Those 15 mph speed limits and flashing yellow lights are, once again, snarling your morning commute -- a not-so-happy confirmation that school is back in session and yep, summer is officially over. Don’t despair. There are still plenty of reasons to keep the good times rolling: Football, tailgates, fall foliage, near-empty beaches, and those sweet, sweet off-season prices, to name a few.
Cheap airfares will make those last-ditch travel plans an easy get in September. The good folks at the travel app Hopper crunched numbers from literally millions of flights from the past few years and predicted which destinations are set to see the biggest drop in airfares this month. Whether you’re heading to the game or keen on ditching fall altogether for the Southern Hemisphere, September boasts some exceptional deals.
Stateside, why not experience the biggest of big-time college football in Columbus, Ohio, home to THE Ohio State University? Airfares are expected to drop 20%, to $351. Or if you’d rather tailgate with the Vols, flights to Knoxville will be down 17%, to $240. The Ducks are also feeling competitive with flights to Eugene, Oregon down 17%, to $329.
If you don’t give two shakes about college football and just want to sip something fruity on the beach, Key West flights will be down 14% to $325.
Domestic
1. Columbus, Ohio -- 20% ($351)
2. Albuquerque, New Mexico -- 20% ($242)
3. Des Moines, Iowa -- 18% ($274)
4. Colorado Springs, Colorado -- 18% ($187)
5. Eugene, Oregon -- 17% ($329)
6. Knoxville, Tennessee -- 17% ($240)
7. Salt Lake City, Utah -- 16% ($172)
8. St. Louis, Missouri -- 15% $266
9. Key West, Florida – 14% ($325)
10. Buffalo, New York -- 13% ($247)
On the international side, a quick weekend in the Bahamas or Mexico will be much cheaper in September. Flights to Nassau should drop 24% to $364, and flights to the ever-trendy Mexico City dropping 22%, to $287. If you’d rather experience spring in September, Sydney will have flights down 19%, to $886. Auckland not only has flights down 20% to $1,110, but also some hilarious flight safety videos to keep you entertained on the long flight.
International
1. Nassau, Bahamas -- 24% ($364)
2. Mexico City, Mexico -- 22% ($287)
3. Delhi, India -- 21% ($566)
4. Frankfurt, Germany -- 21% ($758)
5. Auckland, New Zealand -- 20% ($1,110)
6. Lisbon, Portugal -- 20% ($638)
7. Lima, Peru – 20% $534
8. Belize City, Belize -- 20% ($458)
9. Sydney, Australia -- 19% ($886)
10. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands -- 19% ($353)
Much like scheduling North Dakota State for a Week 1 tune-up game, nothing here is guaranteed. So if you have your heart set on one of these destinations make sure to check flight prices every day to see if they’re trending down. Or you can download the Hopper app, enter your home airport, destination, and dates of travel, and they’ll send you an alert when prices start dropping. Seems easier.
Bottom line, the end of summer doesn’t have to mean the end of vacation time. Just make sure you give yourself extra time to get to the airport, on account of all the damn school zones.
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