Airfare Expert: Finding cheap flights to beautiful views
— -- As this travel story in USA TODAY indicates, hotel rooms with a great view are one of frequent travelers' most coveted perks. But since some of these rooms can run as much as $5,000 a night (Le Meurice in Paris), I'll just help you find the cheapest flights to these views. You're on your own for room and board.
So where are the world's best views?
Great views can be found in every corner of the world, but here are three that would intrigue any traveler:
Mountains: Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Iconic landmarks:New York City
Water:Lake Como, Italy
What airports do I fly into?
Jackson Hole
As with other somewhat remote destinations, you might want to consider a larger airport for cheaper airfare; however in this case, the closest airport of size is Salt Lake which is about a five hour drive to Jackson.
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC): This small but beautiful airport is served by American, Delta, Frontier, Skywest and United, although some flights are seasonal only. Plenty of taxis to get you into town or try one of the reasonably-priced shuttle buses (from $30 to $47 round-trip). Best of all, you don't have to go anywhere to enjoy the view; the entire airport is located within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park.
New York
For flights to the Big Apple, pick one of the big three airports; all feature rental cars, taxis, car service and a variety of public transit options including bargain-priced airport express bus service (round-trip from Manhattan to your airport for less than $30):
LaGuardia Airport (LGA): The smallest of New York City's airports is also closest to Manhattan; it is served by most U.S. domestic and Canadian airlines, including discount carriers such as AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue and Southwest.
John F. Kennedy International (JFK): This is the busiest international passenger gateway to the U.S. and features just about every big international airline you've ever heard of; it's also served by low-cost carrier Virgin America and is home base for JetBlue.
Newark Liberty International (EWR): Though situated in New Jersey, this facility is only 15 miles from midtown-Manhattan; it too is served by most U.S. airlines and scores of international carriers plus discounters like Frontier, JetBlue and Southwest.
Lake Como
Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP): Milan's airport is less than 30 miles from Lake Como and features many international carriers, including American and Delta. Shuttle buses depart Terminal 1 every 20 minutes for the Milan's central train station where you can catch a train to Como San Giovanni; or, get off at the Saronno station and connect to a Como train that lets you off at Como Lago station. You can also rent a car and drive the A8 motorway to the lake area.
What prices can I expect on flights to these cities?
Jackson: You'll be hard pressed to find airline tickets for under $500 round-trip to Jackson unless you're lucky enough to live in Salt Lake, Denver or Minneapolis, where prices tend to be $75 to $150 cheaper.
New York: The holy grail of coast to coast airfare is $99 each way (that would be $222 round-trip nonstop including all taxes and fees). We haven't seen those sorts of prices for a few years but we have seen prices in the mid- $200 range, especially during slower travel periods and for travel on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Bottom line: if you can't find a ticket for under $400 round-trip, you're procrastinating - and paying too much.
Como/Milan: With average fuel surcharges to Europe hovering around $400 round-trip and average taxes of about $130 round-trip, you'll be paying about a minimum of $530 round-trip before the actual airfare is added in. From the east coast, expect pay around $750 total for winter rates and closer to $1,150 for summer rates. You can typically add another hundred dollars to that price for travel from Midwest from cities and $200 from the West Coast. Also, be prepared for smaller regional airports to tack on an additional $100 round-trip.
What's the best time to visit?
Jackson: Avoid peak season travel, which means winter because of all the skiers, and summer for hikers and visitors to the Grand Tetons and nearby Yellowstone National Park. You may still run into quite a bit of snow in the fall and springtime, but it will still be beautiful there.
New York: Summer and holiday periods tend to be more expensive for travel to New York, but winter is generally cheap, and the cheapest time to fly is typically from the last week in August through the first week in December (excluding the Thanksgiving holiday period).
Lake Como: Travel to Europe is governed by seasons, and the cheapest time season is - you guessed it - the winter. Fortunately, winters are relatively mild at Lake Como with average high temperatures in the 50's (though it can get down into the 20's at night). Fall is the second cheapest time to fly, followed by spring.
Enjoy the views!
FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick ( @rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.