With holidays like President's Day and even the fast-approaching Martin Luther King Jr. Day, winter is the perfect time of year for a long weekend trip. Travelers who snagged dirt-cheap flights for this winter a few months ago are sitting pretty right now, but those who may have dragged their feet on booking a weekend getaway won't necessarily be left out in the cold this year.
Last fall, during what we've dubbed “booking season”, we saw some of the best airfare of the year show up in January, February, and March, with flight prices to Europe falling under $499 roundtrip and tons of deals to domestic and warm weather destinations, too.
We can't blame you if you weren't thinking about a winter trip back then while the weather was still mild. If you get to booking now, though, you'll find some of those incredible fares are still sticking around depending on the destination. And even if you already booked, it might be worth checking those fares to see if you can get a better deal!
Our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers may have already noticed this trend among the flight deal alerts that have been hitting their inboxes over the last few weeks. From the beaches of Cabo and Miami to the vibrant streets of Nashville and Las Vegas, we're still finding cheap flights for a weekend trip this winter, including for those long holiday weekends.
See our tips for saving on a weekend trip!
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
A trip to Mexico's Pacific Coast is about as dreamy of a winter escape as you can imagine. The weather will be nearly perfect that time of year, and the scenery on the west side of Mexico never disappoints.
Like all of the destinations on this list, low fares are sticking around if you jump on them now.
This Thrifty Traveler Premium deal offered travelers from the West Coast to the East Coast a chance at sub-$399 fares to San Jose del Cabo (SJD) this winter.
Miami, Florida
For our East Coast friends, a quick jaunt down to South Beach can also get you to sunnier skies – and the opportunity to visit a vibrant American city while you're at it.
Plus, Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) flights are often crazy cheap, including less than $100 roundtrip from some cities!
Many of these fares have gone down drastically in recent weeks. If you already have a trip to Miami booked, go check your flights and rebook for a voucher to save on your South Florida trip this winter.
Florida Panhandle
Further north in Florida, along the state's panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico, are some of the more underrated beaches. While Fort Myers and Miami get all the love, the panhandle is a little quieter, and in some cases, cheaper, too!
This flight deal rounded up all the nonstop flights to Destin (VPS), Panama City (ECP), and Pensacola (PNS) that had dropped to less than $249 roundtrip.
The result? A quick and easy trip to the beach for travelers based in Dallas (DFW), Minneapolis (MSP), Philadelphia (PHL), and Washington, D.C. (DCA) this winter.
U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands have long been a popular Caribbean escape for U.S. travelers who want a passport-free vacation. And this year, we found plenty of ways for travelers to hit St. Croix (STX) and St. Thomas (STT).
The latest flight deal we sent to our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers was to St. Thomas (STT), where travelers from places as far away as Kansas City (MCI) could get there for cheap.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica might deserve more than just a long weekend away. The amazing beaches, combined with the epic rainforests of the northern part of the country are a perfect 2-in-1 vacation package.
My suggestion: Use your free day off on President's Day to save some PTO and take advantage of these awesome low fares. Your kids may not remember what they learned at school on those Thursdays or Fridays in February, but they'll never forget ziplining through the rainforest or seeing monkeys in the wild for the first time!
These coast-to-coast fares to Costa Rica made many of our Thrifty Traveler Premium members happy over the last few weeks, and at last check, many of them are still available for booking today!
Nashville, Tennessee
While Nashville won't offer you the beaches, blue waters, and unlimited sunshine of Florida, Mexico, or the Caribbean, for travelers who want to let loose for a weekend, Nashville is the place to go.
We loved this nonstop flight deal to Nashville for exactly this reason: It included weekend-length trips from all cities. You don't have to fly Tuesday to Tuesday to get the lowest fares to Tennessee right now.
Send this deal to your group chat, pull those boots out of the closet, and hit Broadway with your friends this winter. You all need it.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Flights to Las Vegas this winter are so cheap that you might make money on this trip if you play your cards right (literally).
Las Vegas has all the makings of a perfect weekend trip for so many Americans. It's easy to get to, you know exactly what you're getting, and, like usual, flights are cheap.
So many airlines fly nonstop to Las Vegas (LAS) that fares tend to stay low. Just look at all these routes you can book for less than $200 roundtrip right now.
Seattle, Washington
Finally, a little something for those of us out there who love winter and don't always want to escape it. When I saw this flight deal pop up, I thought one thing: Skiing the Cascade Mountains outside Seattle.
Winter in Seattle might be gray and rainy, but up in the mountains right outside of town, that means snow – and often lots of it.
The Cascade Mountains and its ski resorts get pummeled with winter storms all the time, giving skiers and riders powdery turns all weekend long. Check out Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, or Snoqualmie, or take a road trip up to Mt. Baker for the best terrain.
If you're anything like me, you're looking at possibly joining them this winter!
This latest Seattle (SEA) flight deal puts you less than two hours away from many of these resorts. And if the snow isn't falling like you want, there's plenty to do in Seattle as a backup plan.
Bottom Line
If you didn't book dirt cheap winter flights last year when prices plummeted, you won't be necessarily left out in the cold this year. We're still finding amazing bargains on winter travel.
With holidays like MLK Day and President's Day, winter is the perfect time to take a long weekend trip, and there are cheap flights to great destinations with your name on them this year.