The world is a big place, and with so many amazing options, narrowing down where to go next can be difficult. At Going we’re big believers in going where the flights are cheapest, and letting airfare deals dictate your next trip. While there are some destinations we find deals to on a regular basis, deals to other destinations can be more elusive—and either list can change depending on factors such as routes and competition.
So, we’ve put together a list of some places that we expect to see more flight deals to in 2020. Forecasting fares isn’t an exact science, but our Flight Experts have the scoop on new and existing airline routes and historical pricing trends (including data on the great cheap flights we saw in 2019), and they can use their knowledge to make some predictions.
As with last year’s list, the places on this list aren’t necessarily the absolute cheapest places to go in the world—and we’ll see deals to many other destinations, too. We’re watching these particular places because we predict we’ll see a lot more cheap flight deals to these destinations in the coming year. Below, in no particular order, we present our recommendations for where to go on cheap flights in 2020.
Japan
Japan has typically had a reputation as one of the more expensive destinations in Asia (especially compared to destinations like Thailand and Vietnam in Southeast Asia) and pricey flights to reach the country weren’t helping its affordability. But Japan earned a spot on last year’s list based on the increase in flights to gateways other than Tokyo, such as Osaka or Fukuoka in the country’s south. Those new routes helped increase competition, bring prices down, and offer travelers more options for open-jaw flights.
This year, that trend continues and Japan earns a spot on the list thanks to a new agreement that adds 13 new routes between the US and Tokyo’s Haneda airport. The move means even more competition, especially to Haneda, which is the more convenient of Tokyo’s two airports, and we expect this increase in competition will help increase the frequency of amazing deals to Japan.
The new services are expected to begin in summer, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics in July and August (though prices around the Olympics will likely be higher due to increased demand). American Airlines will be adding flights from Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles; Delta Air Lines will add flights from Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Portland, and Honolulu; Hawaiian Airlines will add a flight from Honolulu, and United Airlines will add flights from Newark, Chicago O’Hare, Washington-Dulles, Los Angeles, Houston, and Guam.
These are some of the cheap flights to Japan we saw in 2019:
- San Jose to Tokyo for $290 roundtrip
- Philadelphia to Osaka for $378 roundtrip
- Las Vegas to Tokyo for $342 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Molly A.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
The land of Malbec wine, sultry tango, and famously tender beef has always been a budget-friendly destination, though it hasn’t always been easy to find an affordable flight. That’s been changing, and we expect to see even more great deals to Buenos Aires in 2020.
While United suspended their nonstop flights out of Newark (EWR), American Airlines continues to expand their presence in Argentina with the west coast’s first nonstop route to its capital, Buenos Aires, out of LAX, which started at the end of 2018. Norwegian, which has been expanding in Argentina over the last year, also announced plans to offer flights between several cities in the US and Argentina, which should dramatically increase the competition and lower prices.
Additionally, we frequently see great prices out of Miami (MIA) with American, LATAM, Gol, and Aerolineas Argentinas all competing there, and we expect that trend to continue, so you could look for a deal from Miami and then connect to Miami from your local airport. As an added bonus: the US dollar goes almost six times as far compared to five years ago, so there is plenty of savings to be had once on the ground.
These are some of the cheap flights to Argentina we saw in 2019:
- JFK to Buenos Aires for $433 roundtrip
- LAX to Buenos Aires for $442 roundtrip
- Houston to Buenos Aires for $648 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
Nairobi, Kenya
From the coastline of the Indian Ocean to the great plains of the Maasai Mara Reserve, the East African nation of Kenya is home to an abundance of riches. And while it’s still pricier to fly to Kenya (and much of Sub-Saharan Africa) than it is to many places in Europe or Central America, prices have been dropping and we expect to see more deals to Kenya, particularly to Nairobi, in 2020.
The increase in deals is mostly thanks to Kenya Airways joining the Air France/KLM partnership back in 2018. Since then, frequency to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) has increased and there are now daily flights to NBO from the connecting hubs of Paris and Amsterdam, which has helped drive down prices from the US.
