Fly Cheap from Boston to New York: Air Travel Tips

If you need to get from Boston to New York City or New York to Boston and driving is not your ideal mode of transport, another option is air travel. A nonstop flight from New York to Boston and back is on average one hour and 15 minutes each way. If you need to get to your destination in the shortest amount of time possible this is your way to go. A major down side to airline travel is that it can get rather pricey.

Prices on airline flights from Boston to New York or New York to Boston vary drastically according to airline, flight schedule and time/date of ticket purchase. If you end up with an unlucky combination of these factors a ticket can cost several hundred dollars one way.

It is also standard now for airlines to charge a fee for each piece of luggage you check. There are also weight requirements and if your bag exceeds them the fee will be even more.

There are always deals and special offers to be found, though. Do an internet search for "flights Boston New York" and you'll be bombarded with results from travel sites begging you to take advantage of their lowest price guarantee. Ads in the sidebars will also scream at you with their latest airline ticket promos for flights from Boston to New York and vice versa. Flights are commonly offered as low as $49 for a one way ticket. Look around.

When searching for cheap flights from Boston to New York City, consider exploring various ways to obtain airline tickets.

Find tickets from the airline company directly
Delta Airlines 1-800-221-1212.
Jet Blue 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583).
US Airways 1-800-428-4322.
United 1-800-United-1 (1-800-864-8331).
American Airlines

Find tickets from internet based travel companies or discount airfare sites
These sites use your search criteria to find airline fares from multiple airlines. Many of them also make it easy to rearrange your schedule to try and find cheaper flights. Tickets are offered from multiple airline companies but tickets are purchased directly through the third party website instead of directly through the airline. Any inquiries or refund requests, etc about your flight have to go through them.

Travelocity
Cheap Tickets (Owned by Orbitz) 1-800-504-3249.
Discount Fares 1-800-811-8981
Expedia.
Hotwire
Orbitz

Find tickets from a travel search engine
The sites below allow you to compare prices from hundreds of online airline ticket resources. They also allow you to filter the results according to your priorities and many allow you to select which airlines and websites you wish to compare. They do not sell airline tickets directly
Kayak
Sidestep
Mobissimo
Momondo

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when searching for a low price airline ticket from Boston to New York City:

*Look for last minute flight offers. Most airlines and online travel companies have them.

*Search for miscellaneous special offers. These usually change weekly and are listed as latest or current "deals".

*Some airlines or travel sites offer Web Only Fares. Sometimes you have to look around the site to find them as they are not always automatically offered.

*Many sites currently offer a Lowest Price Guarantee. Since so many of them promise to give you the lowest airfare you can find, be sure to read the terms and conditions that apply for each one before you choose where to purchase your airline ticket.

*If you are booking an airline ticket a few weeks or longer in advance, consider signing up for the newsletters offered on many of the above websites. They will send you weekly updates about deals and special promotions related to your travel destinations.

*Some airlines offer overnight flights, usually called "Red Eye" flights. Sometimes these are cheaper.

*Call up the individual airlines directly and speak to an agent. Usually if your travel days/times are flexible someone who is familiar with the fares can give you some tips to help you lower your ticket price. Sometimes this is easier than doing a wild goose chase online.

*When searching for your travel dates, check the "flexible" option if your dates aren't set in stone.

*Try searching for different dates and times.

*Try searching for different New York City airports. There are two: JFK Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA).

*Use travel miles if you have any with one particular airline. If you don't have a travel miles account they are free and if you travel between Boston and New York a lot, the reward miles from each trip might pay off in the future.