Deal Alert: Last-Minute Labor Day Weekend Flights From $53 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
It's almost Labor Day weekend, the last holiday weekend to take advantage of this summer. With that being said, it's time to maximize your extended weekend and explore some place new. If you kept meaning to plan a trip, but just didn't get around to it, there's still one more chance with these great last minute flight deals.
On a typical week, you can snag many more last minute deals for as low as $49, but considering it's a holiday weekend $53 round-trip isn't a bad starting price.
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.
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 a great 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 28 and September 4. Also note that most of our example routes are also available in the reverse direction.
If you're looking to get the Spirit deals even cheaper, you can often buy Spirit flights cheaper at their airport check-in 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.'
Worried about Spirit or Frontier's reliability incase of irregular operations (IRROPS)? You can buy insurance through Freebird from $19 one-way, who will rebook you if your flight's been delayed more than four hours or cancelled.
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: AUS/ORD/DEN/RDU/PHL/LAS/DTW/IND/BWI/BOS/MSP to MSY/RSU/ATL/SYR/JAX/PHL/PNS/SAV/IND/MCI/MYR/CLT/BWI (many available on the reverse route)
Cost: $53+ round-trip
Travel Dates: Aug. 28 - Sept. 4, 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:
New Orleans (MSY) to Austin (AUS) for $53 round-trip when booked separately on Spirit and Frontier:
Denver (DEN) to Atlanta (ATL) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:
Chicago (ORD) to Syracuse (SYR) for $77 round-trip on Frontier:
Raleigh (RDU) to Jacksonville (JAX) for $77 round-trip on Frontier:
Raleigh (RDU) to Philadelphia (PHL) for $77 round-trip on Frontier:
Philadelphia (PHL) to Pensacola (PNS) for $83 round-trip on Frontier:
Philadelphia (PHL) to Savannah (SAV) for $83 round-trip on Frontier:
Las Vegas (LAS) to Indianapolis (IND) for $85 round-trip on Frontier:
Chicago (ORD) to Raleigh (RDU) for $99 round-trip when booked separately on Spirit and United:
Indianapolis (IND) to Myrtle Beach (MYR) for $100 round-trip on Spirit:
Detroit (DTW) to Kansas City (MCI) for $103 round-trip on Spirit:
Boston (BOS) to Baltimore (BWI) for $123 round-trip on Spirit:
Baltimore (BWI) to Charlotte (CLT) for $127 round-trip on Spirit:
Minneapolis (MSP) to Myrtle Beach (MYR) for $138 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.