The best prices tend to be from the east coast of the US, though we have seen great deals from cities across the country. While prices around the IAAF 2020 World Championships, which will be held in Kenya in July, will likely be higher, in general we expect prices to Kenya to remain competitive now that it’s easier to connect to the country through Europe.
These are some of the cheap flights to Kenya we saw in 2019:
- NYC, San Francisco, or Chicago to Nairobi for $557 roundtrip
- Atlanta to Nairobi for $584 roundtrip
- Milwaukee to Nairobi for $574 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Sadie J.
Hawaii
At the risk of getting repetitive, we’ll say it again: more competition generally equals better fares, and that maxim was proved in the case of flights to Hawaii when Southwest launched its first flights from California to the islands in 2019.
We found some amazing deals to Hawaii when Southwest began flying from Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, and Sacramento to the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii. Though we haven’t seen fares as low as the eye-popping promotional fares on launch day—as low as $98 roundtrip—we have seen that the the “Southwest effect” has consistently driven down prices on other airlines, both from the Mainland to Hawaii and within the islands, with inter-island flights dropping as low as $58 roundtrip.
In 2020, Southwest will continue to expand its routes, which means we’ll see more fare competition between Southwest and airlines like Hawaiian, Alaska, and United and more great fares (though be aware Hawaii deals are only sent to Premium members).
These are some of the cheap flights to Hawaii we saw in 2019:
- San Francisco nonstop to Hawaii island for $298 roundtrip
- San Diego nonstop to Maui for $282 roundtrip
- Boise to Oahu for $351 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
Casablanca, Morocco
Though it’s just a short hop from Spain, the North African nation of Morocco has historically been more expensive to reach from the US than cities like Barcelona and Madrid. That changed last year thanks to increased flights to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc, which joined the Oneworld alliance in 2018 and now offers flights from NYC, DC, Miami, and Boston.
These additional options helped put flights to Morocco from the US in the same price bracket as flights from the US to most of Western Europe, and with more routes being added in 2020, we expect the trend of great deals to continue.
American Airlines will also begin service to Morocco in June 2020 with a nonstop flight from Philadelphia to Casablanca, an additional option for east coasters that could increase price competition between American and Royal Air Maroc and keep the deals coming.
These are some of the cheap flights to Morocco we saw in 2019:
- Charlotte to Casablanca for $506 roundtrip
- Dallas to Marrakesh for $494 roundtrip
- Indianapolis to Casablanca for $545 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Willis O.
Alaska
We expect to see an increase in deals to the 49th state in 2020, just as we did in 2019, thanks to the ongoing battle for airline dominance out of Seattle between Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines. And while that battle rages on, the clear winners are bargain-loving travelers flying out of Seattle—and other Delta hubs—to the state of Alaska.
For example, in 2019 we saw Alaska undercut Delta with flight prices as low as $212 out of Delta hubs like Minneapolis (MSP) and Detroit (DTW) to Anchorage and Fairbanks. Alaska also continues to put out good fares from its west coast hubs, and though fares from cities that aren’t served by Delta or Alaska are a bit higher, we do see deals every now and again. As with Hawaii, though, we only send Alaska deals to our Premium members.
These are some of the cheap flights to Alaska we saw in 2019:
- Detroit to Anchorage for $314 roundtrip
- Albuquerque to Anchorage for $349 roundtrip
- Seattle to Anchorage for $154 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
London, UK
Deals to London come around with almost as much frequency as afternoon tea, and we don’t expect that to stop, even as the UK navigates uncertainty around Brexit. In fact, we expect to see more deals to London from all over the US thanks mainly to two big airline developments.
First, there’s the joint venture between Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines, which launched in 2019 and resulted in a significant increase in frequency to and from London, including a comeback in frequency to London’s second busiest airport, Gatwick (LGW). Additionally, jetBlue will begin selling tickets in 2020 for flights in 2021 which will further increase downward pressure on fares from its competitors.
