Top 5 US Cities for Cheap Flights
Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.
Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.If you’re looking for a great deal on your next getaway, you may have better luck than others if you live in one of these 5 cities!
Here’s a list of US cities where you’re most likely to find cheap flights!
Which Are the Best Cities for Low-Cost Flights?
1. Washington, DC (Baltimore)
If you live in the Washington, DC / Baltimore area, you have the best chance at finding a bargain on your next flight!
Plus, if you have the Companion Pass, you can save even more with amazing 2-for-1 deals.
You also won’t pay fees if you need to change or cancel your flights later. And everyone gets 2 free checked bags!
Additionally, you can find some of the cheapest flights to the Caribbean on airlines like Frontier and Norwegian from the Washington, DC, area.
And with service to Europe on WOW Air, there are lots of low-cost fares. Like this sale, with $99 one-way fares between Baltimore and Iceland. I enjoyed flying with them on my trip to Reykjavik.
Because Norwegian and WOW Air don’t charge more for one-way flights, they can be good options if you want to mix-and-match paid and award flights overseas.
Spirit also flies to Baltimore. And Frontier has service in the Washington, DC, area (Dulles and Reagan National airports).2. New York City
With 3 major airports, there’s a lot of competition. And that means good deals for travelers!
The Flight Deal often posts sale fares from New York’s airports. And you can find great deals from New York to Europe in coach on airlines like United Airlines, Delta, American Airlines, Air Berlin, and more!You can often book cheap fares using Chase Ultimate Rewards or Citi ThankYou points too. This gives you another option for Big Travel with Small Money!
Also, did you know New York (JFK) is JetBlue’s busiest airport? JetBlue has frequent flash sales with cheap one-way flights to spots like the Caribbean. And folks living in or near the Big Apple can save even more with the JetBlue credit cards!
Plus, JetBlue’s Business Class flights are usually cheap compared to Business Class on other airlines. Or better yet, you can pay for a JetBlue Business Class ticket with AMEX Membership Rewards points earned from the AMEX Business Platinum card, and get half your points back!
And from New York (JFK), you can also get good deals on Norwegian Airlines flights to Martinique, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and more! Southwest serves both New York – LaGuardia and Newark airports, too!And Frontier and Spirit fly from New York (LaGuardia), if you’re looking for ultra low-budget options.
3. Chicago
You’ll also save money on flights if you live in Chicago. Because Chicago has the most daily and non-stop Southwest flights to most major US cities, Cancun, Montego Bay, and more!
I love Southwest because of their generous cancellation policy. And I consider the Southwest Companion Pass one of the best deals in travel.
With the Companion Pass, you can save ~50% off the retail cost of any Southwest paid or award flight!
And if you’re looking for cheap award tickets to Europe, consider using your British Airways Avios points to fly to Dublin on Aer Lingus. You’ll pay fewer points in the off-season!
4. Boston
Folks living in Boston have lots of cheap flight options, especially on tickets to Europe! Both WOW Air and Norwegian offer low-cost service to Iceland, the UK, and beyond. You can find great deals when tickets go on sale! Just remember to watch out for extra fees, especially if you pack a lot. You can also fly non-stop to the French Caribbean on Norwegian (Guadeloupe or Martinique) on Norwegian. I’ve seen fares as low as $49 one-way!Plus, JetBlue has Business Class flights out of Boston that often cost less than Business Class tickets with other airlines. And if you have the AMEX Business Platinum card, you can get 50% of your points back when using Pay With Points through the AMEX travel portal.
If you’re booking with miles or points, remember the cheapest way to fly to Europe is from these 6 cities (including Boston!) to Dublin on Aer Lingus using British Airways Avios points. You’ll pay just 13,000 British Airways Avios points one-way in coach during the off-season!
So you could fly one-way on a paid ticket. And return on an award ticket for cheap from Dublin to Boston.
If you’re looking for cheap flights within the US, Southwest and Spirit also fly from Boston.5. Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale’s airport isn’t as busy as the others on this list, but you can find a lot of great deals departing from here.
JetBlue flies from Fort Lauderdale to destinations in the US, and spots in the Caribbean and Central America like Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Cuba. And they offer sale fares frequently!
They also plan to add Business Class routes from Fort Lauderdale to spots like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Plus, Southwest and Spirit fly from Fort Lauderdale to ~40 different US and international destinations each. Which gives you more options for cheap tickets!
Use the Right Card to Pay
Along with saving money by flying with a budget airline, don’t forget to earn bonus miles or points by paying with the right credit card!
- Premier Rewards Gold Card From American Express – 3X American Express Membership Rewards points when booking directly with airlines
- The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN – 3X American Express Membership Rewards points for booking directly with airlines when you choose this as your 3X category (otherwise 2X points)
- Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard – 2.1% back
when you redeem for $100+ travel purchases
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel
- Chase Sapphire Reserve – 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel
- Citi Prestige Card – 3X Citi ThankYou points on airfare
- Citi ThankYou Premier Card – 3X Citi ThankYou points on travel
- JetBlue Plus Card – 6X JetBlue Points on JetBlue purchases, first checked bag free, and more
- JetBlue Business Card – 6X JetBlue Points on JetBlue purchases, first checked bag free, and more
Bottom Line
If you happen to live in the Baltimore area, you’re lucky to have great options for cheap flights! And folks in New York, Chicago, Boston, and Fort Lauderdale do, too.
All 3 no-frills low-cost carriers (Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit) fly from Baltimore and Washington, DC. And there are also lots of departing flights on Southwest!
Plus you can get to Europe and the Caribbean cheaply on Norwegian and WOW Air.
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
Join the Discussion!