How to Find Cheap Flights to the Virgin Islands
So you want to spend less for your air travel? Rest assured, there are ways to find cheap flights to the Virgin Islands.
Read on for some valuable tips on how to save money on your flights to the USVI.
Be Flexible:
Flexibility in your travel plans may be the single most important factor in finding cheap flights to the Virgin Islands. If you can be flexible, there are several ways for you to get better prices on flights:
- Season: If you have the flexibility to choose the time of year you travel, choose an "off-time" (for example, the weeks immediately after Labor Day or the couple of weeks before Thanksgiving week).
Doing this might save as much as half or more of the cost of your airfare to the USVI versus traveling during a peak period like Christmas or New Year's week.
- Travel Days: If you can choose what days of the week you'll fly, try for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday flights. These days typically offer cheaper flights than Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays.
- Flight Time: If you don't mind flying in the afternoon or evening, you may find better prices compared to flights that depart in the morning.
- Number of Stops: In many cases, a flight with one or two stops will be cheaper than a direct, nonstop flight. Also, a flight with two stops may cost less than a flight with only one stop (this is not always the case, however; check what's available).
- Departure Airport/City: You may also be able to find relatively cheap flights to the Virgin Islands by choosing another airport. For example, let's say you're traveling from Baltimore to the USVI. You may find that it's cheaper to drive (or take a train or bus) to nearby Washington, D.C., and fly from there instead.
The same could be true for Los Angeles versus San Diego, Boston versus Providence, and so on... you get the idea!
Book in advance:
Generally, reserving your flights at least one month in advance (three months for high-season flights) will get you better prices than booking less than a month from your travel date.
In the high season, booking at least three months in advance is wise; if you wait too long, there may be no flights available!
Sales:
Periodically, the different airlines run sales on flights to the Virgin Islands. Sign up with each individual airline. For a list of airlines serving the U.S. Virgin Islands
go to our Air Travel page here.
Sign up for their email lists (or their regular "snail-mail" mailing lists).
They'll send you notifications from time to time when they're running a sale or special. You can sometimes get cheap flights to the Virgin Islands this way, saving up to half of what you'd otherwise spend.
Last Minute Deals:
I know, I know, I just said you should book in advance for better prices. I still recommend booking well in advance for most people under most circumstances.
However, you can sometimes get some outstanding deals on cheap flights to the Virgin Islands by booking just a few days before your travel dates. Unfortunately, this presents you with a major catch-22; you may be able to get cheap flights at the last minute, but what about your accommodations?
It may be next to impossible to find rooms on such short notice, especially in the high season. The same is true of car rentals. On the other hand, if you've got a guaranteed place to stay (like a friend's house or condo), last minute flight deals may be just the ticket (pun intended) for you.
Pre-Owned Tickets:
Sometimes, people who have to cancel or change their travel plans will put their tickets up for sale at deep discount prices. Check your newspaper classifieds under "Travel" or a similar heading or try Craigslist. And if you find the cheap flights to the Virgin Islands that you're looking for, don't be afraid to negotiate with the seller to save even more money!
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