ROA to NYC late June

April 16, 2023 11:30 PM

I'm trying to find the most affordable flight going from ROA to NYC at the end of June. I'm hoping to get in the 26 or 27 and leave the 30 or July 1. Haven't flown in a while and things are more expensive now, of course, and I don't know how people are finding best deals these days. The travel sites I checked were steep.
posted by mermaidcafe to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

Check out Kayak and Skyscanner, but don't buy through them ... go right to the airline websites to do that.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 11:36 PM on April 16, 2023

There's also google flights and the ITA Matrix. You might want to play around with alternative airports instead of ROA, even if they're not the closest.

I was curious and checked Amtrak to see if there were any cheaper options... there are! If travel time is less important than cost, check it out.
posted by trig at 3:02 AM on April 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

$4something is about as good as you're going to get with a one-stop from a regional like ROA these days. If you can make it to DC on bus or train, it's a lot cheaper to get to NYC from there. But if you're doing that, I'd be inclined to just take the train all the way, like trig suggested.
posted by Candleman at 4:58 AM on April 17, 2023

If you're looking to save a little money, you could try the Megabus to Dulles. My kid used to take the bus home from college and it was decent.

If you're leaving from Roanoke, you're looking at a trip with stops anyway. So you're talking at least a 4+ hour trip.
posted by jraz at 5:09 AM on April 17, 2023

If you are an AARP member you can use their website for discounted flights.
posted by kiwi-epitome at 7:11 AM on April 17, 2023

I'll suggest taking Amtrak if you are able to, as well. It's much more competitive on time than it looks like from departure and arrival times alone! I used to travel between NYC and Virginia (either Charlottesville or Richmond) 6 or more times a year, and while a lot of my coworkers opted for flights I always took the train.

• New York Penn Station is in midtown; you don't need to worry about getting to/from LGA / JFK / EWR. That's saving you an hour.
• There's no security line. That's at least another hour saved leaving NYC, and probably 20-45 minutes at the Roanoke end.
• The train leaves at its departure time, and you can board until the last second; that's another 15-25 minutes.
• There's no transfer between trains. (There is a ~30 minute layover in DC while they switch from a diesel to an electric locomotive--but you can disembark and get food at Union Station during the changeover. Just don't miss getting back on!) This saves time and reduces the risk of missing your transfer if your initial flight is delayed.

While RNK-NYP is 9 hours as scheduled, you're really looking at a minimum of 6-7 hours in transit even if the flights are scheduled to be 4-5 hours. So the time penalty for the train is only 2-3 hours, while you get a much more comfortable seat, a snack car, and a cheaper ticket.

The tradeoff is that a delay can be pretty devastating--if your train misses its slot south of DC, you can be waiting an hour or more for another a chance to go through, or be stopped on tracks as you wait for a freight train to pass on a siding. That's a much bigger problem with the named trains than the Northeast Regional, so keep that in mind if you do book a train.
posted by thecaddy at 7:56 AM on April 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

There is no secrets on getting any domestic flights. What you see is what you get using google flights/kayak etc. The only things to add are using southwest - they are not on search engines, so take a look on their website. The other is using airline miles, which you might not get enough to deal with in time frame. The last option is trying to fly out of nearby airports.
posted by sandmanwv at 8:12 AM on April 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

Realistically, I don't think there are good flight deals to be had for your situation. There's not a lot of competition for direct flights between RAO and NYC (looks like your departing direct flight options are a morning flight on Delta and an afternoon flight on American). And "neighboring" airports aren't that convenient. Rome2Rio says that there are also options by bus or train. You probably want a direct flight... otherwise you could take the train for about the same amount of time/hassle.

I think your best bet for lower fares is to consider changing your dates. On google flights I'm seeing $338 round trip for Jun 28 through July 2nd. Google flights says this amount is typical (usual range is $195–360). Google flights does now have a price guarantee option.

I concur with the others that you should book directly with the airline.
posted by oceano at 9:52 AM on April 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

Weekend flights are the most expensive. Can you adjust your plans to fly midweek - say arriving on a Wednesday and departing on a Tuesday?

There are generally options on both the travel sites and airline sites to "explore flexible dates." This will give you a calendar view of the cheapest days.
posted by veery at 9:53 AM on April 17, 2023

Back when I lived SWVa I and family have flown out of Greensboro rather than Roanoke a few times when out of options but it’s a 2 hour drive. Nice if you have a family member to share the time with but stinks for this. The train coming to Roanoke really changed things for the better! My dad does the trip to DC regularly and likes it vs driving. I used to get the bus connection to Clifton Forge for trips to the NE by Amtrak, the train is far far better.
posted by artlung at 2:54 PM on April 17, 2023