Which Airlines Offer Student Flight Discounts?
Not every airline offers student discounts. Here's a breakdown of which carriers do, what they include, and which ones to skip.
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Not every airline treats student travelers the same way. Some carriers offer generous, well-publicized programs, while others have no formal student discount at all. Knowing which is which can save you time — and money — before you start comparing fares.
Airlines with active student programs
Several major international carriers currently run dedicated student fare programs:
- Turkish Airlines: offers a notable discount for students, with reductions on both international and domestic fares within Turkey, plus extra baggage allowance and free ticket changes.
- Emirates: provides a discount for students within a certain age range on all fares, accessible through its dedicated student discount page, along with added baggage allowance.
- Etihad Airways: runs a student program offering savings on economy and business fares, plus extra checked baggage and a free date change.
- Cathay Pacific: has offered student-specific promo codes providing fare discounts, extra baggage, and free ticket changes.
- KLM: offers discounted student tickets for those traveling to or from a university abroad.
- United Airlines: gives a discount for young travelers within a specific age bracket, applied automatically when booking while logged into a qualifying account.
- Iberia: runs a program for younger travelers that includes discounted fares, extra baggage allowance, and flexible flight changes.
- Air France: also offers a dedicated youth and student fare structure with added flexibility.
Airlines with no formal student discount
Several major North American carriers currently have no active student discount program, meaning you won't get an automatic markdown just for being a student. This group has historically included a number of large U.S. and Canadian airlines. That doesn't mean these airlines can't offer the best deal on a given route — it simply means any savings will come from timing or general fare shopping rather than a student-specific discount.
Booking platforms with their own student discounts
Beyond individual airlines, several booking platforms run their own student discount programs, layering additional savings on top of (or instead of) airline-specific fares:
- BYOjet for Students (formerly StudentUniverse): a dedicated student travel platform offering flights, hotels, and tours, with free membership required to access exclusive fares.
- Trip.com: runs an active student discount program, including a dedicated "student ticket" filter during search, along with flexible booking and extra baggage on select airlines.
How to choose the right airline for your route
- Start by checking whether any airline flying your specific route has an active student program.
- Compare the discounted fare against student travel platforms like BYOjet for Students or Trip.com's student filter.
- Factor in extras like baggage allowance and change flexibility, not just the base fare — these can be worth more than the percentage discount itself.
- Cross-check against budget carriers and general search engines, since a non-student fare can sometimes beat a "discounted" one.
Final Thoughts
Which airlines offer student flight discounts changes fairly often, so it's worth checking directly with carriers on your route before assuming there's no deal available. Between dedicated airline programs and student-focused booking platforms, most international routes have at least one meaningful discount option worth comparing.
For more details and route-specific tips, visit How to Get Cheap International Flights as a Student.
