ALOFT Trip Board

Recommended

Meet at BWI on Monday afternoon, fly home Thursday evening — $1,089 combined, both on your preferred airlines.

Allen takes United 1093, LAX → BWI, 8:30 AM → 4:35 PM, returning Thu on the 5:43 PM → 8:19 PM nonstop ($449 round trip). Theresa takes American 2669, DFW → BWI, 10:50 AM → 2:59 PM, returning Thu at 4:21 PM or 7:31 PM nonstop ($640 round trip). You land 96 minutes apart at the same terminal curb and can share the ~2 hr drive to Georgetown.

Budget alternative at the same airport: Theresa on Frontier’s 7:40 AM → 12:00 PM DFW → BWI nonstop drops her fare to $470 ($919 combined), with bag fees and thinner schedules as the trade-off.

Airport preference caveat: the venue is in Georgetown / Dewey Beach, southern Delaware. Approximate drives: PHL ≈ 2 h 00 · BWI ≈ 2 h 10 · IAD ≈ 2 h 50 – 3 h. IAD was the first choice on paper, but it is the farthest from the venue and the priciest combined — worth a rethink.

Meet-up scenarios, ranked

Scenario	Allen (LAX/SNA)	Theresa (DFW/DAL)	Combined
BWI · Thu return arrivals 96 min apart	United 8:30A → 4:35P nonstop $449	American 10:50A → 2:59P nonstop $640	$1,089	Pick
BWI · Thu return Theresa on Frontier	United 8:30A → 4:35P nonstop $449	Frontier 7:40A → 12:00P nonstop $470	$919	Cheapest
PHL · Fri return closest airport to venue	American 8:05A → 4:28P nonstop $654	Frontier 9:59A → 2:21P nonstop $357	$1,011
IAD · Fri return both on United	United 8:17A → 4:23P nonstop $514	United 7:20A → 11:23A nonstop $601	$1,115
BWI · Fri return	United 8:30A → 4:35P nonstop $471	American 10:50A → 2:59P nonstop $652	$1,123
IAD · Thu return preferred airlines	United 8:17A → 4:23P nonstop $564	American 10:16A → 2:18P nonstop $739	$1,303
PHL · Thu return	American 8:05A → 4:28P nonstop $875	Frontier 9:59A → 2:21P nonstop $343	$1,218

All fares are round-trip totals per person, regular economy (basic economy excluded), nonstop unless noted, departing Mon Sep 21 landing the same day. Google Flights, checked Aug 17, 2026.

Each traveler’s board

Allen · SoCal

LAX / SNA · prefers United · out Mon Sep 21

8:30 AM → 4:35 PM · LAX–BWI$449 Thu · $471 Fri

United 1093Nonstop · 5 h 05Thu returns: 8:00A or 5:43P nonstop

8:17 AM → 4:23 PM · LAX–IAD$564 Thu · $514 Fri

United 2268Nonstop · 5 h 06Fri returns: 7:00A / 8:25A / 12:58P at $514

5:05 AM → 1:05 PM · LAX–BWI$427 Thu · $449 Fri

SouthwestNonstop · 5 h 00brutal 5 AM start, earliest arrival

8:05 AM → 4:28 PM · LAX–PHL$875 Thu · $654 Fri

AmericanNonstop · 5 h 238 daily nonstops, same fare

12:38 PM → 11:04 PM · LAX–BWI$360 either day

Frontier1 stop ATL · 7 h 26cheapest that still lands Monday

8:10 AM → 4:07 PM · SNA–IAD$777 Thu

UnitedNonstop · 4 h 57the only good SNA option — big premium

Theresa · Ft Worth

DFW / DAL · prefers American · out Mon Sep 21

10:50 AM → 2:59 PM · DFW–BWI$640 Thu · $652 Fri

American 2669Nonstop · 3 h 09Thu returns: 7:26A / 11:59A / 4:21P / 7:31P

9:59 AM → 2:21 PM · DFW–PHL$343 Thu · $357 Fri

FrontierNonstop · 3 h 22cheapest ticket on the whole board

7:40 AM → 12:00 PM · DFW–BWI$470 Thu · $482 Fri

FrontierNonstop · 3 h 20budget pick for the BWI plan

7:20 AM → 11:23 AM · DFW–IAD$589 Thu · $601 Fri

UnitedNonstop · 3 h 03cheapest mainline IAD nonstop

10:16 AM → 2:18 PM · DFW–IAD$739 Thu · $788 Fri

AmericanNonstop · 3 h 02AA’s IAD premium is steep

7:55 AM → 12:05 PM · DAL–PHL$508 Thu · $512 Fri

SouthwestNonstop · 3 h 10Love Field, closer to Ft Worth’s east side

7:25 AM → 11:52 AM · DFW–PHL$793 Thu · $658 Fri

AmericanNonstop · 3 h 279+ daily nonstops if AA loyalty wins

Assumptions & fine print

“Land Monday” filter applied. The absolute cheapest fares (Frontier $258–$303, United IAD red-eyes at $407–$457) all depart Monday night and land Tuesday, mid-summit — they’re excluded from the scenarios. If a Sunday-night red-eye landing Monday morning appeals, say the word and we’ll price Sep 20 departures.
Fares are cash, regular economy, per person, including taxes; seat selection and carry-on included on United/American/Southwest. Frontier fares add bag and seat fees (typically $50–80 each way) — factor that into the $470/$343 options.
Prices move. These were pulled from Google Flights on Aug 17, 2026, five weeks out. September business routes tend to drift up, not down.
Ground leg: plan on a rental car from either BWI or PHL (~2 hr to Georgetown / Dewey Beach). Landing at the same airport within ~90 minutes makes one car work.

Live searches (re-check & book) Allen · LAX/SNA → IAD·BWI·PHL · Sep 21–24 (Thu) Allen · LAX/SNA → IAD·BWI·PHL · Sep 21–25 (Fri) Theresa · DFW/DAL → IAD·BWI·PHL · Sep 21–24 (Thu) Theresa · DFW/DAL → IAD·BWI·PHL · Sep 21–25 (Fri) RedCabin summit page