Lakewood, Colorado, sits just a short drive west of downtown Denver and at the foot of the Rocky Mountain foothills, which makes it an ideal starting point for travelers who want both scenery and savings. Getting airborne from the Denver metro area doesn’t have to mean emptying your bank account. With multiple low-cost carriers competing for passengers at the region’s primary airport, you have more power than ever to lock in low fares and still enjoy solid connectivity. Frontier, Southwest, Allegiant, and even select flights from American and Delta can hand you serious savings when you understand how each airline structures its pricing and where it flies.

Airport scene in Lakewood, Colorado with budget airplanes parked, passengers boarding, and the Rocky Mountains in the background.

Picking the right carrier often comes down to more than the headline fare. Baggage allowances, seat selection fees, in-flight service, and even the airport you fly into or out of can change your bottom-line cost. This guide walks through the airlines that consistently deliver affordable tickets for people living in or near Lakewood, with actionable tips on routes, booking windows, and fee structures so you can plan a wallet-friendly trip without sacrificing reliability or comfort.

Budget Airlines That Make Sense for Lakewood Travelers

Because Lakewood doesn’t have its own large commercial airport, most residents head to Denver International Airport (DEN), which is roughly a 30- to 40-minute drive via CO-470 or 6th Avenue. DEN functions as a major hub for several carriers and a focus city for a couple of well-known low-cost operators. That competition helps keep fare prices in check year-round, especially on routes that see multiple daily departures. Below are the airlines that consistently deliver the best balance of low fares and practical schedules for people flying out of the Lakewood area.

Frontier Airlines

Frontier is one of the most aggressive ultra-low-cost carriers at Denver International and a natural first stop for anyone hunting a dirt-cheap ticket. The airline bases itself in Denver, which translates to an extensive collection of nonstop flights to cities across the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. You can routinely find base fares under $50 one-way on short hops like Denver to Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Salt Lake City, especially if you book during one of Frontier’s frequent flash sales.

What keeps those fares so low is an unbundled pricing model. Your ticket secures a seat and a personal item that fits under the seat in front of you. Everything else—checked bags, carry-on bags, seat assignments, snacks, soft drinks—gets added à la carte. For a traveler who can pack light and doesn’t mind a randomly assigned seat, this model can shave hundreds of dollars off a roundtrip compared to a traditional carrier. If you prefer to choose your own seat or bring a full-sized carry-on, it pays to price out those extras before you book; the total can still be competitive but isn’t always the rock-bottom figure you first see.

Frontier’s modern Airbus fleet is fuel-efficient and fairly young, which helps minimize delays and cancellations caused by mechanical issues. The airline also participates in the Discount Den subscription program, which gives members access to lower fares and special deals for an annual fee. Travelers who fly several times a year from Denver often find that the subscription pays for itself quickly. You can check current routes and sale offers on Frontier’s official website.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest occupies a unique space between true budget carriers and full-service airlines, and for many Lakewood residents it strikes the ideal balance. The airline operates a large presence at DEN and flies nonstop to more than 40 destinations, with additional one-stop connections extending its reach well over 100 cities. What makes Southwest a standout for budget-conscious travelers is the package of inclusions that comes with every fare: two free checked bags, no change fees, and open seating that means you never get nickel-and-dimed for choosing a standard seat.

Because baggage fees can quickly erase savings on ultra-low-cost carriers, families and anyone traveling with sports equipment or bulky luggage often find Southwest’s all-in pricing to be more affordable than it first appears. Fares are organized into tiers—Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, and Business Select—with the lowest tier offering the best value. Those Wanna Get Away fares are nonrefundable but come with travel credit if you cancel, which gives you flexibility that many budget carriers don’t offer without a penalty.

Southwest’s route map from Denver includes heavy frequencies to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, and both Los Angeles and Orange County, among others. During peak ski season or summer vacation windows, the airline often adds extra flights to popular leisure spots. Because Southwest doesn’t sell its fares on third-party aggregators like Expedia or Kayak, your best bet is to search directly on Southwest.com to see real-time availability and pricing.

Allegiant Air

Allegiant serves a narrower niche but can be an excellent option for Lakewood travelers whose plans align with its schedule. Allegiant doesn’t operate from Denver International; instead, it flies out of the smaller Colorado Springs Airport (COS), which is about an hour south of Lakewood. For some residents in the southern parts of Jefferson County, COS can actually be closer than DEN, and parking is often cheaper and less crowded. Allegiant’s model revolves around serving leisure destinations—think Las Vegas, Phoenix-Mesa, Florida cities like Orlando Sanford, and seasonal routes to beach towns.

