Cheap flights to
Arizona

While there’s no specific day of the week when airline prices drop, we do have tips on how far in advance of a trip you should book your tickets. The best deals are found in what we call the Goldilocks Window—not too late, but not too soon before your departure date. For domestic flights, that means booking 1-3 months before a trip. For international flights, you have a bit more time, from 2-8 months out.

That said, if you’re booking a flight during high travel season or if you have no flexibility on your dates (like if you’re traveling for a wedding), we recommend planning on the earlier end of those windows. If you hope to visit Arizona during January, a peak travel time, start looking for flights in July. We’ve seen fares reliably jump 21, 14, and 7 days before flights, so if possible, at least book before those dates.

Even if you’re diligently checking flights every day, some never seem to get any cheaper. But before you give up your dream of visiting the Grand Canyon, try our Greek Islands Trick.

This is when you get as close as possible to your final destination, then find a budget airline flight, train, or other option to reach your final destination. It’s so named because it works particularly well for getting to the Greek islands, but it can work for any destination.

If flights to Grand Canyon National Park Airport or to Sedona are crazy expensive, look at flights to nearby cities, like Las Vegas or LA. Those cities often have great flight deals, and they have different busy seasons than Arizona. Once there, you can rent a car for the last leg of your journey. This can also work for other cities in Arizona, like Sedona.

If you live in Denver, you probably don’t regularly search for flights from elsewhere. Why would you when you live near one of the largest airports in the world? But we see great deals to Phoenix from all over the place. If you see an insane deal from Los Angeles, like a deal under $100, it could be worth the extra flight from Denver to LA. It takes more logistics and planning, but you could save a few hundred dollars during peak travel season.

As we’ve established, winter is a busy time to visit much of Arizona. Try traveling during the shoulder season: late spring, before it’s too hot, or late fall before the winter tourists arrive en masse. Note that despite high temperatures, summer is also a busy time to visit the Grand Canyon, likely because kids are out of school and families can take trips. If your trip centers around the Grand Canyon, spring and fall are still shoulder seasons and a great time to hike when it’s not too hot.

The more flexible you can be with your travel dates, the better your chances of finding cheap flights. Look for flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, which are typically the cheapest days to fly. If you can, avoid flying on Fridays and Sundays, which are often the most expensive.

Setting flight alerts is a great way to keep track of airline prices without having to check them daily. Set up an alert for your specific itinerary—or set multiple if you have flexible dates—and wait for an email telling you prices have dropped to your price range or by a significant amount. Do this ahead of the Goldilocks Window, if possible, to get the best deals.

Arizona has several large airports and is well-connected to the rest of the country. Most American travelers can reach Arizona with one connection or less. Those visiting from Europe, Mexico, and Canada can usually reach Phoenix with one stop or less. Travelers coming from Asia, Africa, Australia, or New Zealand might have two stops, depending on exactly where you’re coming from.