Americas Flight Routes

Cities with more than one airport

New York and Los Angeles are the two places where picking the wrong arrival airport quietly costs you an evening. JFK and Newark both call themselves New York, but if you are staying in Manhattan the difference is a straightforward AirTrain-and-subway run versus a trip that depends on how the New Jersey Turnpike is behaving. LaGuardia is closest of the three but serves domestic routes almost exclusively, so it usually matters on the New York to Miami leg rather than the transatlantic one.

Los Angeles is a different problem. LAX is the obvious arrival, but the city is large enough that "arriving in LA" tells you nothing about how long you are from your hotel. Decide on a neighbourhood first — the Americas stay guides break down which parts of each city sit near which airport — and let that inform which fare you actually want.

Direct or one-stop

The transatlantic routes into the main US gateways are almost all non-stop from the UK, so the choice is usually about timing rather than connections. Daytime westbound flights land in the afternoon and let you sleep on local time; the overnight return is the one that costs you a day. Anything beyond the gateways — smaller US cities, most of Canada past Toronto and Vancouver, and much of Mexico and Central America — means a connection, and connecting through a US airport carries an important quirk: you clear immigration at your first point of entry, not at your destination, so a ninety-minute connection can be uncomfortably tight.

If your itinerary crosses a US hub on the way somewhere else, budget at least two and a half hours for that first stop, and read how to compare indirect flight savings before you buy a connection to save a modest amount.

Basic economy is not the same product

This is the single biggest trap in American fares. The cheapest ticket on a US airline is frequently a basic economy fare that excludes a full-size carry-on, not just a checked bag — you get a personal item that fits under the seat and nothing more. Seat selection costs extra, changes are often not permitted at all, and you board last. Once you add a bag and a seat, the main cabin fare on the same aircraft is regularly the cheaper option.

Compare the total, not the headline. Our guide to comparing flight prices covers how to line these fare families up fairly, and the final baggage rules are always confirmed on the partner's site before you pay.

Seasons that move the price

Three periods dominate. Thanksgiving week is the busiest domestic travel window of the American year and prices behave accordingly. Spring break spreads demand across March into April, particularly on anything heading to Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. And Caribbean and Gulf coast travel between June and November falls inside hurricane season, which is less about danger than about flexibility — read the change and cancellation rules properly rather than assuming a cheap fare can be moved.

Canadian winter sun runs the opposite way: as soon as the Toronto weather turns, the Toronto to Cancún corridor tightens up and stays tight until spring.