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If you love to explore, naturally you’re probably always on the lookout for cheaper ways to travel. Often times, flights are one of the most expensive components of a trip, so new ideas for spending less on airfare are always welcome. As a travel lover myself, when I learned that buying plane tickets at the airport could be cheaper than online, I was very intrigued.
As it turns out, there’s truth to this. For budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier, you actually can save money by purchasing your flights at the airport. Anyone familiar with these companies knows they already charge extra for baggage, seat selection, and other common flight amenities. In fact, it’s how these budget airlines manage to keep costs down.
However, a lot of people don’t realize they are also sneaking fees into online ticket purchases. Which happens to be how most people buy their flights these days! Don’t worry though – this article will help you see how you can potentially save hundreds of dollars by opting to buy your plane tickets at the airport.
Note: This post was initially published in April 2020, and was last updated in December 2022.
Is Buying Plane Tickets at the Airport Really Cheaper than Online?
Yes, buying plane tickets at the airport really can be cheaper. Fees for online purchases can range between $18 to $25 dollars per flight segment, which adds up to as much as $100 per person on a roundtrip flight with a connection. That’s $200 for two people, and even more for a family!
Even so, I initially felt skeptical of these giant savings and couldn’t help thinking they were too good to be true. Since I live about fifteen minutes from the airport, I decided to test whether buying tickets in person really could be cheaper than the convenience of online.
Below is my experience. As you’ll see, getting these savings might not be as simple as it seems.
My Experience
My husband dropped me off at the Cleveland Hopkins Airport one Saturday afternoon. He planned to circle the airport a few times, while I purchased our plane tickets to Savannah on Allegiant. We thought this would be a fairly quick transaction.
As you will read, the airlines don’t exactly make it easy for you to save on these fees. Here are a few obstacles I faced before all was said and done.
Obstacle #1 – Airports Lines
Upon arrival, I got in line behind about three other parties who were waiting to check bags. I felt a little awkward, having entered the line empty handed, and seemed to be the only person waiting who wasn’t traveling that day.
I stood there watching the employees slowly work through the short line. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a new employee that day who was struggling with her transactions. It took about twenty minutes before it was finally my turn.
Obstacle #2 – Incompetent Staff
As luck would have it, the seemingly new person freed up when it was my turn. I told her I wanted to purchase plane tickets, and she immediately got to work. However, it only took thirty seconds for a blank expression to come over her face. She then mumbled something about not remembering how to do this.
Thankfully, her coworker eventually came over to help, and all was going good for a while, albeit at a snail’s pace. However, there were some unsettling moments, such as having to correct her on our dates multiple times and repeatedly reminding her we weren’t paying for bags or seats. At one point her coworker even asked why she was entering letters into the credit card number field…
After what felt like years later, everything was set and I had my new prices. The total actually did end up being about $72 cheaper than the $434 Allegiant was charging online for the same flights. The rumors were true!
Obstacle #3 – Arriving Near End of Shift
When the transaction was almost complete, the coworker, who had been looking antsy for about fifteen minutes, was ready to end his shift. Suddenly it was just me and the new person, and I started to get a bad feeling.
Even though my flights were seemingly set, the girl continued to fumble around with her computer for several more minutes. Eventually, she looked up and said the system wasn’t letting her book it. She proceeded to ask me if I tried their app, thus defeating the whole purpose of my airport visit.
Of course, when I told her I had purposely come to the airport for the cheaper ticket prices, she shook her head vigorously and said, “No they’re cheaper online”. Deflated, I walked away with zero plane tickets to greet my husband outside, who’d been waiting for about an hour
Conclusion: Should You Buy Your Plane Tickets at the Airport?
So, was it more trouble than it’s worth? While this experience was incredibly frustrating, I didn’t come out of it completely cynical.
Instead, my husband and I decided not to take no for an answer. By design, the airlines do not make it easy to avoid these fees, and we felt too stubborn to let them win.
Since I was feeling drained by this time, my husband happily took on the task of calling Allegiant about our frustrating experience. It seemed unlikely, but maybe they’d give us the prices we wanted over the phone?
Well, guess what? They did! It ended up being a happy ending after all, thanks to some patience and persistence.
3 Tips for a Successful Experience Buying Plane Tickets at the Airport
Some of the above frustrations were out of my control, but there are a few things I wish I knew before my airport trip:
- Visit on the Right Days: When my husband called Allegiant, he learned they actually have two specified days of the week (see below) for allowing people to purchase plane tickets at the airport. My Saturday visit was apparently not one of those days, which may be why I ended up working with someone who couldn’t complete my transaction.
- Come Early: I arrived for my purchase towards the end of a shift. This caused me to be left with only one employee, who happened to be totally inexperienced. Try avoiding this scenario by getting to the airport earlier in the ticketing window.
- Call the Airline: If you have a frustrating experience like mine, calling the airline could be an option. Even though we came on the wrong day, they still worked with us, and we were able to get the price we wanted. Just remember to be nice to who you speak with. It never pays to take out your frustration on them.
- Message the Airline on Social: Certain airlines, like Breeze and Frontier, no longer have call centers. I recommend reaching out to them on Twitter, which is where I’ve received a lot of help with flights in the past. I usually send a DM, but you could also tag the airline in a tweet.
Ticket Counter Hours at the Airport
To buy your tickets at the airport, it is essential to visit during ticketing hours so you don’t waste your time. These will be different depending on which airport you are flying out of. Here are links for ticketing hours for some of the major budget airlines:
- Allegiant: Only available on certain days, and generally open for one hour following scheduled departures.
- Spirit: Set time windows will vary by airport.
- Breeze: Check you local airport, but the ticket counter is generally open on Tuesdays between 11am and 1pm Eastern. The counter is also open two hours before any scheduled flight.
- Frontier: I don’t think I’ve ever seen info more buried on a website, but ticket counters are generally open two hours prior to departure times.
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The bottom line is that buying tickets on budget airlines at the airport can definitely be cheaper. You will simply have to compare your savings on fees vs the total cost of your flights to see whether the fare difference is worth it.
Remember, what you save in fees, you will lose in convenience. This is especially true if you don’t live close to the airport. There is no perfect choice, so be sure to weigh the various options to determine what works best for you!
