Here Are the Best Airlines and Airports for Flight Deals in America

Airfare has been on the rise since last year, hitting a spike earlier this spring, and budget-wise travelers are on the hunt for great bargains.

Travelers hoping to find a great deal on airfare should look to American Airlines first, according to a recent analysis by Going, a website that helps travelers discover good deals on flights.

The airline took the No. 1 spot in terms of carriers that offer the best deals.

Going looked at all deals sent over the 12 months ending on June 30, 2026, and scored them using its proprietary Going Grade system, which reveals how big of a discount a lower fare offers compared to a fare at typical market prices.

Going rated the carriers by the frequency of deals sent. The ranking excludes the budget carriers, such as Breeze and Avelo, but notes that their lower airfare prices tend to push the full-service airlines to compete.

Based on such criteria, the top airlines, and the number of deals Going tracked for each, are:

1. American Airlines: 646 deals
2. Delta Air Lines: 609
3. Southwest Airlines: 594
4. United Airlines: 576
5. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines: 515
6. JetBlue Airways: 165

Southwest isn’ the airline for great deals as many travelers might expect. As we reported in “4 Perks That Southwest Airlines Is Ending for Good — and 6 New Upgrades,” Southwest eliminated some key benefits last year that had long distinguished the airline from its peers.

One of those benefits was Southwest’s beloved policy of allowing two free checked bags on every flight. That’s no longer a perk.

Going also ranked the top airports in the U.S. for deals using a weighted formula that means an airport with deeper discounts but fewer deals can outrank an airport with more overall deals. Here’s how the deals are ranked:

• Deal volume, which accounts for 35% of the score
• Average savings off normal fare, which accounts for another 35% of the score
• Average deal price, which makes up 30% of the score

Airports are also ranked by size. Here are the top 10 large and medium airports, along with the number of deals in the analysis:

1. Denver (DEN): 150 deals
2. New Orleans (MSY): 166
3. Orlando (MCO): 146
4. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL): 135
5. Los Angeles (LAX): 136
6. Charleston (CHS): 115
7. Raleigh-Durham (RDU): 137
8. Tampa (TPA): 143
9. Portland (PDX): 130
10. Las Vegas (LAS): 113

Here are the top small U.S. airports for deals, according to Going:

1. Akron-Canton (CAK): 52 deals
2. West Palm Beach (DJT): 71
3. Providence (PVD): 83
4. Wilmington (ILM): 57
5. Savannah (SAV): 70

Need more tips for saving while you travel? Check out our tips in “10 of the Best Travel Freebies to Help You Save in 2026.”