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It’s Not Too Late to Book Spring Break Flights (& You Might Want to Go Big)

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It rarely pays to procrastinate when it comes to booking flights. But if you still haven't booked a spring break trip for this March or April, you may have gotten away with it. 

It's not unheard of to find a great, last-minute spring break deal on flights … but what's truly unusual is that you can find amazing deals to faraway destinations like Italy or Greece if you want to go big this year. Plus, we're still seeing plenty of bargains to typical spring break hotspots like Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

With the start of the spring break rush just weeks away, we're still finding and sending flight deals with March and April dates to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members. If you're only seeing eye-popping prices, trust me: Spring break flights are still out there for good (or even great) prices. 

Read on for our best recommendations for booking spring break flights and tips for how to save if you haven't booked your trip already. 

 

Book Soon…

Spring break varies from school district to school district, so finding cheap spring break flights is more art than science. But we'll give you some guidance anyway.

The number crunchers at Google say for flights in March or April, airfare is lowest between 33 and 59 days before departure. On average, flight prices bottom out around 44 days before your trip.

Here's what that means if your spring break runs March 8 through March 14, for example: For the lowest fares, you'd have wanted to start searching for spring break flights around Jan. 8. Fares typically hit their lowest point around Jan. 23. And the best deals will gone by about Feb. 3.

That's not gospel, but it's worth keeping in mind. Still, I'd recommend you search and book ASAP. And remember: The best time to book a flight is when you find a cheap flight.

OK with the price you see but worried prices might drop again? Book it anyway. So long as purchase at least a main cabin economy ticket – not the cheapest basic economy fares – you can rebook at the lower price and pocket the difference as a credit!

 

Tips for Getting the Best Deal

We just covered rule number one for getting a great deal on spring break flights: Book soon and book flexibly.

But there's another great way to save big on your spring break flights, and that's by picking the best day to fly. We've been busting the “best day to book flights is on a Tuesday” myth for years and years. Here's what really matters: the day you fly.

Here's an example. We sent a flight deal to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members a few weeks ago, including some fantastic availability flying to Key West (EYW) down in Florida during March – prime spring break season. If you wanted to do a traditional spring break trip and fly out on Saturday and back on Sunday, you'd wind up paying for it…

 

Indianapolis to Key West airfare on American Airlines for $849.

 

For a trip with the whole family, the numbers really add up. You might be looking at $3,000 or more before you even start thinking about hotels and activities. 

Here's what to do instead: Aim for the middle of the week.

 

Key West, Florida airfare for $199 roundtrip on American Airlines.

 

That's half the price if you opt to fly from Wednesday to Wednesday. You can also find the same fares on Tuesday to Tuesday (or Wednesday to Tuesday as well). Sure, you're sacrificing a few of your kids' days off. But might that be worth it to pay half-price for your vacatio? That part is up to you. 

The days you fly matter much more than the days you book. Tuesdays and Wednesdays will almost always be your best bet at snagging a nice spring break deal.

 

Huge Savings on Tried & True Spring Break Destinations

We've got great news for warm weather fans: Many of the destinations where flights are cheapest for spring break 2025 are close by and include a sunny beach. 

 

Key West, Florida

The Key West example I showed you above wasn't a fl uke. We sent these fares just a few days ago … and many are still available to book right now! 

 

Key West airfare listed out by departure city in the $200s roundtrip.

 

Key West airfare usually creeps into the $500s or $600s – especially during that peak March spring break rush. So I'd recommend booking these fast before the lowest fares disappear. 

 

Puerto Rico

If you have islands on the mind, a lovely and incredibly convenient island in the Caribbean is also incredibly cheap right now. 

 

New York to San Juan airfare for $168 roundtrip on JetBlue.

 

Yeah…that cheap.

San Juan (SJU) and the island of Puerto Rico is the perfect blend. You get street culture on the cobblestones of Old San Juan and the laid-back beach scene many desire of their spring break adventure, too. And all that could be yours, no matter where you live in the U.S. 

 

A list of airfare to San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) listed alphabetically under $400 roundtrip.

 

Turks & Caicos

Turks & Caicos is a destination that just sounds expensive. We proving it doesn't have to be – even over spring break.

 

Turks & Caicos flight deal under $375 roundtrip. Was $700 roundtrip.

 

Lately, flight prices down to Providenciales (PLS) have been dropping for a trip over the month of March, including this convenient nonstop flight from Boston (BOS) for just $350 roundtrip. 

 

Boston to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos airfare for $351 roundtrip in March.

 

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from 12K SkyMiles

If you've been hoarding SkyMiles to book a spring break trip, you might want to look to the west coast of Mexico.

Delta's flights to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) have never been cheaper. 

