Welcome to a new decade of cheap flights! We’re a far cry from the Roaring Twenties a century ago when the automobile industry was just taking off. Now, we can take off on nonstop flights and reach the other side of the world in just one day. And with increased competition in the airline industry, it’s cheaper than ever to fly.
Find Cheap Flights to These 7 Destinations in 2020
While we see cheap flights to locations all over the globe, I’ve picked out these 7 destinations where flight prices are trending downward for 2020 and you’ll be able to find budget-friendly activities to make your vacation as affordable as possible.
South America
There’s about to be a big shakeup in airline partnerships down south. LATAM, the largest airline in the region, will officially leave the Oneworld airline alliance on October 1, 2020. This news came shortly after Delta recently purchased a 20% stake in LATAM, with plans to expand its partnership opportunities to South America, where it currently doesn’t have much of a network.
American Airlines has since decided to beef up its flights from Miami (MIA) to some of the more popular South American cities since it will no longer have code-sharing opportunities with LATAM. Instead, the once-partnered airlines will become major competitors in this market where they now share a near-monopoly. United also wants in on this emerging flight market with hopes to expand its partnership with Avianca and Copa by adding Brazilian carrier Azul into the mix.
Long forgotten Eastern Airlines plans to disrupt the New York market by returning with two new routes to South America. Rumors have also been swirling about one of the largest low-cost carriers in the region, Sky Airline, plotting for flights to North America. This would likely drastically reduce prices where flights have historically been quite high when compared to flights between North America and Europe or Asia.
We’ve already seen a downward tick in airfares to South America and look forward to a continuing trend in 2020. The biggest question is how Basic Economy will evolve for South America flights. Some carriers have already started to add a checked bag fee to the lowest fares. As we’ve seen for transatlantic travel, we’re likely to see some incredible prices for flights to South America if these no-frills fares take off down south.
› See all of our current deals to Bogota (BOG), Quito (UIO), Lima (LIM), Santiago (SCL), Buenos Aires (EZE), Sao Paulo (GRU), and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) from all over the U.S. and Canada
Related: How to Save on Flights within South America
Canada
Flights to and from Canada are finally starting to be priced similar to U.S. domestic travel. This trend has followed the growing presence of low-cost carriers entering Canada’s market. Swoop has expanded several times since it began service in 2018 and it now flies to 20 destinations throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Jamaica. Budget carriers in the U.S. are also adding flights to Canada with Frontier already operating between Denver and Calgary and Sun Country’s plans to add service between Minneapolis and Vancouver in 2020.
Canada’s flagship carrier Air Canada is also adding new routes in 2020, such as Montreal to Nashville and Calgary to Boston, which will also see new flights on Canada’s second-largest airline WestJet. And if you’d like to fly from one corner of North America to the other on a nonstop flight, new service on Air Transat will connect San Diego and Montreal starting in June.
All of these new flights have sparked fare wars across Canada and we’ve been seeing flights between the U.S. West Coast and Eastern Canada for under $200 roundtrip. If you want to check out another country that has some similarities to the U.S., but still many differences, a trip to Canada Is one of the most affordable vacations you can take in 2020.
› See all of our current deals to Toronto (YYZ), Montreal (YUL), Calgary (YYC), and Vancouver (YVR) from all over the U.S. and Canada
Morocco
Starting in June 2020, American Airlines will become the only U.S. carrier to fly nonstop to Morocco from its hub in Philadelphia (PHL). This will complement existing service on Royal Air Maroc and Air Canada, which serve other major cities along the East Coast. The new flights along with Royal Air Maroc’s implementation into the Oneworld alliance means there will likely be plenty of fare wars between all airlines selling tickets between North America and Morocco.
We saw some big price drops when American Airlines first announced the new flights and we think the best is still yet to come. American may lower fares when it tries to fill its planes for off-peak-season travel and other airline alliances will likely compete with flights connecting in Europe. Morocco is a country that is rich in culture and can provide a completely different experience than nearby countries in Europe without veering too far away from home. And the relatively low cost of accommodation and touristic activities make Morocco a great destination for those traveling on a budget.
› See all of our current deals to Casablanca (CMN) and Marrakesh (RAK) from all over the U.S. and Canada
Related: Are YOU an Annoying Passenger?
Puerto Rico
Traveling to the Caribbean doesn’t have to require a passport for U.S. citizens. As a U.S. territory, all you need is a valid ID to travel to Puerto Rico and you’ll also pay lower taxes on airfare. Recovery efforts on the island have been slow, but airlines are still adding new routes to the island, which can help immensely by bringing invaluable tourist dollars.
Ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit led the charge at the end of 2019 by adding new nonstop flights to San Juan from two major East Coast markets, Boston and Newark. Frontier also added flights from Newark, and in 2020, Frontier has plans to expand even further with new flights from Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore. Both carriers also already serve San Juan from other cities along the East Coast.
