Looking to fly home for the holiday season? 
Choosing the destination might be easy, but finding what airport to fly out of .. that can be the tricky part.

“The airports are all pretty much the same size. They’re a little bit bigger here and there, but that’s not really driving. It is the amount of flights leading out of it,” Tracey Miller, a AAA Travel Agent, said. 

Let’s talk about saving money. Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse airports are all about an hour apart.  Does one have a competitive price advantage? Miller said it depends. 

“If you’re traveling on a low season week it’s not going to make a difference. During the height of the holiday it can make a difference and you really should check all three,” Miller said. 

It’s all based on supply and demand. So, I decided to take a look and compared 3 different locations: all departing on November 17th; returning on the 24th.

First, was Orlando, Florida. On AAA’s flight website, Buffalo is the cheapest at $230.   
Miller explains Buffalo does have a slight step up above Rochester and Syracuse. 

Buffalo does have more SW flights than Rochester and SYR so that will make the price a little bit lower,” she said. 

Second, I compared flights to Charlotte, North Carolina. Rochester and Buffalo tied at $318. 
And finally: Las Vegas. Rochester got lucky with the cheapest ticket of $720. Syracuse, for the third time, was the most expensive. 

Miller adds, a flight to Charlotte and Las Vegas doesn’t specifically fall under a “SouthWest” location – giving Rochester a competitive edge with Buffalo.
So how else does Rochester stay competitive when travelers have 3 airport options?

“We’ve got 57 departures a day. Our plane options are up about 7.5% compared to last year in 2017,” Andy Moore, the Interim Director of the Greater Rochester International Airport, said. 

The Greater Rochester International Airport has spent about $79 million in renovations. from how it looks to new charging stations. Moore thinks more people will come to Rochester because of it.  

“It’s apart of the amenities that we offer passengers from concessions to inexpensive parking to the airlines and the routes that we have,” Moore said.

Rochester also has the lowest parking prices, at $7 per day. Syracuse’s starts at $10, Buffalo at $8.

So the next time you’re looking to spread your wings, do some research and a little math. Knowledge is not only power, but can save you money.