‘Some Tickets Are Under $100’: Local Says This Travel Hack is the ‘Best’ Thing About Living in Dallas

Before marketing entrepreneur Aimee Montgomery (@ihelpbrandsgrow) got her dog, she says she had a Friday ritual: wake up in Dallas, fly to New York or Los Angeles for the day, and be home by nightfall or weekend’s end. And she routinely did this for about $100 round-trip, sometimes at the last minute. She describes her strategy in detail.

"The best thing about living in Dallas that nobody ever talks about is that it only costs you $100 to fly to New York for one day or LA for one day,” she said. “I would do this every Friday—before I got my dog, I was doing TV hosting, so clearly those are the two places I wanted to be."

Montgomery usually had a plan on arrival.

“I would fly to LA, go to the secondhand store—if you know, you know the one I'm talking about, where all the movies drop their stuff from productions,” she continued. “I'd go get costumes for TV hosting there, spend the day at the beach, eat at all the good places, and then fly home. Same with New York—$100 round trip.”

The secondhand store she’s talking about is called It’s a Wrap, off West Magnolia in Burbank. Montgomery provides more detail about the store in a subsequent clip.

You can find props, super-discounted accessories, and costumes here. Designer wares worn by starlets from your favorite shows and movies are 35-95% off retail.

“Now, New York is a little trickier,” she noted. “I would always be able to go Friday, round-trip. Usually, it's like $30 to rent a car and drive around LA, and then free parking at the beach. New York is different—you don't rent a car. But there are tickets under $100 round-trip to New York, like in February and times like that.”

Montgomery explained that the benefits are numerous.

“That's the best thing about being near an international airport—you can go anywhere. Just go to the beach for the day,” she continued. “If you've got cravings for really good food—which I'm going to be doing in the new year—go to New York, go to the best restaurant in New York. If you want to shop at some amazing place, go to New York. Need the beach? Go to the beach.”

But is all this true?

The reality

Montgomery is correct.

The main thing to remember here is that the vast majority of these flights will be on a budget airline, like Spirit or Frontier. You will be giving up some comfort, and the fees can be outrageous. But if you’re just trying to get up and down, and you have nothing but a carry-on, it’s a strong value proposition.

DFW International Airport is a massive hub serving 28 airlines and offering flights to almost anywhere in the world. Because of intense competition and budget carriers' aggressive offerings, pricing is extremely competitive. The sheer volume in and out of DFW allows airlines to fill planes more efficiently.

Denver-based Frontier has been taking a chunk of passenger share at DFW with promotions like $38 round-trip flights, in an effort to undercut the giant, Dallas-based American Airlines.

Frontier's CEO Barry Biffle explained the strategy: "We see ourselves as a great alternative for folks that need a lower price. You've got American Airlines, which does a fantastic job for the corporate and more affluent leisure, but for everybody else that needs a budget travel out of DFW, we're there to fill that niche."

The Proof

If one looks up pricing right now for flights from Dallas to Los Angeles or New York, on Expedia or Google Flights, one will find a bevy of cheap, mostly nonstop flights.

Even the $30 car rental in Los Angeles seems feasible, with advance booking. Of course, New York City’s subways are incredibly efficient.

Montgomery’s advice checks out. If you’re living in and around the DFW area, you can have your Hollywood or Big Apple experience for cheap and on fairly short notice.
Patch News reached out to Montgomery via TikTok message.

@thrivingover_50