I live in Washington DC and have to travel back and forth from DC to Long Beach, California twice a month starting in June until the end of the year.

What is the best way to do that without paying a fortune.?

-Dev

www.jetblue.com or if you want to compare prices, www.sidestep.com or www.kayak.com

BTW, welcome to the B6 forum.

If you're flexible on dates, try flying on Tues, Weds, or Sat to get the lowest fares. And, if possible, try booking at least 2 weeks in advance to avoid higher fares--and even earlier during busy travel weeks in the summer.

Additionally, JetBlue is the only airline that flies LGB to Washington nonstop. If you're limiting yourself to nonstop flights, you don't have much choice in the market. You may want to consider 1-stop flights on several airlines and/or nonstops to other LA-area airports to search for the lowest fares.

I have never used kayak. Is it better than Sidestep?

Also, sometimes it is not possible to book two weeks out or greater. But I guess I have to firm up my dates.

Hi...
I have been flying from missouri to L.A area for the last year, and I use Southwest airlines. They are the best! Always great fares, never had any problems at all. direct flights. And if you choose to fly mid week its even better. (and early in the day or late at night)
But try to get flights two weeks in advance-best prices, and watch them through the months before you travel because they always change prices and you can catch some great deals. Their frequent flyer program is great too, and they always send you coupons for free drinks! (cant beat that!)

P.S alwayssssssss go directly through the airline, and sign up to be a member, and always use your southwest member id to make reservations so you know that you get those points for free flights. But they have the overall best deals. Going through priceline or something like that..will never get you a good deal, unless they are giving some special on some funky dates or vacations. Always try to go directly through the airline. And since you travel so much, southwest will reward you quickly. You will have free flights to anywhere, before the end of the year. I believe it is 8 flights. So your roundtrips count as 2 i think, check into it!


Hi...
I have been flying from missouri to L.A area for the last year, and I use Southwest airlines. They are the best! Always great fares, never had any problems at all. direct flights. And if you choose to fly mid week its even better. (and early in the day or late at night)
But try to get flights two weeks in advance-best prices, and watch them through the months before you travel because they always change prices and you can catch some great deals. Their frequent flyer program is great too, and they always send you coupons for free drinks! (cant beat that!)

Where does Southwest Fly out of? Can I use DCA IAD or BWI?

I know for sure BWI, go to southwest.com, click make a reservation and you can see flights/times/prices.

Southwest flies out of both BWI and IAD, but they do not fly nonstop to any Los Angeles area airports from the DC area, and they do not serve Long Beach airport at all. Thus, Southwest may not be the best choice for your particular route.

Kayak and Sidestep are very similar...and the two companies have actually recently merged. I find both websites useful. Neither one, as far as I can tell, directly prices Southwest flights, though. You'd have to go to southwest.com to check Southwest's fares against all the other carriers, which are listed on kayak or sidestep.

I agree. Sidestep and Kayak are great when trying to get the lowest possible fares between point A and point B.

I will do my due diligence in looking for pricing.

Seat13c,

Is that seat an exit aisle and therefore much more legroom? The reason I ask is that I'm 6'2 and most airlines I find it very uncomfortable. Especially going coast to coast on 4 to 5 hour flights.

Rows 10 and 11 on our A320's are the exit row and in the Even More Legroom section. I believe the exit seats acually have 39" or so where as the rest of the EML seats have 38". The EML section on our 320's include Rows 2-5, 10&11. Avoid 10A/F as these seats won't recline because of the exit door behind them, FAA rule that changes almost daily but it seems as this one might stick for a while. The rest of the exit row seats will recline. The EML section is very similiar to United's Economy Plus with just a little more leg room. The non-EML seats are a comfortable 34" as well.