Save Up to 75% on Flights by Comparing Nearby Airports
Written by
Martin Dasko
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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Earlier this year, 34% of Americans admitted that they didn’t have travel plans, with 39% of those citing personal financial reasons and 35% blaming the economy, according to a survey conducted by Enterprise Mobility. The survey also found that 62% of summer travelers were cutting expenses to plan for their next trip.
With travel becoming more expensive, it’s important to find ways of cost cutting to ensure you can still find some leisure and adventure in your life. If you’re looking to save money on your next trip, you could see significant savings before you even leave home. You could pay up to 75% less on your flight if you’re willing to comparison shop at different airports near you.
GOBankingRates spoke with travel experts who shared how airport comparison shopping can help you save money on your next trip.
Examples of Airport Comparison Shopping
Diana Yu, a travel expert and writer at Just Wanderlust Blog, shared personal examples of how airport shopping saved her money.
Southern California to Mexico
Yu always searches for flights to Mexico from Tijuana instead of from LAX because domestic flights within Mexico are significantly cheaper than flights from LAX to Mexico. She once flew her family of four to Cabo for about $700 total versus $2,800 from LAX. The $2,100 in savings from driving into Tijuana covered the hotel for the entire trip.
West Coast to New York
Yu will fly into John F. Kennedy (JFK) instead of LaGuardia (LGA) because it’s $100+ cheaper every time. She feels the only real sacrifice is an extra 30 minutes to get into Manhattan from JFK instead of LGA.
Yu pointed out that if you’re buying multiple tickets (for instance, flying a family out), the savings really add up. You’ll want to compare airport options on both ends of the trip. You could either drive to a nearby airport to start your journey or consider flying into a secondary airport at your destination.
Why Airport Shopping Makes Sense
The travel experts agreed there are specific times and places where airport comparison shopping makes complete sense.
Your Local Airport Doesn’t Offer the Best Rates
“I comparison shop constantly because my local airport, Santa Ana, California, only really has deals on domestic flights,” remarked Michelle Jensen, a travel expert and founder of Travel HerStory. “If I want to fly internationally, I need to either go to LAX or San Diego, as they’ll have direct or at least cheaper deals.”
Jensen noted that she will compare on Google Flights by manually searching for different airports. She added, “Long Beach and Burbank are also options, but they rarely make sense for international flights as they have similar options to Santa Ana.”
Different Airlines Offer Better Deals
Taima Ramsey, an attorney and founder of Poor In A Private Plane, shared that “secondary” airports you have to drive to can often unlock much lower fares. She recommended setting Google Alerts to track pricing trends over time, so you can familiarize yourself with what a good deal looks like. Alerts can also surface flights from nearby airports you might not have considered.
Yu agreed that budget airlines often operate from secondary airports and offer better deals overall. She shared some alternate airports worth looking into if you want to save money on your next trip:
- Paris: Compare Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) with Paris Orly Airport (ORY).
- London: Instead of searching only for flights in/out of Heathrow (LHR), check Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN) and Luton (LTN).
- Washington, D.C. area: Compare Dulles (IAD), Ronald Reagan (DCA) and Baltimore (BWI) airports.
- Chicago area: Compare O’Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW). O’Hare is the major hub, but Southwest flies out of Midway, so you can find domestic deals this way.
A short commute on a train or a quick drive can help you save money just because you chose a different airport for your departure or arrival.
Airport Comparison Shopping Considerations
While saving money by comparison shopping airports can save you money, Yu said you should always consider how far an airport is, what ground transport looks like and whether the savings are worth the extra time it will take to get to your final destination. It could be tempting to save money in the moment, but on the day of your vacation, you may not be in the mood to drive a few hours early in the morning.
Ramsey added, “While a cheaper flight from a smaller airport can look appealing, it’s important to calculate what it takes to actually get there. If it costs $200 and four extra hours to reach that airport, you might lose the savings (and the convenience).” For example, if you’re only going away for the weekend for a conference, you may not want to spend an additional four hours in transit. On the other hand, if you’re going on an extended family vacation, driving to another airport could lead to significant savings, allowing you to spend more money on your vacation.
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