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We all know there are three locations in the U.S. that Long Islanders have a particular affinity for.
And that’s Las Vegas, L.A. and Miami.
And we love to fly nonstop.
Now you’ll be able to check one city off that list. Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter earlier this month told Greater Long Island that Southwest would be introducing nonstop flights from MacArthur (ISP) to Miami (MIA) this fall.
The official announcement was made Saturday on MacArthur’s Facebook page.
The Southwest flights to Miami start Nov. 3. You could click here to secure your boarding passes.
The details
It looks like the flights — once in full swing in mid-November — will be taking off out of MacArthur four times a week for a 3-hour, 10-minute flight.
The nonstop Southwest flights to Miami are scheduled to take off regularly at 10:05 a.m., touching down at MIA at 1:15 p.m.
As for one-way ticket prices, this is airline travel so everything is subject to change, but unless you’re looking to fly on Thanksgiving weekend, the “Wanna Get Away” deals start at around $135 — with the priciest, “Business Select” option costing around $300.
The departing flights leave Miami at 4:20 p.m. and we’re seeing prices as low as $120 in the “Wanna Get Away” category.
“Also, look for nonstop Southwest flights from [MacArthur] to Baltimore, Washington, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa (Sundays),” the announcement reads.
The Miami news comes on the heels of a last month’s announcement that Frontier is flying again from Long Island to Atlanta, another favorite among Islanders.
Photo credit: Long Island MacArthur Airport on Facebook
What we say
Friends don’t let friends pick them up at JFK or LaGuardia airports in Queens, because the entire experience is harrowing and nerve-wracking, as those are the only airports in the United States where you pull up and immediately start getting hollered and screamed at by police officers and airport workers, simply for being there. Not to mention the traffic getting back through Queens and Nassau and out to Suffolk County.
MacArthur Airport, located just south of Long Island’s major highway, the Long Island Expressway, is quite the opposite experience, and the only way to fly to Long Island if you’re looking to avoid major headaches. You can leave here, rent a car and be in Smithtown within a half hour.
Airlines: Southwest, Frontier, Breeze and, starting in October, JetBlue.
Note: We would rather transfer twice to end up at MacArthur, rather than go to Queens.
