Cheap Memorial Day 2026 Flights: $99–$229 From Major US Airports

Nashville from $99 round-trip on American Airlines out of Charlotte Douglas is the cheapest Memorial Day fare we tracked this cycle. That price exists in March and early April, then it quietly disappears around the time everyone starts Googling "Memorial Day trips."

Miami from $139 round-trip on Spirit out of New York LaGuardia is the move for East Coasters who want warm water and a short flight. Factor in Spirit's carry-on fee of $79 if you book basic economy, or pack light and keep it a personal item only trip.

Denver from $119 round-trip on Frontier out of Chicago O'Hare works beautifully if you want to hike instead of beach. Frontier's bag fees are the same story as Spirit, so go carry-on or go home.

New Orleans from $149 round-trip on Southwest out of Dallas Love Field is the rare deal where the airline actually includes two free checked bags. Southwest also lets you change without fees, which matters on a holiday weekend when plans shift.

Cancun from $229 round-trip on United out of Houston Intercontinental is the splurge option that still qualifies as cheap for an international beach trip. United flies this route direct, which cuts your exposure to missed connections during one of the messiest travel weekends of the year.

Memorial Day fares from major US airports spike hard in April. What you see in March, specifically that $99 American fare from Charlotte Douglas or the $119 Frontier deal from O'Hare, is genuinely the floor. Book then.

By May, those same routes are running $180 to $260 round-trip on a good day. Check the Spirit Miami fare from LaGuardia in late April versus what it was in March and the difference is often $80 to $100 for the exact same seat on the exact same flight.

Google Flights price tracking is your friend here. Set an alert in February, check it weekly through March, and pull the trigger when you see the number you want. Waiting to see if it drops further is how people end up paying $340 for a domestic hop.

The one exception is Southwest out of Dallas Love Field. Southwest fares sometimes drop closer to the travel date when unsold seats open up, but Memorial Day weekend is so heavily booked that the usual Southwest last-minute luck does not apply. Book the New Orleans flight early.

Flying out Thursday evening instead of Friday saves real money. On routes like the Spirit Miami flight from LaGuardia or the Frontier Denver run from O'Hare, Thursday departures consistently price $60 to $100 cheaper round-trip than the obvious Friday morning slots.

The return matters just as much. Tuesday morning beats Monday afternoon by a similar margin. Flying back Tuesday also means you skip the single worst airport day of the Memorial Day weekend, which is Monday evening when every gate at every major hub looks like a fire drill.

The catch is that Thursday departures are usually evening flights, which means arriving late and losing a few hours of your first day. That trade-off is worth it on a longer trip to New Orleans or Cancun, less so on a quick Nashville weekend where you were counting on Friday night on Broadway.

If you are flying the United Cancun route from Houston Intercontinental, the Thursday trick is especially valuable. That $229 fare can drop to around $169 on a Thursday evening departure, which is $60 back in your pocket before you have even touched your hotel budget.

Under $150: Nashville from $99 on American from Charlotte Douglas. This is the easiest call on the list. Fly in Thursday night, three full days in Nashville, home Tuesday morning. Hotels near Broadway run $120 to $180 a night over Memorial Day weekend, so book the hotel the same day you book the flight. Total trip cost for two nights and a flight can land under $450 per person if you move fast.

$150–$250: New Orleans from $149 on Southwest from Dallas Love Field. New Orleans in late May is hot and humid, but the food and music make it worth it. Southwest's free bags mean your all-in flight cost stays at $149 even if you bring a real suitcase, which separates this deal from anything on Spirit or Frontier. Budget around $600 to $800 total for the weekend including a French Quarter hotel, which will not be cheap over Memorial Day.

$250+: Cancun from $229 on United from Houston Intercontinental. For a direct international flight to a beach, $229 round-trip is hard to argue with. Add a hotel in the Zona Hotelera for $120 to $180 a night and your total for a four-night trip lands around $750 to $950. United's basic economy on this route does include a personal item, but check baggage policy before you book if you are bringing more than a backpack.

One honest note on airports: O'Hare and LaGuardia get genuinely brutal over Memorial Day weekend. Charlotte Douglas and Dallas Love Field handle the volume better, both physically smaller and better staffed for peak travel. If you are flying into a connection, build in at least 90 minutes at O'Hare, not the 45 minutes the booking system tries to sell you.