Deal Alert: Last-Minute Weekend Getaway Flights From $49 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you're looking for a way to celebrate/commemorate summer coming to an end, how about taking a last-minute trip somewhere fun? Typically, we try to stay away from low-cost carriers, but we wanted to have some fun with this one, and you might too — if you're willing to take a spontaneous vacation. If you're a business-class-only flyer, these fares probably aren't for you. But if you're an adventurous reader aching to go on a trip and willing to pack light, check out these last-minute deals.
We're seeing low fares to fun cities such as Denver, New Orleans and Las Vegas, among others. Be aware of extra fees and restrictions. Low-cost airlines such as Frontier and Spirit all charge extra to choose your seat and to bring a large carry-on bag.
Although these low-fare carriers tend to get a bad rap, you may end up pleasantly surprised, like TPG himself when he flew Spirit (and he wasn't even in the Big Front Seat)! The same goes for Frontier. Bottom line: if you're in the market for cheap tickets and want to get away as soon as this weekend, this is the way to go.
If our example dates and times don't fit your schedule, play around with the dates on Google Flights as there are often other times available for a little more or sometimes less depending on your dates. All of the routes listed have flights available under $150 between August 15-19. Also note that most of our example routes are also available in reverse.
As a reader pointed out last week, you can often buy Spirit flights cheaper at the counter. However, it's not always guaranteed and sometimes the limited savings may not be worth the hassle— it really just depends on how flexible you are.
To search, head to Google Flights and enter your origin, destination and stopover cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or through an OTA like Priceline or Expedia.
Airline Spirit, Frontier, United
Routes: COS, LAS, DTW, AUS, ATL, DEN, MSY, MCO, IND, ORD, JAX and more (many available on the reverse route)
Cost: $49+ round-trip
Travel Dates: August 15-19, 2019
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Colorado Springs (COS) to Las Vegas (LAS) for $49 round-trip on Frontier:
Detroit (DTW) to Austin (AUS) for $59 round-trip on Spirit:
Atlanta (ATL) to Denver (DEN) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:
Denver (DEN) to New Orleans (MSY) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:
Orlando (MCO) to Indianapolis (IND) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:
Orlando (MCO) to New Orleans (MSY) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:
Denver (DEN) to Dallas (DFW) for $69 round-trip on Spirit:
Nashville (BNA) to Philadelphia (PHL) for $87 round-trip on Frontier:
Baltimore (BWI) to Raleigh (RDU) for $94 round-trip on Spirit:
Austin (AUS) to Atlanta (ATL) for $105 round-trip on Spirit:
Saint Louis (STL) to Denver (DEN) for $112 round-trip on Spirit:
Raleigh (RDU) to Cleveland (CLE) for $112 round-trip on Frontier:
Jacksonville (JAX) to Detroit (DTW) for $113 round-trip on Spirit:
Houston (IAH) to Denver (DEN) for $116 round-trip on United:
Kansas City (MCI) to Detroit (DTW) for $128 round-trip on Spirit:
Atlanta (ATL) to Colorado Springs (COS) for $132 round-trip on Frontier:
Chicago (ORD) to Jacksonville (JAX) for $139 round-trip on Spirit:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
