Airline passenger travel within Europe has increased sharply over the past decade as the introduction of new airlines has helped push prices down significantly. Couple that with the formation of the European Union and the airline market within Europe has never been so robust. If you are planning to travel to the European continent you now have an affordable alternative to the train. Fares are low, specials are run at any given time; check directly with each carrier to determine who has the best deals for you.

The following airlines are currently flying to destinations within Europe; some are also conducting global operations:

Adria Airways

Aer Lingus

AerArann

Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines

Air France

Alitalia

Austrian

Belavia Belarusian Airlines

bmi British Midland

bmiBaby

British Airways

Centralwings

Corsair

Croatia Airlines

easyJet

Eurofly

Finnair

Flybe

Flyglobespan

Futura International Airways

German Wings

Hapag-Lloyd Express

Iberia

Iceland Express

Icelandair

Jet2

KLM

Lauda Air

LOT Polish Airlines

LTU

Lufthansa

Macedonian Airlines

MyTravel Lite

Ryanair

SAS Braathens

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

Sky Europe

SN Brussels Airlines

Spanair

Swiss International Airlines

Transwede

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Express

Vueling

Wizz Air

Some carriers, such as Transwede, currently fly only within one country, while other carriers fly within certain areas of Europe. For example, Wizz Air and Centralwings cover central Europe. National carriers including Lufthansa, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia all offer extensive international service. Thus, you may be able to board a European carrier at a US gateway and receive low fares throughout your trip.