Booked a flight for $49 and it actually worked out

Last month I was scrolling through some random travel deal site and saw a flight from Austin to Denver for $49 on a budget airline. I figured it was a mistake or there would be hidden fees that would jack it up to $200. But I booked it anyway with just a small carry-on bag and paid exactly $49 plus $12 in taxes. The flight was fine, no delays, and I saved like $150 compared to the next cheapest option. I usually skip those super cheap deals because I assume they're too good to be true or the timing will be awful. But hitting that price point made me rethink how I look for flights on a tight budget. Has anyone else grabbed a deal that cheap and had it actually work out?

2 comments

2 Comments

richardknight1mo ago

I read somewhere that airlines sometimes dump unsold seats at crazy low prices to fill the plane, so it's not always a glitch. $49 to Denver sounds like one of those last minute deals where they just want to cover the cost of the seat. I've seen a few for similar prices to places like Vegas and Phoenix that worked out fine for people.

fiona_sullivan291mo ago

Is $49 the universe's way of telling me I should fly more even though I'm bad at packing and always bring a suitcase that's too big? @richardknight probably nailed it with the unsold seat thing, I guess the airline just wanted a warm body in that seat and I met their low expectations.