Skip to content
Go to Home Page
Deals

Deal alert: Last-minute weekend flights from $49 round-trip

Liz Hund
Articles
Liz Hund is a former TPG writer, covering everything from the latest deal to deeper guides with a focus on beginners.
Sept. 09, 2019
•
7 min read
San-Antonio-new-routes-november-credit-Getty
Deal alert: Last-minute weekend flights from $49 round-trip
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Mondays can have us all feeling a bit of wanderlust as we get back into the swing of the workweek. If you're feeling especially spontaneous today, these are some of the last-minute flight deals you can book for this upcoming weekend.

Many of these deals — like Colorado Springs (COS) to San Antonio (SAT) from $49 round-trip — are a part of Frontier's flash sale, which is offering 90% off bookings made today, Sept. 9. However, it's still possible to grab a cheap flight without the generous discount. Just be sure to act sooner than later as prices typically go up closer to the departure date.

The San Antonio River Walk and the scenic canal tours via boat.(Photo by dszc / Getty Images)
Visit the San Antonio River Walk and take a scenic canal tour. (Photo by dszc/Getty Images)

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, because 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 budget 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 about the same price. All of the routes listed have flights available under $150 between Sept. 13 and Sept. 16. 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 for less 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.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Worried about Spirit or Frontier's reliability in case of irregular operations (IROPS)? You can buy insurance through Freebird for $19 one-way, and they'll rebook you if your flight is 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.

Airlines: Spirit, Frontier, American, Sun Country
Routes: COS/DEN/MCO/MSY/BOS/RDU/SAT/MSP/IND/BNA/AUS/PHL/DTW/IAD to SAT/MSY/PHL/RDU/DTW/AUS/COS/MCO/SRQ/SFO/RSW/DEN/CHS (many available in the reverse direction)
Cost: $49+ round-trip
Travel Dates: Sept. 13 - Sept. 16, 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 San Antonio (SAT) for $49 round-trip on Frontier:

Denver (DEN) to New Orleans (MSY) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:

Orlando (MCO) to Philadelphia (PHL) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:

New Orleans (MSY) to Philadelphia (PHL) for $67 round-trip on Spirit:

Boston (BOS) to Raleigh (RDU) for $75 round-trip on Spirit:

Raleigh (RDU) to Detroit (DTW) for $75 round-trip on Spirit:

Minneapolis (MSP) to Austin (AUS) for $79 round-trip on Frontier:

San Antonio (SAT) to Colorado Springs (COS) for $81 round-trip on Frontier:

Indianapolis (IND) to Orlando (MCO) for $85 round-trip on Spirit:

Nashville (BNA) to Sarasota (SRQ) for $100 round-trip on Allegiant:

Austin (AUS) to San Francisco (SFO) for $101 round-trip on Frontier:

Philadelphia (PHL) to Fort Myers (RSW) for $107 round-trip on Frontier:

Detroit (DTW) to Denver (DEN) for $109 round-trip on Frontier:

Denver (DEN) to Charleston (CHS) for $127 round-trip on Frontier:

Washington DC (IAD) to San Antonio (SAT) for $151 round-trip on Frontier:

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.

Featured photo by David Sucsy/Getty Images

Featured image by Photo by David Sucsy / Getty Images.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.