In the time it typically takes to fly from Los Angeles to New York, travelers on this side of the Atlantic could be touching down in London instead, this summer — just 5 hours or so after departing North American soil.
But, there’s a catch — to climb aboard the shortest transatlantic flight on the 2024 schedule, you’ll have to fly all the way to St. John’s, Newfoundland, a journey likely to last longer for most American travelers than the final leg to London.
The 5 hour, 15 minute flight, offered by Canadian airline Westjet from May 1 to October 15 for the first time since 2019, is one in a handful of obscure, extremely short hops across the pond that managed to find an audience among long-haul phobes, pre-pandemic.
Not only do they minimize the amount of time you’re stuck on one airplane, they also shorten the flight to the point where someone who might feel compelled to spend more on a premium ticket can feel at ease in economy — saving hundreds, or even thousands of dollars in the process.
And while these quirky flight hacks were few and far between in recent years, a good chunk of them are back, at least for the summer, and sometimes at bargain prices, to boot.
Check out the handful of other magnificently brief flights leaving from eastern Canada, expanding service to one of Europe’s most magical archipelagos — just two hours or so from wildly popular Lisbon — and much more.
Here’s everything you need to know about the shortest transatlantic flights from North America to Europe in 2024. Remember, as you read — the New York-London slog can last up to a painful 7 or 8 hours, without even factoring in tarmac delays at either end.
Halifax, Nova Scotia to Reykjavik, Iceland on Icelandair
Time 4 hr 15 min outbound, 4 hr 55 min return
Fastest connection 2 hr 15 min to Edinburgh, Scotland
Dates May to October
Boston to Ponta Delgada, Portugal on Azores Airlines
Time 4 hr 55 min outbound, 5 hr 40 min return
Fastest connection 2 hr 15 min to Lisbon or Porto
Dates Year-round
St. John’s, Newfoundland to London on Westjet
Time 5 hr 15 min outbound, 5 hr 40 min return
Fastest connection 4 hr to Boston via Halifax
Dates May to October
Halifax, Nova Scotia to Dublin on Westjet
Time 5 hr 27 min outbound, 6 hr 8 min on return
Fastest connection 2 hr to Boston
Dates April to October
Halifax, Nova Scotia to Edinburgh, Scotland on Westjet
Time 5 hr 35 min outbound, 6 hr, 6 min on return
Fastest connection 2 hr to Boston
Dates May to October
