Book by: ASAP
Travel by: Select periods through summer
The deal: Discover close-to-home destinations at a major discount this spring and summer, thanks to the bountiful batch of domestic airfare deals that have just cropped up, touting priced-to-go fares from $49 each-way. Snag one of Southwest’s system-wide sale fares for travel across the U.S. (including on their new route to/from NYC); get free flights if you’re a frequent flyer on select JetBlue itineraries; save 10 percent off fares to national park locales on Alaska Airlines; and much more. Just hurry — several of these promotions expire as soon as April 20.
$49+: Southwest
The deal: America’s aviation sweetheart — low-cost, “freedom from fees” Southwest Airlines —has just announced a near system-wide fare sale (only D.C., NYC, and Ft. Myers are excluded), slashing prices on travel to dozens of U.S. cities to as low as $49 each way. Jet off to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Chicago, and many more top US cities for travel during spring and right through the peak summer travel period.
Sample one-way fares: Albuquerque–Denver $49; Austin–Dallas $49; Baltimore–Providence $49; Chicago–Indianapolis $49; Los Angeles–Las Vegas $49; and more.
The catch: Travel isn’t valid on Fridays or Sundays — and a 14-day advance purchase is required.
Travel by: August 13
Book by: April 20
Plus, Southwest takes flight to/from NYC with low intro fares
The deal: Southwest has also just revealed it’ll be touching down in the Big Apple this summer. Starting June 28, the budget carrier is slated to operate several daily flights between LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Chicago Midway (MDW) and Baltimore/D.C. (BWI).
Sample one-way fares to/from NYC: Baltimore/Washington, D.C.: $49; Chicago $89
The catch: Introductory rates can not be applied for travel on Fridays or Sundays and blackout dates apply around the 4th of July holiday.
Travel by: June 29–August 13
Book by: April 20
JetBlue offers free flights to frequent travelers in the northeast
The deal: JetBlue is rewarding members of its free TrueBlue program who are frequent flyers on some of its popular routes with travel certificates valid for a free future round-trip flight. In order to qualify, book three round-trip JetBlue flights on applicable routes within the Northeast region and get a complimentary fare on one of the same itineraries, including flights to/from Boston or NYC and Buffalo, D.C., Burlington, Pittsburgh, and more. Or, book just two round-trip tickets between Boston and Western cities like Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and more, and get a round-trip flight to anywhere that JetBlue flies (including to tempting and traditionally pricier international locales like Cancun or Aruba).
The catch: You’ll have to get flying in order to rack up the required flights in time for the promotions' fast-approaching end dates.
Travel by for the Northeast region promotion: Fly three flights through June 17 to earn the voucher; complimentary future travel certificate may be redeemed for travel July 1 through December 15.
Travel by for the Boston to West Coast promotion: Fly two flights through May 31 to earn the voucher; complimentary future travel certificate may be redeemed for travel June 15 through December 15.
The deal: Super-sleek Virgin America, with its mood lighting, personal power ports, on-demand meal service, and in-flight entertainment systems, is one of fave ways to fly, especially on the long-haul transcontinental jaunts. Happily, these coast-to-coast routes are now priced as little as $79 each-way — look for tax-inclusive round-trip fares of just under $180 for flights between cities like Los Angeles and Boston this May!
Sample one-way fares: LA–Boston $79; San Francisco–Boston $99; NYC–Las Vegas $109; San Diego–D.C. $109; and more.
The catch: Fares spike considerably once the summer months roll around — don’t miss the boat on this one.
Travel by: May 31
Book by: May 31
The deal: Alaska Airlines is offering a 10 percent reduction on travel to national park destinations this spring, including Flagstaff (Grand Canyon), Arcata/Eureka (Redwood), Kalispell (Glacier), Palm Springs (Joshua Tree), and more. Just enter discount code “EC34109” when booking online.
The catch: Some of these smaller, less-serviced airports, while convenient to the parks, carry hefty fares to begin with — you have a good chance of saving even more cash by flying into larger metros and driving a few extra hours (ex. flying into Phoenix or Las Vegas for the Grand Canyon instead of Flagstaff).
Travel by: May 20
Book by: May 20
The deal: Midwest Airlines has posted discounted rates of up to 20 percent off travel to and from the Midwestern U.S. through the summer. Fares start at $120 round-trip for travel between Midwest cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Des Moines, and more and dozens of popular cities throughout the rest of the country.
Sample round-trip fares: Grand Rapids–Pittsburgh $120; Nashville–Green Bay $176; Des Moines–NYC $224; Madison–NYC $134; Milwaukee–Minneapolis/St. Paul $122; and more
The Catch: A 21-day advance purchase is required and up to a 3-night minimum stay requirement may be imposed, dependent upon departure day.
Travel by: May 5–August 31
Book by: April 20
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