Similar to Frontier, Allegiant unbundles its fares. You’ll pay a base price for the seat and a personal item, then add extras as needed. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft and typically flies routes only a few times per week rather than daily. That means if your schedule is flexible, you can tap into some exceptionally low one-way fares, sometimes dipping below $40. If you need a Tuesday departure for a specific event, Allegiant might not offer a flight that day, so always double-check the calendar.

Allegiant also sells package deals that bundle airfare with hotels and rental cars, which can lower the total vacation cost significantly when compared to booking each element separately. For snowbirds or families heading to warm-weather spots, this can be a compelling all-in-one tool. Schedules and packages are available on Allegiant’s website.

Other Competitive Options

Although not built purely as budget carriers, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines all run substantial operations at Denver International and periodically price flights aggressively to compete with the low-cost carriers. American and Delta particularly offer fares in the same range as Southwest on select competing routes like Denver–Dallas and Denver–Minneapolis. When you see a sub-$100 roundtrip on one of these major airlines, it often includes a carry-on bag, a standard seat assignment, and complimentary snacks and soft drinks, which makes the value proposition even stronger than an ultra-low-cost ticket once you account for add-ons.

American’s basic economy fares do come with limitations, such as being the last to board and no free checked bag, so always read the fine print. Delta’s basic economy operates similarly but still includes a carry-on. United, meanwhile, uses DEN as a hub and offers the most nonstop destinations of any carrier, so you may find competitive prices to places that budget airlines don’t serve directly, like smaller Pacific Northwest cities or east-coast business centers.

Understanding the Airport Landscape Near Lakewood

Lakewood’s location gives you access to more than one airport entry point, and choosing the right one can influence your total travel cost just as much as the airline you select. Denver International Airport (DEN) is the obvious heavyweight: one of the busiest airports in the world, with six runways and a terminal complex that hosts every major U.S. carrier. Long security lines during peak morning hours are common, so arriving early remains good practice, but DEN’s on-site parking and abundance of off-site lots with shuttle service provide plenty of options for local travelers. You can monitor TSA wait times and real-time parking availability through the Denver International Airport website.

An airport in Lakewood, Colorado with budget airplanes on the runway, Rocky Mountains in the background, and travelers walking near the terminal.

For those willing to drive a bit farther, Colorado Springs Airport (COS) is roughly 70 miles south of central Lakewood. If you’re eyeing an Allegiant flight or notice that a carrier flying out of COS has a dramatically lower fare than the same airline out of DEN, the extra mileage can be worth it. COS is significantly smaller, which means shorter lines, less walking, and faster baggage claim. Parking rates also tend to be lower than at Denver’s main hub. Before booking, however, make sure you factor in the roundtrip cost of fuel and any parking fees—what you save on the airfare could be eaten up if the drive isn’t factored into the total budget.

Because Denver acts as a major junction for multiple airlines, the route map from DEN reads like a greatest-hits list of domestic destinations. Budget carriers have leaned heavily into serving these routes with multiple daily flights, which keeps downward pressure on prices. Some of the most heavily trafficked and consistently affordable routes include:

  • Denver to Las Vegas (LAS): Frontier and Southwest both run several direct flights a day, with one-way fares frequently dropping below $50 during off-peak periods. In under two hours you can be on the Strip.
  • Denver to Phoenix (PHX): Popular for both business and winter sun seekers, flights on this corridor often hover around $60–$80 one-way with advance purchase. American and Southwest compete heavily here, which benefits the customer.
  • Denver to Dallas (DFW): Southwest and American operate a high volume of flights, making this a competitive route where basic economy fares can be had for under $70 each way.
  • Denver to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP): Delta and Southwest both serve this northern route, with regular roundtrip deals under $120 when booked a month out.
  • Denver to Chicago (MDW or ORD): Southwest flies into Midway, while United and American go into O’Hare, giving you price options that routinely dip into double-digit one-way territory during sales.

When your destination isn’t directly served by a nonstop from DEN, you can often string together an affordable connection through one of these large hubs. Dallas, Phoenix, and Minneapolis all function as gateways to smaller cities in the South, Midwest, and West, respectively. By booking the DEN-to-hub leg on a low-cost carrier and then the second segment on that same airline or an interline partner, you can assemble a complete itinerary without paying a premium for a direct flight that doesn’t exist.

