Affordable flights from LaGuardia and JFK this January
A JetBlue Airbus A320 aircraft at Terminal B of LaGuardia Airport. Credit: Bloomberg/Angus Mordant
Many Long Islanders love, love, love MacArthur Airport, and for lots of reasons: its proximity, short security lines, cheap flights, terminal-side parking and much more. Still, there’s no use pretending that Islip is equally convenient for everyone. Indeed, for many Nassau residents — along with those looking to travel beyond MacArthur’s southern-centric routes — a better bet is spectacularly reimagined LaGuardia Airport or — if they must — Kennedy Airport, with its traffic snarls and ongoing construction messes. But are there any travel bargains to be found at America’s 19th and 6th busiest airports, respectively? Oh yes. Indeed, we found eight cities served by LGA and JFK where you can fly for less than $200 round-trip with a carry-on during the month of January. Below, our picks for where to go and which airlines have the best fares, along with tips on well-priced lodging offerings.
Atlanta
Frontier Airlines offers cheap fares to Georgia’s capital from LaGuardia on select dates (as low as $77 round-trip plus $59 each way for a carry-on for $195), as does Spirit ($61 plus $36 each way for carry-ons for $133). But our pick is Delta, whose flights start at $157 and include a free carry-on. Southwest, meanwhile, flies from LaGuardia for as low as $191 round-trip, a fare that includes one carry-on and two checked bags.
Lodging pick: Downtown Atlanta’s four-star Courtland Grand Hotel for as low as $148 a night during January.
Charlotte
The top pick here is Frontier, which flies from LGA to North Carolina’s largest city with January prices starting at an obscenely low $110 with a carry-on, although Spirit is also cheap on some dates from the same airport ($113). Both American and Delta fly from both airports and both have flights in late January for $177 round-trip.
Lodging pick: Hotels are expensive in the downtown area. Check Expedia for better prices on apartment and condo rentals.
Chicago
American flights from JFK are your best bet to the Windy City, with prices starting at $117 to O’Hare with a free carry-on, with runner-up Delta offering the same route for $137. Lodging pick: Rooms at the four-star Hotel Blake downtown are $90 a night in January (Hotwire).
Detroit
Best nonstop flights to the Motor City are on Spirit from LGA, as low as $143 with a carry-on.
Lodging pick: Best bets are across the river in Windsor, Ontario, where prices at the Four Points Sheraton downtown are as low as $111 a night.
Houston
Spirit is again the winner here, with flights from LGA as low as $149 with a carry-on to Bush Intercontinental Airport. Delta flights on the same route start at $167.
Lodging pick: Rates at the four-star Whitehall Hotel downtown can be as low as $127 a night.
Miami
For flights to this sun and fun paradise, JetBlue and American tie for best fares with both offering $117 round-trip from JFK with a carry-on.
Lodging pick: Rooms at the aptly named South Beach Hotel may be had for $159 a night.
New Orleans
Delta, American and Southwest all offer fares of $147 during January, with Southwest again allowing two checked bags in addition to a carry-on.
Lodging pick: Rooms at the Jung Hotel near the Superdome for as low as $113 a night.
Raleigh
North Carolina’s capital city is best served by Delta, where fares can be as low as $127 from both LGA and JFK.
Lodging pick: Rooms at the three-star Holiday Inn downtown start at around $123 a night during January.
Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.
