Travel Deal of the Day (May 21, 2007)

If you live in the Atlanta area, you should consider traveling two hours west to Birmingham to fly to the west coast. The fares from Birmingham, due to intense competition headed by Southwest Airlines, are extraordinarily competitive, often much lower than the fares to the same west coast cities out of Atlanta.

The Deal:
Save money if you live in the Atlanta area by driving two hours west to Birmingham, Alabama. Fares to the west coast out of Birmingham are often quite a bit lower than fares out of Atlanta. For instance, Birmingham-Phoenix fares now start at $49/way on various major carriers.

How:
To find fares such as the $49/way fare from Birmingham to Phoenix, go to an aggregator website such as kayak.com.

The Inside Scoop:

Given the current price of gas, you must always factor the fuel cost into your decision whether to drive to Birmingham versus flying out of a closer airport. Even with fuel costs, the coast-to-coast fares out of (or into) Birmingham are often so low that it is worth the trip.