The large—and growing—number of airlines linking the US with London (including America, Delta, United, British Airways, Virgin, Norwegian, Icelandair, and more) means lots of competition, which should help drive down fare and keep deals frequent throughout 2020.
These are some of the cheap flights to London we saw in 2019:
- NYC nonstop to London for $328 roundtrip
- Anchorage to London for $569 roundtrip
- Detroit to London for $358 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
India
Delta’s resumption of flights between New York and Mumbai at the end of 2019 (which had ceased in 2015) will be a game changer for American travelers heading to India in 2020. We expect this increase in competition to result in lower fares and more frequent deals, and in fact we’ve already seen a hint of that since flights went on sale earlier this year.
India’s a very cheap destination once you get there, too, with an extensive domestic rail network and increasing competition between private domestic airlines like Vistara and Indigo. In addition, India now has much cheaper regional flights to nearby countries such as Turkey, Myanmar, and Vietnam, so you could snag a great deal to India and then affordably add on visits to more Asian countries on the same trip.
These are some of the cheap flights to India we saw in 2019:
- New York to Chennai for $614 roundtrip
- Atlanta to Mumbai for $673 roundtrip
- Chicago to New Delhi for $662 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Daniel B.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Similarly to Kenya, Tanzania is another East African nation set to benefit from the Air France/KLM/Kenya Airways partnership that started in 2018. The partnership makes it easier to connect from the US to Tanzania via Europe by utilizing the Air France and KLM network from the US to Europe and connecting to Kenya Airways’ network to reach destinations across Africa.
We’ve since seen an increase in deals to Dar es Salaam, a port city on Tanzania’s east coast that’s a short domestic flight to Arusha, the gateway to popular destinations including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Kilimanjaro. With competition in the form of Star Alliance airlines (like United, Brussels Airlines, or Ethiopian Airlines, which has the largest number of US destinations and easily connects with DAR) there’s incentive to keep prices low in 2020 as well.
These are some of the cheap flights to Tanzania we saw in 2019:
- Seattle to Tanzania for $573 roundtrip
- Chicago to Tanzania for $618 roundtrip
- NYC to Tanzania for $665 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
Liechtenstein
Sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland, the 15-mile-long principality of Liechtenstein has a lot more to it than its small size would suggest. In celebration of its 300th anniversary, Liechtenstein has completed a national trail network making it possible to hike from one end of the country to the other. Better still, exploring this tiny country by foot is a great way to cheaply experience a traditionally expensive part of Europe without breaking the bank.
While the country doesn’t have its own airport, Zürich is just a short (about one hour) train ride away and sees regular flight deals from the US, thanks to a plethora of routes and airlines flying from the US. Swiss International Air Lines will add direct flights between DC and Zürich in early 2020, which will also help keep prices low.
These are some of the cheap flights to Zürich we saw in 2019:
- Baltimore to Zürich for $383 roundtrip
- Boston to Zürich for $313 roundtrip
- Columbia to Zürich for $335 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Daniel B.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysia is often overlooked on Southeast Asia itineraries; it shares space on the Malay Peninsula with Singapore but is much cheaper than its neighbor. And, thanks to five-star All Nippon Airways, it’s been consistently cheaper to reach from the US.
In 2020, we expect ANA, in conjunction with United, to continue to offer some amazing deals from Chicago, NYC, DC, Houston, LA, Seattle, San Jose, and San Francisco to Malaysia via Tokyo.
Its flights to Kuala Lumpur are some of the most solid fares to Southeast Asia that we see. Best of all, Kuala Lumpur is the hub for budget airline AirAsia, so you can also hop to nearby destinations like Bali, Myanmar, Jakarta, Singapore, and Phuket for less than $100 roundtrip on most dates.
