Cheap flights to
Montana

While we maintain that there’s no specific day of the week when airline tickets drop, we do have recommendations on how far in advance of a trip you should look for your tickets to find the best deals. We call it the Goldilocks Window––not too far in advance of a flight but not too close to your departure date. For domestic flights, that means booking 1–3 months before a trip. For international flights, it’s about 2–8 months ahead of a trip.

For anyone planning a trip during a busy travel season, though, we recommend planning even further in advance. If, for example, you want to visit Montana in July for a hiking trip, you might want to start looking for flights around March.

Finally, don’t wait around for last-minute deals. They’re few and far between during peak travel seasons. We see fares rise at the 21-, 14-, and 7-day points before a trip, so book before those dates if at all possible.

Our Greek Islands Trick is most often used for––you guessed it––the Greek islands. However, the same principle can be applied no matter where you’re traveling. The Greek Islands Trick means getting as close to your final destination as possible, then looking for a cheap regional flight or other mode of transportation for the last leg.

So, if you want to fly from Boston to Montana for a ski trip but fares are out of your price range, look for flights to Denver or Salt Lake City instead. From there, you can look for a cheap budget airline flight. If you have time, you could even look for nearby airports and then rent a car. It takes more work and coordination, but in some situations, it could save you a few hundred bucks.

This is like the Greek Islands Trick but on the front end of your departure journey. If you live in Portland, Maine, for example, prices to Montana in July could be $600 or more. Instead, look for flights out of Boston. If you see a deal for $400 or less, it’s likely worth the drive. Depending on where you live, play around by looking at departures from airports within driving distance. We see deals from airlines big and small all the time, so don’t discount an airport before you check.

Summer and winter are both busy seasons in Montana, packed with campers and skiers. Of course, tons of visitors flocking to the state at the same time means airlines can charge more for flights. It’s simple supply and demand.

We like traveling during shoulder seasons, the periods just before and after a high season. That’s April, June, October, and November in Montana. The weather will be nice, but you’ll have fewer crowds and lower prices than during high season.

Whenever you visit, keep in mind that the cheapest days to fly are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Avoid Fridays and Sundays, the most expensive days to fly, if you can.

One of the easiest ways to find cheap flights is to not even look for them. Set up fare alerts, and they’ll do the searching for you. Set up alerts for your travel dates––making sure to add a few if your dates or departure cities are flexible––and you’ll get an email when prices fall by a significant amount or into your price range. We recommend doing this before the Goldilocks Window so you can see deals roll in during that time.

Montana’s airports are small in relation to the rest of the country’s, but they are decently served by major cities around the US. Most US travelers can reach Montana with one stop or less. There are no nonstop flights to Montana from outside of the US.