How to Pinpoint the Lowest Fares

Getting the best price on a flight out of Lakewood isn’t about luck; it’s about timing, the right search tools, and a willingness to remain flexible. Start with a broad search on a metasearch engine that aggregates both full-service and budget carriers. Skyscanner is particularly useful because it allows you to set departure as “Denver” and leave the destination open as “Everywhere” to see a map of the cheapest places to fly on your chosen dates. This approach can reveal unexpected bargains to cities you might not have considered.

Google Flights is another powerful tool that shows whether current prices are typical, high, or low for a given route, so you can hold off booking if a fare is inflated. Setting fare alerts on either platform tracks price movements for you, which saves the time of manually checking each day.

Booking windows matter. For domestic budget flights, the sweet spot is often between three weeks and three months before departure. Purchasing too far out can sometimes mean you’re paying a premium because airlines haven’t yet sensed demand, while waiting until the final week usually results in higher prices—unless a carrier is trying to dump unsold seats at the last minute. If you can fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday and avoid Friday afternoons or Sunday evenings, you’ll typically see the lowest fares. Early morning and red-eye departures also tend to be cheaper.

Signing up directly with the airlines’ email lists and loyalty programs gives you first crack at flash sales. Frontier frequently runs 90%-off base fare promotions that last only a day or two, and Southwest launches three-day sales several times a year. Being on the distribution list ensures you hear about these events immediately.

Beware of Extra Fees—Factor Everything In

Budget fares are only a bargain if the final cost, with all the services you need, still beats the competition. The biggest budget-killer is baggage. On Frontier and Allegiant, a full-sized carry-on bag can set you back $50 to $70 each way if you wait to purchase it at the airport, though pre-paying online reduces that charge significantly. A checked bag follows a similar pattern. If you absolutely need to bring more than a personal item, compare the all-in price with Southwest’s two-free-bags policy. There are plenty of cases where a $120 Southwest Wanna Get Away fare ends up cheaper than an $80 Frontier ticket after adding a carry-on and a checked suitcase.

Seat selection is another silent expense. If you’re traveling alone and don’t care where you sit, this cost goes to zero on most airlines. However, families or couples who want to sit together on Frontier or Allegiant should budget for seat assignments, which can run $10–$30 per seat per segment. On Southwest, open seating means you can board and choose any open seat, but paying for EarlyBird Check-In ($15–$25 per passenger each way) improves your boarding position and boosts the odds of sitting together without extra per-seat fees.

Other costs to watch include airport parking, the expense of getting to DEN versus COS, and even food and drink on board. Bring your own snacks and an empty water bottle to refill after security—this alone saves you $5–$10 per flight segment. Being strategic about these small expenses amplifies the value of the low fare you secured.

Seasonal Patterns and When to Book for Lakewood Departures

Denver’s status as both a business hub and a gateway to outdoor recreation creates predictable seasonal fare swings. Summer hiking and festival season, along with winter ski tourism, push demand—and prices—upward. If you’re flying from Lakewood to a ski destination like Salt Lake City or Bozeman in January, you’ll notice fares spike hard on weekends. Shifting to a Tuesday or Wednesday departure and avoiding holiday weeks can cut that winter fare by half.

Conversely, shoulder seasons—late April through early June, and September through early November—often deliver the best values to nearly everywhere from Denver. Demand dips after spring break and before summer vacation, then again after Labor Day and before the holidays. Airlines respond by running more sales and offering lower base fares.

Booking for these off-peak windows requires a little foresight. If you’re targeting a November getaway to Las Vegas, start monitoring prices in late August and plan to buy by mid-September. Flash sales aside, the longer you wait into a weak-demand period, the more likely you are to capture a price that was just reduced to fill seats.

Piecing Together a Budget-Friendly Trip

The combination of a competitive airport, several dedicated budget airlines, and a region that people want to visit means Lakewood travelers hold a strong hand when it comes to affordable flying. The key is to treat the fare as a starting point and then build outward: match the airline to your luggage needs, stay open to alternative airports, book in the right window, and use tools that do the heavy lifting for you.

By comparing Frontier’s base fares, Southwest’s inclusive pricing, Allegiant’s leisure routes, and the occasional deep discount from mainline carriers, you can cover the map without covering a massive credit card bill. A few extra minutes of research on SkyScanner or Google Flights combined with a clear-eyed look at the extras you truly need transforms cheap airfare from a gamble into a repeatable strategy.