 

Delta SkyMiles to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

 

Heck, for some of these fares, you might be able to book them with whatever you have leftover in your account! 

 

Delta SkyMiles fares to Puerto Vallarta listed by departure cities.

 

Las Vegas & Back from $77

Vegas, baby. It's an easy-to-book and cheap flight from most U.S. airports, and spring break is no exception. Only some travelers will see sub-$100 fares like this one from San Diego (SAN). 

 

Las Vegas airfare from San Diego for $77 roundtrip.

 

But travelers from coast-to-coast can benefit from supremely low fares during March and April to Sin City. 

 

Nonstop fares to Las Vegas from dozens of U.S. cities under $200 roundtrip.

 

Banff & Lake Louise from $161

Not every traveler needs a beach for a happy, successful spring break. I'm one of them.

My spring break trip this year is exactly the same as last year: A week in the Canadian Rockies. 

 

Calgary flight deal under $382 roundtrip. Was $800.

 

Whether you want to go to ski in Banff, Lake Louise, Golden, or even Revelstoke or just bask in the cozy winter wonderland without hitting the slopes, a cheap flight to Calgary (YYC) is going to be your starting point. 

Luckily, Calgary has been a tried-and-true cheap flight hub for the last 24 months or so, including over March and into early April. 

 

Calgary airfare nonstop

 

Join me in my own kind of paradise for spring break this year. I'll meet you at the top of the gondola. 

 

Go Big Or Stay Home: Far-Flung Destinations with Spring Break Deals

Those big, aspirational, long-haul spring break trips are as cheap as we've ever seen them – even as the calendar inches closer to February. 

So while flights to Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Vegas are still cheap for spring break, so are flights to Italy, Iceland, Greece, Hawaii, and even Taiwan! 

 

Sicily from $493

Just days ago, we found this stunning deal with low, low March fares flying to Catania (CTA) and Palermo (PMO) on the Italian isle of Sicily! 

 

Boston to Catania, Sicily airfare for $494 roundtrip.

 

Sicily flight deals are rare any time of year. So seeing peak spring break travel fares this low was a shock to all of us Thrifty Traveler Premiumflight deal experts – especially that ultra-low fare from Boston (BOS) under $500 roundtrip. But all of the fares listed below included availability during March and early April, which should line up nicely for your spring break getaway. 

 

A list of airfares to Catania and Palermo Sicily organized by departure city under $600 roundtrip.

 

Greece from $516

While everyone on your timeline is posting pictures of the same Florida beach or waterpark this spring break, you'll be gracing their timeline with photos of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and maybe the Greek Islands instead. It's not a competition … but you won.

Especially because you likely paid the same for flights (or less) as they did!

 

Chicago to Athens, Greece airfare for $532 roundtrip.

 

This flight deal to Athens (ATH) rounded up low fares from 16 different U.S. airports with cheap fares to Greece – most of which included those coveted March dates. Plus, March is a great time to visit Greece: You'll get nice springtime temperatures without the crowds at most popular sites.

 

Athens, Greece flight deal featuring a deal summary and a list of departure cities and fares under $600 roundtrip.

 

Starlux Biz Class to Taipei for 75K Points

If you want to book a trip to Asia this spring break in business class, you probably thought your ship had sailed. Unless you can pony up $5,000 or more each way, you probably assumed you were S.O.L. 

But then Starlux Airlines – the luxurious new carrier serving Taipei (TPE) and the rest of Asia – released a ton of points and miles award availability to its partner Alaska Airlines: Just 75,000 Alaska miles will put you in one of those seats for the long-haul flight to Asia.

 

Starlux business class flight deal for 75,000 miles each way.

 

As you can see, much of the availability fell right in the heart of spring break! 

 

Starlux business class flight deal availability listed out by date and departure cities by price.

 

Hawaii from $337 RT in Main Cabin

It might be a domestic flight, but the long flights out to Hawaii are a big commitment. And that can be a financial commitment if you don't find the right fare, too. 

Luckily, we did that for you. United Airlines slashed prices on their standard economy fares to new lows right in time for spring break. This San Francisco (SFO) fare was the lowest of them all.

 

Main Cabin fare to Hawaii flying United Airlines from San Francisco for $337 roundtrip.

 

Several other cities got in on the action, too – including many Delta hubs that could take advantage of these cheap United fares. 

 

Hawaii airfares listed out for $337 roundtrip.

 

 

 

Bottom Line

It's not too late to book a cheap spring break getaway this year. In fact, this might be the year to go bigger than ever. 

Even as February approaches, cheap spring break fares are still out there. That includes the warm weather getaways you love closer to home as well as some surprising destinations far, far away.

 

 


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