Skyscanner, Priceline, Kayak – all promising cheap flights. Personally, I don’t use those sites. I find that a majority of cheap flights are accessible via Google Flights. You just need to know your major U.S. airports, the budget airlines worth flying, as well as the routes they tend to take.
Here are some of the cheapest international and domestic flights and routes from some of the largest airports.
Los Angeles – LAX
Los Angeles is the perfect departure point to head to Mexico and Central America. You can find flights between $100 – $150 (one-way) to:
San Salvador
San Jose
Mexico City
Our Favorite Flight: LAX to San Jose Cabo, $103
Atlanta – Hartsfield/Jackson
For trips to the West Coast and mid-states, Atlanta is a cheap flight. Get to any of these cities for under $100 (one-way):
Las Vegas
Memphis
Minneapolis
Denver
Our Favorite Flight: Atlanta to Denver, $59
Denver – DIA
If you’re headed to the Pacific Northwest, Denver is the perfect hub. Snag a flight to one of these costly destinations for under $100 (one-way):
Seattle
Portland
Bozeman
Jackson
Our Favorite Flight: Denver to Bozeman, $69
Chicago – O’Hare
O’Hare is the perfect starting point to get to a lot of major cities, including Atlanta, Nashville, and Phoenix, all for under $50. For under $100, you can also get to:
El Paso
Austin
New Orleans
San Antonio
Our Favorite Flight: O’Hare to Austin, $52
San Francisco – San Francisco International
SFO is one of the best airports to reach Hawaii, Japan, and other cities in Asia, with flights to Hawaii (multiple islands) for under $200 one-way. You can also fly for under $300 one-way to:
Bejing
Hong Kong
Shanghai
If you don’t like long flights, try stopping in Hawaii for a night or so and getting flights from there to Asia.
Our Favorite Flight: San Francisco to Shanghai, $230
Dallas – Fort Worth
If you want to get to Central America, Cuba, and the Caribbean, Dallas is an incredibly affordable airport. For under $120 one-way, you can fly to:
Cancun
Montego Bay
Aruba
Panama City
Our Favorite Flight: Dallas to Cancun, $72
Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International
South America can be expensive to fly to, but if you route through Fort Lauderdale, you can access cities for under $200 one-way, such as:
Lima
Bogota
Port of Spain
You can also book tickets separately and reach further destinations, such as Santiago and Cusco for under $100 if you fly from Lima.
Our Favorite Flight: Fort Lauderdale to Lima ($160), Lima to Santiago ($66).
New York – JFK
If you fly from JFK, you can get to Europe for under $200, with regular flights to:
Amsterdam
Vienna
Oslo
Madrid
Once you get to any of those cities, you can also snag a flight to a further destination, such as Budapest or Berlin for around $40-$50.
Our Favorite Flight: JFK to Madrid ($170), Madrid to Budapest ($50)
Newark – Newark Liberty
For more affordable Nordic routes, try flying out of Newark. You can get a flight for under $200 and access:
Reykjavik
Oslo
Stockholm
Copenhagen
Our Favorite Flight: Newark to Reykjavik, $120
Boston – Logan International
Boston is a great affordable airport, and has some of the quicker flights to Europe. For under $200 one-way, you can fly to:
Dublin
London
Paris
Milan
Our Favorite Flight: Boston to Dublin, $180
My advice? Find the closest major airport (or the cheapest one you can fly into) and start booking.
