Cheap Flights to Asia: How to Book Under $600 Round Trip

Asia is the most popular long-haul destination for European and American travellers — and some of the best flight deals available. With the right strategy, round trips from the US to Southeast Asia under $600 and from Europe under €400 are genuinely achievable.

This guide covers everything: the cheapest destinations, the best airlines, optimal booking windows, and how to set up monitoring so you never miss a deal.

Why Asia Flights Can Be So Cheap

Several factors make Asia one of the most competitive long-haul markets:

High volume of competition: Major US-Asia routes are served by American, United, Delta, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, and multiple Asian carriers. European routes add KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, and more. Competition keeps prices low.

Gulf carrier competition: Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad route passengers through their Middle Eastern hubs to Asia. Their pricing is aggressive, particularly on routes through their hubs, which creates price pressure on other carriers.

Low-cost carrier expansion: AirAsia, Scoot, Jetstar, and Vietjet have expanded throughout Southeast Asia. While most operate intra-Asia routes, their low intra-Asian fares (often $30–100) make Southeast Asia multi-destination trips far more affordable.

Economic factors: The strength of the US dollar and euro against Southeast Asian currencies means your money goes further both on flights and in destination.

Cheapest Asia Destinations from the US

Tokyo, Japan (TYO)

The most competitive US–Asia market. Airlines including ANA, Japan Airlines, United, and Delta fly multiple daily flights from several US gateways. Round trips from the US West Coast under $600 are common in shoulder season. From the East Coast, $700–900 is typical, with deals occasionally reaching $600.

Best gateway airports: Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO)

Seoul, South Korea (ICN)

Korean Air and Asiana operate heavily discounted promotions throughout the year. Incheon Airport is a major transit hub, and airlines discount connecting flights to fill seats. US–Seoul round trips under $600 from the West Coast appear regularly.

Best gateway airports: LAX, SFO, Seattle (SEA)

Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)

Southeast Asia's most connected hub. Fares from the US to Bangkok are higher than Tokyo or Seoul due to distance and fewer direct flights, but $650–800 round trips appear during sales. From Europe, Bangkok is extremely competitive — under €500 round trip from several European cities.

Best gateway airports (Europe): London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Paris CDG

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL)

Less popular than Bangkok or Singapore but often significantly cheaper. Excellent gateway to the rest of Southeast Asia via AirAsia. European travellers can find KL round trips under €400 during promotional periods.

Taipei, Taiwan (TPE)

EVA Air and China Airlines regularly discount Taiwan fares as part of promotional campaigns. From the West Coast, $550–700 round trips are common. Taiwan is also a useful stopover for onward flights throughout Asia.

Cheapest Asia Destinations from Europe

Bangkok (BKK): €350–550 round trip

Thai Airways, EVA Air, and Gulf carriers via Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Doha all compete aggressively. This is one of the most competitive long-haul routes from Europe.

Kuala Lumpur (KUL): €300–500 round trip

Malaysia Airlines flies direct from multiple European cities and prices competitively. Gulf carrier connections are also cheap.

Tokyo (TYO): €450–650 round trip

ANA and JAL fly via various European hubs. Promo fares appear regularly, particularly from London and Amsterdam.

Vietnam (HAN/SGN): €350–550 round trip

Vietnam Airlines and Gulf carriers price Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City aggressively, particularly from London and Paris.

Bali (DPS): €450–650 round trip

Surprisingly competitive from some European cities, particularly via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur as a transit hub.

Best Airlines for Cheap Asia Flights

From the US:

ANA (All Nippon Airways): Japanese quality, competitive pricing, particularly for Tokyo and onward connections in Japan. Watch for promotional fares.

Korean Air: Strong promo culture, excellent hub at Incheon. Mileage program has some of the best redemption rates in Asia.

Asiana Airlines: Comparable to Korean Air, slightly less coverage but competitive pricing.

Cathay Pacific: Hong Kong hub. Connecting fares through HKG to Southeast Asia can be very competitive.

China Airlines: Taipei hub, strong coverage of Southeast Asia. Promotional fares are aggressive.

From Europe:

Thai Airways: Flies direct from several European cities to Bangkok. Promotional fares are excellent value.

Malaysia Airlines: Direct from London, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt. Competitive pricing with decent service.

Emirates/Qatar Airways/Etihad: Gulf hubs add 2–4 hours transit time but often produce the lowest fares on Europe–Asia routes.

Scoot: Singapore Airlines' low-cost subsidiary. Budget fares with basic service. Good for travellers focused solely on price.

When to Book for the Cheapest Fares

For US Travellers:

Cheapest months in Asia: February–April (after Chinese New Year, before summer), September–October (after typhoon season, before peak winter)

Book: 3–6 months ahead for specific dates. Flash sales appear year-round and require quick action.

For European Travellers:

Cheapest months: January–March (European winter = Asian shoulder), September–November

Book: 2–5 months ahead. European carriers tend to release sale fares 3–4 months out.

What to Avoid:

Chinese New Year (late January/early February) — prices spike across Asia. Christmas and New Year — higher demand from Western tourists. Thai Songkran (April) — domestic demand increases in Thailand.

The Multi-City Strategy

Asia's intra-regional budget carriers make multi-city trips extremely affordable. Structure your booking to fly into one city and out of another:

Example itinerary:

• →London → Bangkok (€350, long-haul)
• →Bangkok → Hanoi (€25, AirAsia or Vietjet)
• →Hanoi → Bali (€40, connecting)
• →Bali → Singapore (€20, Scoot)
• →Singapore → London (€350, long-haul)

Total flights: under €800 for a trip covering four Southeast Asian destinations. The intra-Asian legs are almost negligible in cost.

Google Flights handles multi-city searches. Book each leg separately if booking from different carriers.

Setting Up Fare Monitoring

For long-haul routes to Asia, monitoring is essential. Prices on these routes fluctuate significantly, and promotional fares appear irregularly.

What to monitor:

• →Your home airport → your target Asian destination(s)
• →Multiple date windows if flexible (±2 weeks from preferred travel)

Target prices to set Yellsy alerts:

• →US West Coast → Tokyo: $550
• →US East Coast → Seoul: $600
• →London → Bangkok: €400
• →Paris → Kuala Lumpur: €380

When prices drop to or below these targets, you'll receive an immediate alert. These fares typically last 24–72 hours before prices recover.

Booking Tips

Book directly or through OTA? For Asia flights, compare Kayak or Google Flights aggregated results against the airline's direct website. Airlines often match or beat OTA prices and provide better customer service on changes.

Visa requirements: Check entry requirements for every country you plan to visit. Most Southeast Asian countries offer visa-on-arrival or e-visa for Western passport holders, but this should be confirmed before booking non-refundable fares.

Layover length: If routing through a Gulf hub, build in at least 2 hours connection time. Dubai and Doha airports are large; connections under 90 minutes are risky.

Conclusion

Cheap flights to Asia under $600 from the US and under €500 from Europe are consistently achievable with the right approach: targeting competitive routes, booking in shoulder season, watching for promotional fares, and using price alerts to catch deals when they appear.

Set your Yellsy alert today on your preferred route. Asia is one of the few long-haul destinations where patient, well-informed travellers regularly book business-class-quality destinations at economy prices.