[Expired] aha! Father’s Day Promo: Half-price Airfare for Kids [Ends June 20]

Update: The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

West Coast families, give this promotion a look. aha!, the leisure brand of airline group ExpressJet, has launched a new promotion for Father’s Day, allowing families to fly for up to half off. Let’s take a look.

Father’s Day Promotion Details

Although aha! has a somewhat limited route map, this can provide some pretty good value if you’re in the market for a flight.

• Save 50% on child fares with aha!
• Must book by 11:59 p.m. EST on June 20, 2022
• Valid for travel from June 20, 2022, to September 30, 2022
• Valid for children from 2 to 15 traveling with an adult on a standard fare
• No promotion code needed

Is It Worth It?

We don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of aha! — it services a rather limited route network and all its routes end up in Reno-Tahoe.

As you can see, it also services some lesser-known airports, with options in 3 different states. However, if you’re in the area that aha! flies and you’ve got a family, this might be a decent option for you. You’ll certainly want to check because discounts and rates are going to vary considerably depending on your flights.

Here’s a look at a family of 4 traveling in mid-September from Ontario (ONT) in California to Reno-Tahoe (RNO):

The sale applies to standard fare tickets rather than budget tickets. As you can see, even with the half-price offer, you’re still paying a few dollars more than just booking the budget option.

The difference between these 2 tickets is fairly minimal: budget tickets are entirely non-refundable. Standard tickets allow you to make changes for $25 plus any fare difference.

The return flight costs the same amount, so in total, you’re looking at $410 for 4 standard tickets from Ontario to Reno:

Otherwise, you can pay $392 for 4 budget tickets on the same flight.

However, it’s also important to compare the cost of booking across multiple sites, especially since airlines don’t punish you as much as hotels do for booking through a third party.

A quick look on Google Flights shows this same option but for significantly cheaper than booking directly, paying just $345 in total:

Obviously, these are the budget option tickets, so they’re nonrefundable, but it’s still a $47 difference compared to booking directly with aha!

You’ll want to play around with dates and routes to see if you can find a better option, but always check a few different sources to see if you’ve got the best rate.

Keep in mind that aha! is a budget carrier, so you’ll be paying extra for anything more than a personal item (including carry-on bags). In this case, it makes way more sense to book via that third party and save your money for your luggage.

Hot Tip: Based in Idaho? You’re in luck — aha! is launching a new route to Reno from Idaho Falls in August!

Final Thoughts

aha! is featuring a new promotion allowing children to fly for half-off. While this seems like a promising deal, in reality, the sale isn’t as glorious as it seems. Unless you’re bent on being able to change your flights, budget tickets can still cost less — and third-party sites can beat even these rates.

Do your homework to see if this sale makes sense for you, and if you’re looking to take advantage, be sure to do so before June 20, 2022.