Last-Minute Flight Deals to Escape the Polar Vortex

If the subzero temperatures have you dreaming of sunshine and beaches, these 18 flight deals will take you to warmer climates ASAP.

Last-Minute Flight Deals to Escape the Polar Vortex

Escaping winter isn’t as hard you think.

Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

The polar vortex sweeping across the Midwest and over to the East Coast sent temperatures deep into the negative double digits this week, breaking records in many places. It hit minus 38 degrees in Mount Carroll, Illinois, on Thursday morning—potentially beating the all-time cold record in the state. Over in Minnesota, the wind chills dropped into the minus 60s in the first part of the week.

Even though temperatures are expected to lift back into the 40s and 50s throughout the eastern half of the United States by next week, we don’t blame you if these dreary weather conditions have you dreaming of a beach vacation—or at the very least, a place where you could get away with wearing a light jacket. The good news is that there are plenty of flight deals on last-minute weekend getaways this February. (Editor’s note: All searches were done for weekend trips in February 2019 using Google Flights. Most flight deals should last for one or two days, but could sell out at any moment.) From Palm Springs to St. Lucia, there’s a warm weather escape for everyone in the upcoming weeks.

From New York

  • Palm Springs - High $100s (typically at least $270)
  • Grand Cayman - High $200s (typically at least $577)
  • Guadeloupe - Mid $200s (typically at least $398)


From Chicago

  • Los Angeles - Mid $100s (typically at least $193)
  • St. Maarten - High $300s (typically at least $727)
  • Aruba - Low $400s (typically at least $573)

From Boston

  • Charleston - High $100s (typically at least $299)
  • Belize - Low $300s (typically at least $524)
  • Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - High $300s (typically at least $691)
Trade Wisconsin’s winter for 70-degree days in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

Trade Wisconsin’s winter for 70-degree days in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

Courtesy of Shutterstock.com

From Milwaukee

  • Antigua - Low $400s (typically at least $719)
  • Phoenix - High $100s (typically at least $328)
  • Santa Barbara - High $200s (typically at least $561)

From Minneapolis

  • St. Lucia - Mid $500s (typically at least $927)
  • Santa Fe - Mid $300s (typically at least $762)
  • Port of Spain, Trinidad - Mid $300s (typically at least $881)


From Washington, D.C.

  • Nassau, Bahamas - High $200s (typically at least $513)
  • Providenciales, Turks and Caicos - Mid $300s (typically at least $605)
  • Albuquerque - Mid $200s (typically at least $343)

>> Next: 12 Best Beaches for Winter Sun

Lyndsey Matthews is the senior commerce editor at AFAR who covers travel gear, packing advice, and points and loyalty.
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