Madison (MSN)
 

Hi -

I've got to go to Madison this summer (the week of July 4) for a good friend's wedding.

He says that fares from out east (I live in NYC, he lives in DC) can be had for <$300 r/t.

I've been obsessively checking, and the cheapest I've seen ex-NYC since the beginning of the year is mid-$400s.

Does anyone know if it's realistic to expect fares lower than this (it is the peak summer travel season, after all)? I'm wondering whether I should just book something now and be done with it.

Thanks!

If you were planning to rent a car upon landing in Wisconsin, flying to MKE would produce lower air fares and more flight frequencies. The drive is only 90 minutes. Southwest and Delta fly to MKE from LGA. United flies from EWR.

As newsmanhoss says flying to MKE is a good option if you plan to rent a car. If not and you can get a cheap fare to ORD there is a good bus service to Madison (Google van Galder). Fares in and out of Madison seem to be variable, AA have mostly been high for the last year and I have used the bus quite a bit.

Thanks - I don't plan to rent a car and will pay the extra whatever $$ to go directly to MSN. It just seems that the current price is rather high - especially since I've gotten lucky with a bunch of weirdly inexpensive international flights lately.

I could just be looking too early, I guess.

Well it is the week of July 4. Your best hope for a fare sale is if people suddenly decide not to travel! The bus ride is about 3 hours and, depending on your connection time, may not add much. It costs $60 r/t so it also depends on the cost of the add-on to MSN. There is also a bus from/to MKE (Badger Bus) about every two hours taking two hours. We have had good luck with MSN flights but the busses are more reliable, though July weather is usually not too big a problem.