Deal Alert: Transcontinental Flights from $18. But Is It a Good Deal?

I spend a considerable amount of my “free time” (which is very little when you have a 2 year old quarantined in the house) searching for airfare deals and cannot help but be amazed at the cost of airfare in the US right now.

And, it is not just for travel this month but cheap prices even exist all the way into 2021! Let’s hope this ends before then.

Cheap Fares From Various Cities

I want to first start out by saying, this is not the time for travel and it likely will not be for some time. I am not advocating that people should be flying anytime soon but you gotta admit that these prices are kinda crazy (in a good way).

Depending on your need for “unique” experiences (i.e. pain), seeing prices on on Spirit from Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas at just $18 has been just cruel to see! You can also pay $31 for American Airlines to fly non-stop from Miami to Los Angeles but I’m not sure the experience will be much better given that it is American. 🙄

Check out these flights from Atlanta to Los Angeles that I found all the way in November 2020. I fly this route often and $49 each way is like 50% off (and an even larger discount if you’re not flexible with dates).

And look at you Chicago…

The good thing about booking travel now for later on in the year is that the change waivers for some airlines are still in effect. In other words, you can book now and change later with no change fee. But, there’s a HUGE caveat… if you are paying $15 for a ticket now and decide to change the dates, the new ticket could cost you, say, $180.

Yes, the airlines may waive the change fee but they will hold you responsible for paying the fare difference. Therefore, there is some calculated risk. Don’t think you are getting an incredible deal with the no change fee “promise” from the airlines but that’s only if you change the dates.

FINAL STAMP

Are you in need of ideas? Just go to Google Flights and search your hometown, the biggest city to you, or random cities.

• Miami to Los Angeles (in September): $31 on AA
• NYC to Phoenix (in November): $48 on AA
• Boston to Dallas (in October): $38 on JetBlue
• New York to London: $100 on TAP Portugal (or $189 roundtrip)
• New York to Athens: $282 (roundtrip) on Delta
• Denver to Honolulu $621 on UA (business class for you ballers)

Note: This also provides a glimpse at how badly airlines are trying to get people on their planes right now.

While I am certainly not suggesting anyone buy right now, it is just amazing to look around the US at prices that are less than what you may pay for lunch. But, if you are getting a little cabin fever and thinking about better travel days, I would recommend checking out the various fares in fall and into next year. It could make you feel a little better…maybe?

What cheap fares did I miss?