by Danielle Garrett of PlanIt Itineraries for The Aha! Connection
Last week’s Travel Tuesday was focused on the Top 10 Summer Vacation Ideas! This week let’s take a look at those flights and see if we can find some deals! There is no question that pricing is down, but as usual, the more flexible you are with dates the better prices you will find. TIP: Flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday typically yields lower prices. The below info is departing out of ATLANTA only and the prices are for the main cabin, round-trip flights. NOTE: A Delta basic economy ticket will be less expensive, but you cannot pick your seat until 24 hours before departure or at check-in AND you are not eligible for an upgrade. I am not including discount airlines like Frontier and Spirit (I prefer to stick with the major airlines even if it costs more).
AIRFARES ARE AS OF MARCH 9 AND PRICES WILL FLUCTUATE!
Jackson Hole/Grand Tetons/Yellowstone
Delta is the only airline offering a non-stop flight daily during the summer between Atlanta/Jackson. Dates in June (6/9-16 and 6/24-7/1) are $521. July runs roughly the same (7/14-21 is $525 and 7/7-14 is $545).
BEST DEAL: July 22-29 is $491.
TIP: If you would like to split your time up between Jackson and Yellowstone, you can consider flying in or out of Bozeman (one daily non-stop flight)
BEST DEAL: (Into Jackson/out of Bozeman): June 9-16 is $495, and July 7-14 is $495.
**There is also a Yellowstone airport, but no non-stop flights are offered.
Whitefish, MT
Kalispell, MT (FCA) is the airport you will fly into to visit Whitefish. There are no non-stop flights from Atlanta and Kalispell tends to be higher priced compared to other destinations out west. This may be a time you go for the basic economy price on Delta. June 5-12 is $622 (basic economy is $472). For those of you that have Delta SkyMiles to use, the lowest I found today is 53,000 miles per person for June 8-15.
Maui
As I mentioned last week, if traveling to Hawaii this summer I would only visit one island due to current Covid protocols. Maui offers plenty to do for 7-10 days. Delta prices are higher, but still not bad for a Hawaii flight! There are no non-stop flights between Atlanta/Maui.
June 1-8 is $919 on Delta; June 10-17 is $906 on Delta BUT June 8-15 is $768 on United. If you are a Delta frequent flyer, in my opinion, there is not enough of a difference in price for the earned mileage you will be giving up by not flying Delta. July pricing is a little higher on Delta, but you can get flights in the $700-800 range on American and United in July.
Cape Cod
Boston is the airport to fly into to visit Cape Cod (about a 1 hour/15 min drive). For all of June and July, Atlanta to Boston is $277 on Delta if flying on a Tues or Wed. Jet Blue also offers a non-stop flight at $257.
The Keys, FL
Miami or Fort Lauderdale would be the two airports to consider to visit the Keys (non-stop flights). Miami is about 1.5 hours from Islamorada and Fort Lauderdale is a 2-hour drive. June 2-9 is $244 on Delta flying into Miami and $177 if flying into Fort Lauderdale. June 16-23 is $211 (Delta/Miami) and $177 (Delta/Fort Lauderdale).
BEST DEAL: American Airlines, June 8-15, at $109 per person!!
Southwest Airlines also offers non-stop flights between Atlanta/Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Grand Canyon/Sedona, AZ
June 1-8 on Delta for $377, some dates also available in July as low as $377. Check out Southwest Airlines for non-stop flights between Atlanta/Phoenix. Vegas also offers similar pricing to Phoenix, but closer in proximity to visiting Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.
Mackinac Island, MI
There are no non-stop flights from Atlanta, but this island is worth it! The 2 airports to look at are Pellston Regional Airport (15 min to the ferry dock) and Chippewa County International Airport (35 min to the ferry dock). Once you get to the ferry dock, it’s a 15-20 min ferry ride to the island. Then you are car-free (only biking, walking, and carriage rides are permitted on the island).
The cheapest flights are on Tues/Wed, roughly $330 for either airport.
EXTRA OPTION- DENVER
Atlanta to Denver is very reasonably priced this summer. Dates are available in June and July (6/16-23 at $257 and 7/13-20 at $237) on Delta (non-stop). From here you can visit Rocky Mountain National Park, which is only 1.5 hours from the Denver airport. Vail is another great option in the summer!
Southwest Airlines also offers non-stop flights between Atlanta and Denver.
Please remember to travel responsibly, wear your mask and do not travel unnecessarily if you are elderly 
or immune-compromised! And remember to check your destination’s travel restrictions/requirements before and during planning, as well as double-checking before departure!
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