Tuesday, Twin Cities.
Last week we asked where you most want to go this winter. Of 30 votes, 11 said Florida, Arizona or somewhere warm in the US, more than any other answer. So this week leans warm: Phoenix and Tampa nonstops, plus four quick hits. Everything checked Monday afternoon.
🌵 MSP → Phoenix (PHX) — $113 round-trip, nonstop
Fri Dec 4 – Fri Dec 11 · Frontier, nonstop · 3 hrs 34 min
A week of desert sun in early December, nonstop, for $113.
Google rates this price low for these dates. The next-cheapest option is $180 with a stop; Sun Country's nonstop is $283 and American's is $307.
The catch: Frontier's basic fare. Check what bags are included before you book.
Book by: Soon. Google says the cheapest time to book this trip is now through Nov 20.
🌴 MSP → Tampa (TPA) — $157 round-trip, nonstop
Mon Jan 4 – Wed Jan 13, 2027 · Sun Country, nonstop · 3 hrs 20 min
Nine days on the Gulf Coast right after the holidays, nonstop.
Google says Tampa in January usually runs $160 to $260, and rates this fare low. Delta's nonstop on the same dates is $348.
Flexible on dates and fine with a stop? Frontier has Tampa for $115 round-trip, Jan 18–26 (see Quick hits).
The catch: Sun Country's lowest fare. Check what bags are included before you book.
Book by: This week.
Quick hits
Soonest first. All checked live Monday; Google rates every one of these low for its dates.
Las Vegas — $147 · Mon Nov 23 – Wed Dec 2 · Sun Country, nonstop · Thanksgiving week; Delta's nonstop is $339, and Google says the cheapest time to book is now through Nov 9. Search →
Dallas (DFW) — $68 · Sat Dec 5 – Sat Dec 12 · Frontier, nonstop · even lower than the $89 Dallas fare we sent last week; American and Delta nonstops are $179. Search →
Los Angeles — $119 · Sat Dec 5 – Sat Dec 12 · Frontier, 1 stop · down from $147 last week. Search →
Tampa — $115 · Mon Jan 18 – Tue Jan 26, 2027 · Frontier, 1 stop · $76 cheaper than usual; Delta's nonstop is $239. Search →
Most of these are budget fares, so check what bags are included before you book.
Passed on this week: Orlando in February (last week's $152 alert fare is gone; it's $218 now, which Google calls typical), Miami in late January ($198 nonstop, also typical) and Honolulu in spring (Google's alerts had $582–622 and called it typical).
Thursday: bigger trips.
If you book one of these, reply and tell us where you're going.
— MSP Departure
P.S. Forward this to someone in the Twin Cities who's already done with winter. Three referrals gets you the MSP Travel Cheat Sheet.