These are some of the cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur we saw in 2019:
- Newark to Kuala Lumpur for $467 roundtrip
- San Francisco to Kuala Lumpur for $551 roundtrip
- Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur for $490 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
Former Yugoslav Republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
Stretching along the Adriatic coast from Slovenia to North Macedonia, the countries that comprise former Yugoslavia make up a cheap, diverse, and generally uncrowded corner of Europe. While they’ve always been easy on the wallet once you’re there, flights to this farther-flung region have historically cost a bit more.
But now, cities like Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana are starting to see regular deals that connect through major hubs like Brussels, Frankfurt, or Zürich. Additionally, increased intra-Europe flights to these countries on regional carriers like Air Serbia and Belavia, and the budget carrier Wizz Air, have made it easier and cheaper to hop to the region from elsewhere in Europe, so we expect deals to continue to pop up throughout 2020.
These are some of the cheap flights to the former Yugoslav Republic countries we saw in 2019:
- NYC to Belgrade for $193 roundtrip
- Minneapolis to Zagreb for $584 roundtrip
- Cincinnati to Ljubljana for $491 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Daniel B.
Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary
The Central European countries of Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary have a reputation for being much cheaper to visit than their Western European counterparts, but flight deals to these countries have traditionally been a bit harder to come by than those to hubs like Amsterdam or Paris. Now, a confluence of several events have led to more frequent deals on flights to Central Europe from the US.
Poland’s flagship carrier, LOT Polish Airlines, has been expanding their routes in the US, adding SFO as their 6th airport as they work towards a goal of turning Warsaw into a large hub (with Budapest as a secondary hub). Additionally, American Airlines added three new routes from Chicago to Krakow, Budapest, and Prague, increasing seating capacity in the market by about 15%.
More routes and flights means more seats to fill, which typically means lower prices and more frequent deals for travelers, so we expect to see even more deals popping up to these Central European countries in the coming year.
These are some of the cheap flights to Central Europe we saw in 2019:
- Denver to Budapest for $492 roundtrip
- Phoenix to Warsaw for $554 roundtrip
- Chicago to Prague for $475 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul is often overlooked in favor of nearby Tokyo, but it’s a bargain by comparison with cheaper food and accommodation costs. Unfortunately, it’s never been known as a cheap place to fly to—though a key move from a major US carrier should mean more cheap flights to Seoul in 2020.
Last year, Delta announced plans to move its Asian hub from Tokyo Narita to Seoul Incheon airport in 2020, and that move greatly expand capacity between the South Korean capital and Delta hub cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Seattle. With that increased capacity, we’re expecting to see an increase in deal frequency as Delta competes with airlines such as Korean Air and Asiana.
If cities aren’t your thing, flights to South Korea’s Jeju Island are often available for around $30 roundtrip from Seoul with local budget airlines.
These are some of the cheap flights to South Korea we saw in 2019:
- Los Angeles to Seoul for $486 roundtrip
- Chicago, New York, or Seattle to Seoul for $682 roundtrip
- Houston to Seoul for $652 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Daniel B.
France
As a major European hub, Paris has often had great deals in recent years, and a bevy of new direct flights to Paris and other cities should make deals to France even more frequent and widespread in 2020.
There are new routes to Paris departing from Boston on LEVEL and Newark on French Bee and Corsair (both starting in June 2020), and the increase in competition on direct flights to Paris—especially on budget airlines—will help keep prices low.
There are also new direct flights on United from Newark to Nice and on Air Canada from Montreal to Toulouse route (one stop for US folks), which will make it easier—and cheaper—to reach French cities in the south or book an open-jaw to see more of the country without backtracking.
These are some of the cheap flights to France we saw in 2019:
- New York nonstop to Paris for $285 roundtrip
- Charlotte to Nice for $493 roundtrip
- All over the US to Toulouse, Nice, Marseille, Lyon, or Paris in the high $400s
Recommended by: Flight Expert Willis O.
