,000 American AAdvantage miles could get you all the way from New York City (JFK) to Auckland (AKL) in Qantas business class. The availability we found on this deal was incredible for flights that are upwards of 16 hours each way!
4. Nonstop to Europe from $350 RT
While the cheapest flights abroad typically involve a connection, we routinely find amazing exceptions. Airlines all over the world have been slashing fares to Europe, even on nonstops!
We heard from tons of travelers who booked these sizzling fares abroad that don't require any connections! These fares are incredible and are worth your attention for a trip to Europe this year.
5. Delta One to Chile from 146K SkyMiles RT
On the long flight down to Chile, you might want to grab yourself a comfier seat than just economy: It's a nine-hour flight! That's where Delta One Suites come in – Delta flies its fanciest lie-flat business class seats on the route from Atlanta (ATL) to Santiago (SCL).
While you may want one of those fancy suites, so does everyone else. That usually means they're typically incredibly expensive to book, even with points – like, “400,000 SkyMiles each way” expensive. That's why we were shocked when fares dropped to these lows.
You could fly from dozens of U.S. cities to Chile and back from just 146,000 SkyMiles roundtrip – a stellar deal for those looking for a comfy way down to South America.
The Rest of the Top 10
Not every deal can crack the top five, but there have been so many exceptional flight deals in 2026 that we wanted to showcase just a few more.
6. Cathay Pacific First Class to Southeast Asia from 125K Miles
Cathay Pacific First Class is one of the most luxurious ways to travel, period. This points availability was shocking – giving travelers based in or near Los Angeles (LAX) a chance to fly to and from Hong Kong (HKG) and beyond this spring, summer, or fall!
7. SAS Premium Economy to Europe from $771 RT
SAS Premium Economy might just be the best value in the sky. Why? It's premium economy – with reclining, wider seats, and checked bags included – for the price of a standard economy seat! SAS Plus, as it's called, is way nicer than these prices!
8. Helsinki & Stockholm under $399 RT
If you can find a roundtrip flight to Europe in the $300s, run – don't walk! These fares to the underrated city of Helsinki (HEL) or to charming old Stockholm (ARN) are an incredible value. Scandinavia for the price of Florida! Why not.
9. Delta One to Peru under $1,999 RT
This Delta One sale to Lima (LIM) in Peru blew our minds. Dozens of U.S. cities connecting to Atlanta (ATL) for a Delta One ride long-haul down to LIM all for less than $2,000 roundtrip! It's first class or lie-flat the whole way – what's not to love?
10. Japan Airlines Business Class for 60K Miles
Japan Airlines business class is one of the best rides to Tokyo, and you can still book these seats for just 60,000 AAdvantage miles each way … if you can find availability at those rates. We did, including plenty of dates bookable from San Diego (SAN), Vancouver (YVR), and beyond.
How Thrifty Traveler Premium Works
So, how do we find these deals? And, most importantly, how do we let you know about them?
- First, our team of flight deal analysts and experts search from more than 200 U.S. and Canadian airports for the best Delta SkyMiles deals around the clock.
- Second, when we find something good, we vet the deal – making sure that it's bookable, that there's no “catch” or “trap,” and that it's a fare that we would book ourselves.
- Third, we put together a flight deal alert and send it to your inbox – and for the rarest deals, you'll get a “Unicorn Alert” text message, too! You can also log in to your account to see the deal info and any other deal we've sent.
- Fourth: You book the deal! This is what you've been hoarding SkyMiles for – a sizzling deal worth your hard-earned miles.
And that's it! We're not travel agents and we don't work with the airlines. We just find the deals Delta doesn't want you to know about and alert you to them so you can get maximum value out of your stash of miles.
Plus, we offer a 100-day money-back guarantee for first-time subscribers. If you're not loving the deals you get, you can cancel for a full refund – no questions asked!
Bottom Line
Flight deals have been incredibly good to kick off 2026, but we think they're only going to get better for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members.
Start getting flight deal alerts, and remember: Our 100-day money back guarantee means you can try our alerts risk-free!
Get Thrifty Traveler Premium now!
