We warned you months ago to lock in your spring break flights before prices increased. But if you've been procrastinating, you're in luck: You can still find some amazing deals for a warm weather getaway for spring break 2023.
Our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal team finds tons of cheap spring break flights all year long, and we're ready to pass on what we know. Many of the deals we've sent over the last few months have strong availability in March and April … and a handful of destinations stick out. From trips to Florida under $150 roundtrip to Caribbean getaways as low as $250, there's could still be a deal out there for you. If you've got points and miles to spare, there are some amazing deals to pick from, too.
But this is your last, last chance. The longer you wait, the more likely any decent bargains are to disappear as spring break draws near. Here are some places to look.
Where to Look for Cheap Spring Break Flights
Spring break 2022 was still mostly clouded by COVID-19 restrictions, but spring break 2023 is wide open again. Across the globe, travel restrictions have disappeared. You can think as big as you want this year!
Yet many traveling families like staying a little closer to home during spring break. Lucky for them, we've found tons of great options for those travelers this year, too.
But before you get started, remember this: You have to follow the Flight First Rule. Cheap fares are fickle, and finding them often means adjusting your schedule. If you give yourself the flexibility to leave on a Tuesday instead of a Monday at the start of your spring break, it could mean the difference between paying $200 or less per ticket … or paying $500-plus.
A few destinations stand out for cheap spring break flights this year. Take a look.
Fort Myers, Florida for $200 or Less
Fort Myers in Florida is great any time of year. And lucky for you, a cheap flight to southwest Florida isn't too hard to find for March and April spring break flights either. Just look at these fares down to Fort Myers (RSW) that we sent Thrifty Traveler Premium members a few weeks back.
On a long list of sub-$200 flights, the lowest fare in this deal is for our friends in NYC who could fly down to Fort Myers (RSW) for just $128 roundtrip! From New York to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), we're still seeing some cheap fares down to Fort Myers in March and April.
Washington, D.C. Under $200
Florida isn't the only option for spring breakers this year. Looking for a Cherry Blossom-soaked getaway during the spring? See some historic sites? Maybe visit a museum or two?
You can't beat Washington, D.C. for a family trip … especially when flights to get there hover around $200 roundtrip – and sometimes substantially less. We loved this flight deal for spring-breaking families and those looking to take in arguably the best season in our capital.
While some of these cheapest fares are gone now, it's still not too hard to find roundtrip flights to DC for around $200 or less over March and April like this excellent Delta nonstop fare from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) straight into Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA), just a cab or Metro ride away from the best of the city.
Las Vegas Under $100 Roundtrip
Las Vegas might be in the desert, but it's fertile ground for cheap flights. And that still rings true for a last-minute cheap flight for spring break.
Almost every airline in the country flies in and out of Sin City, which keeps fares low. And fares don't get much lower than this for Southwest fans who live on the West Coast, courtesy of this recent find for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members.
But it's not just Californians who can score a cheap flight to Las Vegas in March or April. Even from all the way up in Seattle (SEA), you can book a weeklong spring break getaway to Las Vegas (LAS) for less than $200.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for Less Than $250
Travelers flock to Cancún (CUN) year after year for spring break. Why not do something different this year and head to the other side of Mexico?
We've seen cheap flights to Mexico dip below $250 roundtrip through the spring! And Cabo San Lucas (SJD) on the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico is one of your best bets, with fares still available for just $220 to $300 roundtrip in March and April.
Get more flight deals straight to your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
U.S. Virgin Islands Under $300
No passport? No problem!
The U.S. Virgin Islands is an underrated destination any time of year: It's got stunning views, amazing weather and better beaches, and an exotic feel. And since it's part of the U.S., there's no need to worry about planning an international trip.
It's also a great destination if you're looking for a cheap spring break getaway, with fares from a handful of destinations still available for around $300 (or less) roundtrip over the next few months.
Use Your Points & Mile for a Spring Break Trip
Got points and miles saved up from the last few years? Now's the time to put them to use!
There's no better time to use your hard-earned points and miles than when you're desperate for a getaway and seeing higher prices than you'd like to pay. Plus, we've sent our Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members a slew of award alerts recently with great availability to take a spring break trip for next to nothing.
Las Vegas from 8K SkyMiles
It's back to Las Vegas, but this time you're using SkyMiles to get there thanks to one of the latest Delta SkyMiles flash sales.
Vegas is great in March, especially for sports fans. And you may not need a dime to get there – just a few thousand Delta SkyMiles.
That's right: As low as just 8,000 Delta SkyMiles to fly nonstop to Las Vegas and back. Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members gobbled up this recent deal, so you may see some slight higher award rates now. But if you've got a Delta co-branded credit card like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, you can save some serious SkyMiles thanks to the new TakeOff 15 benefit that gets cardholders an automatic 15% discount when using SkyMiles.
Only Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members get points and miles deals like this one!
New York to the Caribbean Under 10K Roundtrip
A last-minute getaway to Caribbean islands and back for under 10,000 SkyMiles? Surely we're kidding.
