When it comes to saving money for international travel, where you start – meaning your origin airport – has a lot to do with where you can afford to go.
A recent report from Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) shows the U.S. airports with the most deals when it comes to international economy-class flights.
To come up with its data, which was published in December 2022, the travel site says it calculated how frequently it sent deals to its subscribers from commercial airports situated around U.S. metro areas of at least 700,000 people. Let’s get into the numbers:
Best U.S. Airports for International Flight Deals
| Airport/Code | Number of Deals | Average Price Roundtrip |
|---|---|---|
| New York (JFK) | 475 | $413 |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) | 433 | $449 |
| Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | 423 | $429 |
| Newark (EWR) | 415 | $422 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 409 | $413 |
| Boston (BOS) | 389 | $435 |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 380 | $441 |
| Miami (MIA) | 375 | $394 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 299 | $426 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 289 | $405 |
In contrast to some of the best airports for flights abroad, which regularly see hundreds of fare deals a week, the smaller, regional airports see only a fraction of those bargains. Going.com says even with that said, its members can still expect to receive an average of “five to eight international economy class deals per month, or at least 1 deal per week.”
Let’s take a look at the U.S. airports with the least amount of deals on international fares, according to Going.com.
Worst U.S. Airports for International Flight Deals
| Airport/Code | Number of Deals | Average Price Roundtrip |
|---|---|---|
| Panama City (ECP) | 62 | $503 |
| Honolulu (HNL) | 65 | $504 |
| Oakland (OAK) | 79 | $514 |
| Sacramento (SMF) | 85 | $449 |
| Oklahoma City (OKC) | 88 | $466 |
| Long Beach (LGB) | 88 | $492 |
| Columbia (CAE) | 90 | $538 |
| Fresno (FAT) | 94 | $468 |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 98 | $463 |
| Greensboro, NC (GSO) | 100 | $480 |
How To Save on Airfare Amid Rising Prices
Money expert Clark Howard says due to good old-fashioned supply and demand, he anticipates that fares are going to go up and here’s why:
“Travel demand is actually higher than it was before, and there are a lot fewer seats to be sold to go in the air. So what happens is classic supply and demand economics at work: There’s intense demand, a shortage of supply, and something’s got to give and that’s the airfares have gone up a lot.”
To save as much money as you can when you fly, Clark says you’ve got to strategize every step of the way including using his #1 Rule for Cheap Travel and building flexibility into your travel plans.
Flexibility Is Key
“When I’m looking for a flight somewhere I’m being extra flexible – as much as I can be – about not just the time of day that I fly but the day that I fly,” Clark says
Clark suggests that you use an online site like Google Flights that can show you a price calendar with different fares. When you see the prices, you can adjust your trip to save money.
Want more ways to travel for less? Read our in-depth guide on how to save money with Google Flights.
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