1. Search flights right here
Start with our own flight search — powered by Travelpayouts, it scans airlines and booking sites for routes to Phoenix, across the US, and worldwide, in TRVL Guide colors without sending you to a random aggregator. If you're planning an Arizona trip, search flights into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) first: it's the state's biggest airport, a hub with nonstops from most major US cities, and the starting point of every itinerary on this site.
[AFFILIATE: flight search widget]
Two searches worth trying before you book: compare PHX against Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (AZA) if you're staying in the East Valley (budget carriers serve it, and it's minutes from Mesa and Gilbert), and check whether flying midweek moves the price — on leisure routes it often does.
2. Let the deals come to you: Going
Searching is for trips you already know about. The cheapest flights, though, usually work the other way around: an airline misprices a route or quietly drops fares, the deal lasts a day or two, and you build a trip around it. Going (going.com, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights) exists for exactly that — you tell it your home airport, and it emails you when fares from there drop unusually low, including genuine mistake fares.
[AFFILIATE: Going signup]
Set PHX (and AZA, if you're East Valley) as your home airports. Phoenix is a great deal airport — hub competition keeps mistake fares and sale fares frequent, to Mexico, Hawaii, and across the US. The free tier covers a limited set of deals; the paid tiers widen the net. Either way, it's the highest-value travel email most people ever subscribe to.
3. Track prices free with Google Flights
Our honest recommendation for the in-between stage — you know the trip, you're not ready to buy: Google Flights. It's free, it's fast, and two features do the heavy lifting:
- Price tracking: Search your route, flip on "Track prices," and Google emails you when the fare moves. Track two or three date options at once.
- Date grid & price insights: The date grid shows the cheapest departure/return combinations around your dates, and the insights line tells you whether current prices are low, typical, or high for that route — a simple check that stops a lot of overpaying.
We get nothing if you use it (there's no affiliate program) — it's just the best free tool for the job. When a tracked fare drops to "book it" territory, come back and run the search in our widget above.
Which Arizona airport should you fly into?
- Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) — the default. Most flights, most rental cars, 2 hours to Sedona, 3.5–4 to the Grand Canyon.
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (AZA) — budget-carrier airport in Mesa; great for East Valley stays and sometimes dramatically cheaper fares.
- Tucson (TUS) — fly here for a Tucson/Saguaro trip instead of driving 2 hours from Phoenix.
- Flagstaff (FLG) — tiny airport, limited service (typically connecting through a hub), but lands you in the high country, 1.5 hours from the South Rim.
- Las Vegas (LAS) — a real option for Grand Canyon West, Page, and northern Arizona loops when fares beat PHX; compare total trip cost, not just the ticket.
Flights to Phoenix · [AFFILIATE: rental cars at Phoenix Sky Harbor]
Booking rules that actually save money
- For US domestic flights, the sweet spot is usually booking about 1–3 months out; holiday and spring-break travel wants the early end of that (or earlier).
- Be flexible by a day or two before being flexible by airline — date shifts beat carrier loyalty for price almost every time.
- Set Going alerts and a Google Flights track on any trip you care about; they're free and they cover both ways a fare drops.
- For Arizona specifically: fares into PHX spike around spring training (late Feb–March) and major events. If your dates are fixed then, book early and don't wait for a deal that may never come.
Ready to plan the trip itself? Start with our 7-day Arizona road trip itinerary, or head straight to the Phoenix & Scottsdale 2-day itinerary if it's a short one.
About & Disclosure
TRVL Guide is a travel resource site. Some links on this site may be affiliate links — if you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the guides free.