May 19, 2004 -- A cheap wind blows through Chicago today, but don't dawdle if you want great fares to or from the City of Big Shoulders. The ATA sale, which spurred these super-low rates lasts only until today, and we expect American Airlines' competing fares to vanish by tomorrow, as well.
The two sales have somewhat different terms. For ATA's fares, you must buy your tickets today and travel by June 9, though not on May 28 or 31. American's fares, also good for outbound flights through June 9, don't seem to have blackout dates, but require a Saturday night stay. American's fares have a 30-day maximum stay; ATA's fares don't seem to.
How should you choose your airline? All of American Airlines' flights, except the one to Dallas, head out of O'Hare; all of ATA's flights head out of Midway. We'd pick our airline based on which airport we preferred and the frequency of the airline's flight schedule. Safe, frequent, cheap El trains connect both airports to downtown Chicago. Midway is smaller, more walkable and closer to downtown Chicago. O'Hare is bigger, higher-tech and nearer to the North Side and northern suburbs.
Delightful $118 destinations include:
- Boston (AA, ATA)
- Cedar Rapids (AA, ATA; ATA through 5/31 only)
- Charlotte (AA, ATA)
- Dallas (AA, ATA; AA from Midway)
- Dayton (ATA only)
- Denver (AA, ATA)
- Des Moines (ATA only)
- Dubuque (AA only)
- Duluth (AA only)
- Flint, MI (ATA only)
- Ft. Lauderdale (AA, ATA)
- Ft. Myers (AA, ATA)
- Ft. Wayne (ATA only from 6/1-6/9)
- Grand Rapids (AA, ATA)
- Indianapolis (AA, ATA)
- Las Vegas (AA, ATA)
- Lexington, KY (ATA only through 5/31)
- Los Angeles (AA, ATA)
- Madison (AA, ATA)
- Miami (AA, ATA)
- Milwaukee (AA, ATA)
- Minneapolis (AA, ATA)
- Moline (AA, ATA)
- New York City (AA, ATA)
- Newark (AA, ATA)
- Newburgh, NY (AA only)
- Orlando (AA, ATA)
- Philadelphia (AA, ATA)
- Pittsburgh (ATA only)
- Phoenix (AA only)
- San Francisco (AA, ATA)
- Sarasota (ATA only)
- South Bend (ATA only, but come on, take the train)
- Toledo (AA, ATA)
- Washington, D.C. (AA, ATA)
To buy ATA tickets, go to www.ata.com/sales/general/040517_mdw.html.
For American's great fares, click here.
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