The Best Ways to Fly Out of Boise (Cheaply)

It’s rare, but it’s possible to get a round trip Europe flight for under $400 out of Boise. (Oscar Wong / Getty)

It’s spring break, the unofficial beginning of travel season! While we have tips for getting through the Boise Airport, it’s also time to start thinking about the flights a little further off the horizon.

To help you land the deal of your dreams, Scott Keyes, the founder of GOING, joined the City Cast Boise podcast to talk about why we’re in a golden age of cheap flights, even if everything else costs way too much.

How to Grab a Cheap Flight

Currently, Boise has zero direct flights out of the country. But having Salt Lake and Seattle just a quick hour-and-change flight away makes international travel only slightly less convenient than flying from a bigger airport, and can actually make the whole trip cheaper.

Businesses like GOING alert you to price drops in flights you’re interested in, which Keyes believes cuts through the mud of flight planning — and it’s easier to do in Boise than some of us might think.

“The timing of your booking is the most important way to get a cheap flight,” Keyes said.

The “Goldilocks” window of finding your best option falls:

Especially for international travel, Keyes recommends planning and booking your winter flights around the Fourth of July, and your summer flights around New Year’s.

Is Boise a Good Place to Fly Out of?

At the time of recording, Scott had his eye on a flight from Boise to Jersey in the UK for $585, all on major airlines.

“For folks in Boise, even if you have fewer [cheap flights] to pick from, when those cheap flights do pop up, I would argue they’re even more valuable than when they are popping up from the larger cities.”

But for prices like that to become more consistent, he said Boise needs to see more airline competition. So don’t roll your eyes at the next cheap-o budget airline coming in — even if you never book with them, they might help lower your next vacation bill.