The influx of new flights has already resulted in price drops on all airlines, including JetBlue, Delta, and United, and it’s likely this trend will continue into 2020. Although you’ll find the cheapest flights from the East Coast, we’ve been seeing cheap flights to Puerto Rico pop-up from all over the U.S. It’s common to find flights for under $300 roundtrip and it can drop to under $200 roundtrip from certain cities.
› See all of our current deals to San Juan (SJU) and Aguadilla (BQN) from all over the U.S. and Canada
New York
The City that Never Sleeps is the most sung about city in the world. In New York, New York, Frank Sinatra sings, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” And in 2020, it’s going to be a lot cheaper to make it to New York. Whether or not you ‘make it’ there is up to you, but you’ll get a head start by saving a few bucks on your flight.
After Southwest decided to end all of its flights out of Newark in 2019, it was unclear which airline would take its place and what it would mean for the future of airfares out of the airport, which is nearly monopolized by United. Shortly after Southwest departed, Frontier announced it would begin flying out of Newark and now has 16 routes with super cheap flights to/from New York City’s second-largest airport.
The New York area airports have never seen this large of a presence from an ultra-low-cost carrier and now that JetBlue is selling a Basic Economy fare, it is better positioned to go head-to-head on pricing with the budget airlines. We now regularly see nonstop flights between Florida and New York for around $100 roundtrip or less and coast-to-coast flights have steadily remained under $200 roundtrip for winter travel. And now that Frontier is offering nonstop flights between Ontario Airport in the LA Area and Newark, we’re likely to see other airlines drop prices on the most popular route in the U.S. for travel throughout the year.
› See all of our current deals to New York-Kennedy (JFK), New York-LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR) from all over the U.S. and Canada
Related: These Are the 10 Busiest Air Routes in the U.S.
Italy
Mamma Mia! Enjoy delicious Italian cuisine in 2020 with some of the cheapest flights we’ve seen in recent memory. Several new routes between North America and Italy are in store for 2020. Norwegian is leading the charge in the low-fare category with new nonstop flights to Rome starting at the end of March from Denver, and starting in June from Chicago. Also starting in June, Alitalia will begin the only nonstop service between San Francisco and Rome. And Delta will add a new nonstop flight from Boston to Rome in May.
There’s more! United plans to start a unique service by offering the only nonstop flights between the U.S. and Sicily. Flights from Newark to Palermo start in late May and provide the quickest way to indulge in an authentic Sicilian meal. Air Italy expanded to several North American markets in 2019 with new flights from the West Coast and a partnership with Alaska Airlines. The Qatar-backed airline hopes to expand even further in 2020 with low-cost flights from more North American cities.
In Canada, WestJet is starting new nonstop flights from Calgary to Rome at the end of May, which will be the only nonstop service from Western Canada to Italy. All of these new routes mean lower fares for anyone traveling to Italy. We’ve already seen prices dropping on all carriers for travel in 2020, including flights for under $300 from some major cities. Expect to see a few nationwide flight deals to Italy when airline alliances fight for market share. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a few instances where flights are in the $400s roundtrip from nearly all U.S. cities. Keep in mind that these ‘fare war’ prices don’t last very long when they pop-up so sign up for FREE airfare alerts to be notified when prices drop.
› See all of our current deals to Rome (FCO), Milan (MXP), Venice (VCE), and Palermo (PMO) from all over the U.S. and Canada
Poland
In 2020, most airlines flying across the Atlantic charge a fee for checked bags on the lowest airfares. However, the flagship carrier of Poland, LOT Polish Airlines, has kept it’s one free checked bag policy — even on its lowest-priced airfares. And LOT is planning to bring this standard of service to more cities in 2020.
The West Coast will see a new nonstop service to Poland when LOT adds flights from San Francisco to Warsaw in August. From the East Coast, LOT is adding new nonstop flights from New York to Krakow and from Washington D.C. to Warsaw. And starting in May, the Midwest will also get a new nonstop flight from Chicago to Krakow on American Airlines. While this isn’t a major expansion, it may have an impact on flights to Poland overall. And the fact that LOT includes a checked bag means that travelers who like to bring a little more on their trip have fewer fees to worry about at the airport.
Poland is also one of the cheaper destinations to visit in Europe. When traveling on a budget, one needs to consider more than just airfare. A week in Poland will cost much less than a week in London. So even if the flight to Poland costs twice as much, you’ll still save plenty of money compared to spending money in a more expensive country all week. The perogies and cheap beer are worth it. Believe me.
› See all of our current deals to Warsaw (WAW) and Krakow (KRK) from all over the U.S. and Canada
Related: Basic Economy on Transatlantic Flights: A Complete Guide
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