An Underrated Airport In Texas Is One Of The Best For Finding Cheap Flights

Flying in and out of Texas might feel like a massive task when it comes to choosing the right airport to get the best price on tickets. While there are certain tricks to save money on expensive airfare, when it comes to Texas-based flights determining which airport to fly out of can be the best way to keep some cash in your pockets. While Dallas or Houston might be your first thought when it comes to Lone Star State hubs, San Antonio International Airport (SAT) flies under the radar as a great airport with tons of competitive pricing across carriers.

In fact, San Antonio International Airport lists a ton of nonstop domestic destinations that you can fly to from SAT, including but not limited to Atlanta, Burbank, Chicago Midway and O'Hare, as well as international flights to Mexico and Puerto Rico. How much you'll end up saving depends on which airline you book with, but chances are that it's going to be lower than other major airports in Texas.

San Antonio International Airport ranked No. 4 on the list of the 15 best American airports to find inexpensive flights by Travel and Leisure, with an average seat costing about $460 at SAT. SAT came in behind Ontario International Airport (ONT), Sacramento International Airport (SMF), and the top two airports for finding cheap flights – San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) at No. 2 and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at No. 1. For price comparison, SJC and FLL seats cost, on average, $404 and $318, respectively.

If you are looking to book a Southwest flight out of Texas and feel like Dallas might offer the best pricing due to it being the carrier's headquarters, fear not. SAT offers a ton of flights on Southwest, which contributes heavily to how the airline is able to keep seat costs down.

Booking out of specific airports is not the only method for keeping a little green in your pocket when you take to the skies. U.S. News and World Report highlighted that there are certain windows of time to get the best deals with airline tickets, both during peak and off-peak seasons. For domestic flights, it's recommended to book one to three months in advance, whereas international flights should be booked between two to eight months in advance for spring and fall travel plans. Summertime domestic trips should be booked three to seven months ahead of time or four to ten months out for international travel in order to get the best prices. The day you book could also increase your chances of getting bumped up to first class, sweetening your travel experience in the process.

Additionally, you should try to be as flexible as possible with your dates so you have some wiggle room in terms of pricing on airfare. Also, make sure you have price alerts for travel sites so that if an airline has a deal on tickets, you'll know about them right away.