What’s the lowest airfare you’ve seen in 2021?

[Gitelfor]

With airlines trying to increase business and passenger loads, there are crazy low airfares out there. This is one I saw today for travel on American/Main Cabin, as far out as May.

MIA-LAX priced out at about $61 round trip, tax included. About half of the fare comes from taxes and fees, making the low fare even more unbelievable. I heard that the airlines need the flights to carry cargo, so the small revenue from the low passenger fares is gravy.

 

[brockash]

We got flights from Nashville- Denver for $49 each way...pretty excited about that.

 

[Cal-Pie]

$59 round trip Las Vegas to MCO in early January. Too bad I couldn't travel in January.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I know many folks get really excited about super low fares and I get it....sometimes those super low fares are what makes a trip possible for many. Money doesn't grow on trees and a budget is a budget. But I'll be honest, when prices are THAT low, I can't help but wonder what has been sacrificed. Are they skimping on maintenance? Staffing? Maybe they're just operating a loss, but either way, it makes me uncomfortable. But then again, flying makes me uncomfortable....so perhaps it's just my paranoia getting the best of me lol.

Frontier often has really, really low prices to Orlando from our local airport. I've seen $60 round trip flights since the pandemic hit, but haven't looked at them lately. While we have flown them before with minimal issues, enough of my friends have not been so lucky.....so that crazy low fare price doesn't strike me as a "deal" so much as a "gamble".

 

[Dakota731]

I’ve seen amazing prices for winter and spring, so I’m hoping there are some deals for summer when we are traveling!

 

[Evita_W]

Lax to MCO for about $80 round trip on Jetblue is the best I have seen.

 

[kristenrice]

I know many folks get really excited about super low fares and I get it....sometimes those super low fares are what makes a trip possible for many. Money doesn't grow on trees and a budget is a budget. But I'll be honest, when prices are THAT low, I can't help but wonder what has been sacrificed. Are they skimping on maintenance? Staffing? Maybe they're just operating a loss, but either way, it makes me uncomfortable. But then again, flying makes me uncomfortable....so perhaps it's just my paranoia getting the best of me lol.

Frontier often has really, really low prices to Orlando from our local airport. I've seen $60 round trip flights since the pandemic hit, but haven't looked at them lately. While we have flown them before with minimal issues, enough of my friends have not been so lucky.....so that crazy low fare price doesn't strike me as a "deal" so much as a "gamble".

Fear not...it's being made up for!

DH just told me that we have been invited to a vow renewal in Daytona Beach in July. Since it is my weekend off, and we've never done a "spontaneous" weekend trip before, I thought maybe I would price it out. Uh...well...Delta's flights from GRR to DAB are $450 R/T. If we opted to fly into MCO, we are still looking at $300+...and that includes SWA's best fares. I wish we could score ANYTHING under $150 R/T out of GR but I think the only route that offers fares that low is if we want to go to Chicago.

We're also looking for airfare for a family trip to WDW in October. We are going on a Wednesday and returning on a Monday and our fares are also in the $450 range on Delta. I am eagerly awaiting the SWA release, but their schedules have been awful...no non-stop, LONG layovers, and everything arrives late and departs early. United and American also fly out of GR, but honestly, every time I have checked their fares, they are beyond ridiculous...like $700+! Frontier flies from GR too, but once you add in all their extra fees, they are no cheaper than Delta or SWA, and a lot of their itineraries are CRAZY....why would I fly to DENVER, spend the night and then continue on to Orlando??

 

[AlohaNow]

SW currently has some Denver to Miami and Orlando for $49 this spring. This isn't that uncommon for SW, so I wouldn't be concerned about flying them. But you couldn't pay me to fly Frontier or Spirit!

 

[asculthorp]

Yesterday I found MSP to MCO, direct flights with Delta, for $96 return after taxes. 3/2 to 3/10. For comparison I paid about $195 in Feb 2020 and $216 October 2019. The flight times are better as well. For each of the previous trips I had a really late departure or arrival for one leg of the trip in order to get the prices that low.

 

[EACarlson]

I just booked ORD-DAL for $97 RT. It was an extra $50 to fly from MDW than it was from ORD. By comparison, MKE which I will drive by in order to get to ORD was $240 pp. I flew MDW-MCO in October for $99 and my wife flew MDW-MCO last week for $105.

 

[KristaZ]

$28 round trip from Hartford, CT to MCO - of course it was on Spirit, so really only that low if you can travel with just a personal item and don't mind the whole no-frills experience.

 

[keishashadow]

$28 round trip from Hartford, CT to MCO - of course it was on Spirit, so really only that low if you can travel with just a personal item and don't mind the whole no-frills experience.

& here i thot the occasional $23 one way on PIT-MCO was great lol

 

[Gitelfor]

It all comes down to competition, supply, and demand. If a carrier has competition on a route, especially from an Ultra Low Cost Carrier, such as Spirit or Frontier, most airlines will match the competition’s fares on a route, especially if there is reduced demand. As so much of the income is coming from ancillary fees, such as for bags, the goal is to get bodies in seats, even at very low fares. When people get vaccinated, travel demand will pick up, and fares will increase. It will be interesting to look back at these fares in about six months; hopefully, we will be able to comment about how low the fares were ” back then,” compared to how they look the end of summer and beyond. That will be a good sign for the population, if not for the travel budget.

 

[DisMommyTX]

My brother got rt Dallas to Tampa for $90pp over spring break. Our flights are always $5.60 each way with Southwest points.

 

[kristenrice]

It all comes down to competition, supply, and demand. If a carrier has competition on a route, especially from an Ultra Low Cost Carrier, such as Spirit or Frontier, most airlines will match the competition’s fares on a route, especially if there is reduced demand. As so much of the income is coming from ancillary fees, such as for bags, the goal is to get bodies in seats, even at very low fares. When people get vaccinated, travel demand will pick up, and fares will increase. It will be interesting to look back at these fares in about six months; hopefully, we will be able to comment about how low the fares were ” back then,” compared to how they look the end of summer and beyond. That will be a good sign for the population, if not for the travel budget. ✈

This is what I just don't understand about the GRR airport... we have United, America, Delta, SWA, and Frontier that all fly to MCO from here. In addition, we have Allegiant that flies into SFB. There is definitely competition as well as demand...but we rarely see prices below $100 one-way (and that would only be on SWA or Frontier). Everything is generally $300+ R/T and that's a pretty good deal.

 

[Olaf Myfrenzargay]

UA $90 r/t fr. EWR late March. Booked in Jan.

 

[Cheburashka]

Meh. As a schoolteacher I can only travel during peak season, and 2021 fares for spring break, summer & Thanksgiving week are still high.

 

[mrs705]

Southwest $49.00- LaGuardia to MCO end of March.

 

[kdonnel]

Back in July flew ATL-MCO for $34.20 round trip.

Airfare was $7 each way and then $10.10 in government taxes and fees.

 

[alison228]

$50 roundtrip pvd to mco jetblue