São Paulo, Brazil
While most visitors think of Rio as the first place to visit in Brazil, São Paulo is an equally cosmopolitan city with world-class food, museums, art, and music. It’s the largest city in South America, and it has the busiest airport, Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU).
With numerous airlines offering routes from the US, including New York, Miami, Orlando, Chicago, and Dallas, there is healthy competition and as a result lower fares—especially in comparison to neighboring Rio de Janeiro.
To check out both places, consider flying into GRU and booking a second ticket to Rio; fares are typically less than $80 roundtrip. Best of all, as of June 2019 Americans no longer require a visa to visit.
These are some of the cheap flights to São Paulo we saw in 2019:
- Philadelphia to São Paulo for $492 roundtrip
- Boston to São Paulo for $455 roundtrip
- Fort Lauderdale to São Paulo for $493 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Darci V.
Fiji
Fiji is often synonymous with ultra-luxury in the minds of travelers, and the traditionally high price of flights to the 300-island archipelago hasn’t helped that perception. However, in 2019 we found several amazing deals to Fiji, and we expect to continue to see some great fares in 2020.
While historically the best deals have been from the west coast, we’ve seen an increase in deals from all over the US, such as fares to Fiji in the $600s from smaller airports like Eugene, Boise, Kalispell, and Reno. We’ve even found some 2-in-1 deals with Australia, which include stops in both countries on the same itinerary.
These are some of the cheap flights to Fiji we saw in 2019:
- 2-in-1 from Los Angeles to Fiji and Sydney for $533 roundtrip
- Las Vegas to Fiji for $498 roundtrip
- San Francisco nonstop to Fiji for $570 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Molly A.
Cape Verde
A volcanic archipelago located off the coast of northwest Africa, Cape Verde (also known as Cabo Verde) is known for its beautiful beaches and Creole Portuguese-African culture. In 2019, Cabo Verde Airlines launched nonstop flights to DC. TAP Air Portugal also connects the US with the island nation via Lisbon.
We saw only a few deals to Cape Verde pop up in 2019, but as TAP continues to expand its operations in the US, we expect to see more frequent deals, and from more US cities, in 2020.
These are some of the cheap flights to Cape Verde we saw in 2019:
- Boston to Cape Verde for $423 roundtrip
- DC to Cape Verde nonstop for $613 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Robert F.
Thailand
While Thailand is a perennial favorite of backpackers looking for amazing culture, food, and beaches on a budget, getting there hasn’t always been as budget-friendly, but in 2019 we saw more deals to Bangkok and we expect that trend to continue next year as well.
Despite a lack of nonstop flights from the US, we’ve seen a nice uptick in deal frequency with service on 5-star All Nippon Airways via Tokyo and Asiana or Korean Air via Seoul. As an added bonus: while you’ll likely still arrive into Bangkok, other regions are also increasingly accessible by train or a quick budget flight once you’ve reached the Thai capital.
These are some of the cheap flights to Thailand we saw in 2019:
- Seattle to Chiang Mai for $632 roundtrip
- San Francisco to Bangkok for $487 roundtrip
- Houston to Bangkok for $515 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Daniel B.
Spain
The Spanish hubs of Madrid and Barcelona have generally had good fares with solid deal frequency, but in the last year that’s been kicked up another notch, thanks in part to expanded service to Barcelona on Norwegian and on Iberia’s low-cost subsidiary, LEVEL, which offers direct flights to Barcelona from New York, San Francisco, and Boston. With that increase in competition driving down fares, we expect the trend of great deals to Madrid and Barcelona to continue in 2020.
We also expect to see even more deals to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa, next year, as several European carriers continue to increase their routes to the islands from cities like Nice, Marseille, Strasbourg, Lisbon, and Naples.
These are some of the cheap flights to Spain we saw in 2019:
- NYC to Las Palmas for $252 roundtrip
- Boston to Barcelona nonstop for $225 roundtrip
- Atlanta to Madrid for $235 roundtrip
Recommended by: Flight Expert Julian M.
