Many airlines are offering cheap flights to Tampa International Airport if you're looking for a cheap fall break to Florida.
Discounted tickets are available from LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Midway International Airport (MDW), and Denver International Airport to Tampa on Frontier, JetBlue, and Southwest .
Southwest Airlines is matching JetBlue's Newark to Tampa tickets with its own $118 round-trip fares from LaGuardia, possibly as a result of the JetBlue fall promotion.
Southwest and Frontier Airlines offer under-$200 round-trip flights to Tampa, which should provide some relief for people feeling the chill of fall in Chicago and Denver.
Be aware that these tickets may be subject to considerable price increases due to baggage fees, with the exception of Southwest.
Read on to learn how to book these fares fast because the available travel dates and ticket quantities for these specials are limited.
Basics of deals
Airlines: Southwest, JetBlue, and Frontier.
Routes: There are numerous flights from Chicago, Denver, and New York to Tampa.
Southwest Airlines or Google Flights are the two options for making reservations.
Choose dates between September and November to travel.
While reduced tickets are still available.
Flight examples
There are many different possible combinations of the flight times and dates, but some show that there are only a few tickets left.
Check the baggage allowance for flights very carefully, both for carry-on and checked bags, as additional fees for non-Southwest tickets may result in ticket prices that are double or even tripled.
JetBlue departing Newark
On specific flights between Newark and Tampa from the middle of September until the middle of November, JetBlue is offering round-trip prices for $118.
Although this appears to be a decent deal compared to flights that are generally more expensive than $200, keep in mind that no carry-on baggage are permitted for this fare, and the first checked bag costs $60.
Therefore, the cost of this ticket would nearly double to $240 if you wanted to bring any bag with you to Tampa (even a rollaboard that would ordinarily fit in an overhead compartment).
Additionally, United is offering $118 round-trip prices between Newark and Tampa (in what I am sure is a total coincidence and not price fixing).
Similar extra baggage fees apply to these flights.
The United pricing increases to $249 per ticket on this itinerary with a checked bag and seat assignment.
Southwest from LaGuardia
JetBlue and United all offer flights from Newark for $118, so Southwest's pricing is comparable. However, Southwest does not charge for baggage on flights, including carry-on bags, and it permits up to two checked bags.
Southwest's alternative would be between $120 and $140 less expensive for a round-trip flight to Tampa if you wanted to bring a carry-on bag.
The cost of your journey with two checked bags is $118 for Southwest and $358 for JetBlue; but, even at those prices, you are still not permitted to bring a carry-on.
Southwest is the obvious choice here if you're thinking about taking anything to Tampa other than a tiny personal item.
The Southwest from Chicago
If you're already considering leaving the Midwest's frigid fall weather, check out Southwest's reduced rates between Chicago and Tampa, which start at roughly $138.
Both O'Hare and Midway have access to these prices.
These discounted rates are valid on a limited number of dates between mid-September and mid-November (primarily Tuesday through Tuesday travel).
Since Southwest does not charge extra for carry-on or checked bags, it is important to take note of the luggage limitations when comparing these costs to other listed fares from Chicago.
If you can make the Tuesday to Tuesday scheduling work, Southwest's round-trip ticket price of approximately $138 is less than half the price of usual Southwest prices on this route.
Spirit Airlines is advertising approximately $88 round-trip flights on this route during the same time period, but with its baggage fees (carry-ons cost $76 each way), the price would nearly quadruple for the journey.
Frontier from Denver
Frontier Airlines is joining the Tampa flight sale parade with $78 round-trip prices from Denver on a small number of days in October and November.
This ticket adds a premium for carry-on and checked bags, which can significantly increase the round-trip cost of the travel, similar to the basic economy fares offered by Spirit Airlines and United.
Even if you rode the bus, there isn't a less expensive way to get from Denver to Florida if you can just bring a personal item.
If you have any luggage, Southwest is now selling certain round-trip tickets on the Denver to Tampa route for around $200, which includes free baggage allowance.
Consider your priorities before buying since the reduced Southwest tickets are presently only available for very early morning flights (about 5 a.m.).
Enhance your purchase
Don't forget to pay for your flights with a credit card that offers bonus points.
It's always a good idea to use airline credit cards to earn status and advantages exclusive to certain airlines, such as the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, which offers a variety of status bonuses and credits in addition to 3 points for every dollar spent on Southwest purchases.
The Platinum Card® from American Express gets 5 points for every dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 of these purchases each calendar year, giving you more freedom in how you can utilize the points.
While the American Express® Gold Card earns 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, the Citi Premier® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve do not.
Per dollar spent on travel with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, 2 points are earned.
In conclusion
A solid justification for a short autumn holiday is the new airfare offers that are offered from several airlines to Tampa.
Chicago and Denver round-trip fares under $150 are excellent values, and fares as low as $118 from the New York City region also represent some significant savings.
Due to its "bags fly free" policy for both carry-on and checked bags, Southwest Airlines is still the obvious pick for these trip offers.
These fares can increase the cost of their tickets if additional baggage fees of $70 each way for JetBlue and around $80 for Frontier are charged.
The JetBlue and Frontier tickets will work for you if all you have is a tiny personal bag that will fit under the seat in front of you.
Otherwise, book your Southwest tickets as soon as you can if you're wanting to take a cheap fall vacation to Florida.
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