No joke: Another recent SkyMiles flash sale we sent Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members is still kicking, with solid availability to get to paradise using SkyMiles and about $100 or less in taxes and fees in March and April. New Yorkers will love these deals to Montego Bay (MBJ), Nassau (NAS), Santo Domingo (SDQ), and even Turks and Caicos (PLS).
Unfortunately, only flights from New York City (JFK) benefit from these ultra-low SkyMiles rates. You'll find the best deal of all heading to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, bookable for less than 10,000 SkyMiles roundtrip if you've got a Delta card to unlock that 15% discount.
Lie-Flat Seats to Hawaii from 38K Points!
Scoring a lie-flat business class seat to the Hawaiian islands can be like pulling teeth. Airlines know that travelers are more than willing to pay, so they rarely release the award availability to book these seats to paradise using miles.
But we found a goldmine of availability to fly American Airlines business class seats from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to both Honolulu (HNL) and Maui (OGG) from February through March and into April. Lucky for you, some of those seats are still available. Just keep in mind you'll need to be flexible to actually find and book these business class seats – not every date will be available.
Thrifty Tip: Focus on the route between Dallas and Maui for the best availability this spring!
If you've got a stash of American AAdvantage miles, expect to fork over 55,000 miles or a bit more. But the best deal is booking these exact same seats for just 38,000 miles via Etihad Guest, which you can transfer from cards like the American Express® Gold Card or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card as well as from Citi ThankYou Points. Just beware you'll need to call Etihad to actually book these American-operated flights at 877-690-0767.
Tahiti, Anyone?
Thinking really big this spring break? International trips don't get much bigger than Tahiti, and a new Delta route flying there could help you make it happen using some SkyMiles.
Again and again, we've seen ridiculously low fares to fly to Tahiti (PPT) this winter thanks to some excellent SkyMiles flash sales – especially from Los Angeles (LAX), where rates have dipped as low as 50,000 SkyMiles roundtrip. While award rates have increased since then, travelers with a Delta card in their wallet can still score a last-minute trip to Tahiti for less than 60,000 SkyMiles roundtrip thanks to that new 15% discount.
Other Tips to Find Cheap Spring Break Flights
Not sold on any of these deals? Can't find the price you want for a cheap spring break escape? Don't worry, we can help.
Use Google Flights Explore
If you're open to going anywhere a cheap flight will take you this spring, there's one tool that's fit for the job: Google Flights Explore.
Google Flights is the best travel search engine out there. But this special, little-known feature takes it to the next level, helping you find cheap flights no matter where you want to go. It's perfect for those times when you want to get out of town, but don't care where you're heading … so long as it's cheap.
Using the Explore feature, your search can be as broad as you'd like – anywhere in the world – or limit it to the U.S. – or even a specific state. You can dial in your dates for a specific period, or keep it more open like “a week in March.”
Thrifty Tip: Have a specific time frame you need to travel? Enter it, but be sure to watch for alerts from Google because shifting your flights by just a day or two can save you big bucks.
We love this feature because Google still gives you the power to set the ground rules while also showing you tons of destinations you may have never considered. Here’s a look at how to use Google Flights Explore to book a cheap Spring Break getaway.
Simply navigate to the Google Flights homepage at www.google.com/flights, click the Menu button and click the “Explore Map.” Or just type “flights.google.com/explore” into your web browser.
Google Flights Explore looks and operates much like Google Flights itself. The beauty of Google Flights Explore Map is just how much it lets you, well, explore. Begin by typing in your home airport if it hasn’t auto-populated for you.
To start, leave the destination box blank and hit search to explore all your options.
From there, you can type in any range of dates, or keep it wide open. For a spring break getaway, you could type the exact dates you want to be gone, or choose “Flexible dates” and select “Weekend in March,” for example. Then just drag the map to see prices to fly to cities around the country – or even around the world!
You can similarly tailor your destination. It can be as broad as “The United States of America” or “Europe” or as specific as a given state or city. Either type in the area in the destination bar or drag the map to cover the area you want to search.
The results will change as you move the map. If you need some heat in the southern U.S. but don’t care where you find it, just zoom in on that area and see what flights pop up.
Got specific dates you want to travel for spring break? No problem: you can still use the Explore feature. Simply choose your desired dates, and let the search continue. Just remember: Flexibility with dates means cheaper flights!
Read up about our Flight First Rule on how to save more on flights!
Once you’ve zeroed in on a destination, click on the result. You can find the specific flights and even play around with the schedule to see if there are better dates at the same or similar prices.
Bottom Line
Spring break is just around the corner. Whether you want to head for the hills or find your beach this spring, now is your last chance to book your trip and lock in that low fare.
Luckily, there are still some excellent deals out there for a spring break getaway in March or April. Otherwise, use Google Flights Explore to find and book cheap flights to anywhere in the world … before it's too late.
You guys are the best. Always amazing tips