Going data reveals the cities where affordable flights have been most consistent over the past year

Deals to Barcelona, Milan and Dublin averaged more than 45% off

NEW YORK, May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel feels harder right now: airfares are climbing, options are tightening, and consumer sentiment on the economy is near record lows¹. But for travelers looking to plan a trip in the back half of 2026 without breaking the bank, Going's data offers a practical place to start: the destinations where affordable flights have been most consistent, even as the broader market tightens.

Today, Going released its annual Cheapest Cities report, ranking the most deal-rich destinations domestically and internationally based on proprietary flight deal data from the past 12 months. Rankings take into account deal price, frequency of deals, and percentage discount off the normal economy fare. The findings reveal not just where airfare can still be affordable, but how dramatic the gap has become between what the average traveler pays and what a Going member pays.

Barcelona, No. 1 on Going's European list, averaged $468 roundtrip for Going members. The normal economy fare for the same routes? $913. That's nearly 50% savings on a single ticket.²

The destination shuffle: what's rising, what's falling

"We tend to forget that pre-fuel spikes, airfare looked pretty normal when it came to affordability," said Going flight expert Katy Nastro. "Since March, however, we have been amid turbulent times. Getting a cheap flight feels harder than sticking to a strict budget at a specialty food store. If you're still looking to travel this year, even amid higher prices, there are still savings to be had if you know where to look."

Orlando holds the No. 1 US spot with low-cost carrier deals as low as $38 roundtrip in the past year against a normal fare of $395, part of a broader cascade effect driven by Southwest's more aggressive fare sales pressuring competitors across its focus cities.

In Europe, Barcelona claimed the No. 1 spot this year, with Milan rising to No. 2 and Dublin coming in at No. 3. The continued rise of Italian cities reflects a structural shift: competition among European carriers from hubs like London, Paris, and Amsterdam, amplified by new U.S. nonstops to Naples, Palermo, Catania, Bari, Venice, and Olbia, has cascaded into more affordable fares across the board. Amsterdam, London, and Reykjavik tell the opposite story: these cities dropped out of the top 10 entirely, casualties of struggling lower-cost carriers and consistently high business travel demand.

Internationally, San José, Costa Rica, claims No. 1, followed by Guatemala City at No. 2. The list reflects a wider shift toward Caribbean and Central American destinations as airlines fight for leisure travelers on shorthaul routes. For travelers with a specific region in mind: Tokyo for Asia, Auckland for Oceania, and Bogotá for South America.

Europe

1. Barcelona – avg Going deal $468, 49% off
2. Milan – avg $491, 50% off
3. Dublin – avg $480, 45% off
4. Madrid – avg $473, 47% off
5. Paris – avg $523, 47% off
6. Athens – avg $539, 43% off
7. Rome – avg $491, 46% off
8. Helsinki – avg $444, 50% off
9. Venice – avg $525, 47% off
10. Palermo – avg $515, 55% off

International

1. San José, Costa Rica – avg Going deal $331, 55% off
2. Guatemala City, Guatemala – avg $273, 59% off
3. Calgary, Canada – avg $241, 56% off
4. Montego Bay, Jamaica – avg $344, 54% off
5. Liberia, Costa Rica – avg $343, 52% off
6. Vancouver, Canada – avg $255, 54% off
7. Bogotá, Colombia – avg $302, 54% off
8. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – avg $336, 52% off
9. Auckland, New Zealand – avg $793, 48% off
10. Tokyo, Japan – avg $732, 43% off

United States

1. Orlando, Fla. – avg Going deal $147, 63% off
2. Boston – avg $151, 65% off
3. Denver – avg $156, 58% off
4. Las Vegas – avg $143, 61% off
5. Charleston, S.C. – avg $129, 62% off
6. Tampa, Fla. – avg $134, 62% off
7. Fort Myers, Fla. – avg $141, 65% off
8. Hartford, Conn. – avg $124, 64% off
9. Providence, R.I. – avg $136, 64% off
10. Seattle – avg $159, 58% off

Full Rankings:

• United States: 12 Cheapest US Cities to Fly to Right Now
• Europe: Cheapest European Cities To Fly Into (2026)
• International: Cheapest International Places to Fly (2026 Update)

About Going
Going, the travel app for discovering flight deals, has helped 10 million members around the world make their travel dreams come true since 2015. We combine sophisticated software and human flight experts to discover flight deals and mistake fares up to 90% off and send them to our members. Unlike fully automated fare alerts services, every deal alert we send to members has passed a rigorous quality evaluation by our team to ensure it's worth members' hard-earned money and limited travel time.

Going's 2026 Cheapest Cities report is based on Going flight deal data collected from April 20, 2025 through April 19, 2026. To qualify, a destination must have received at least two deals per week over the past year. Rankings were determined using a weighted scoring system factoring in Going deal price, discount off normal economy price, and deal frequency.

¹ Consumer sentiment is based on the April University of Michigan Index
² Going average economy fares are grounded in average prices for destinations mentioned pre-jet fuel spikes, outside peak windows.

SOURCE Going