Airports to Use for Milwaukee Summerfest

When you know that Summerfest takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and that Milwaukee has an airport, that may seem like all you need to know to figure out which airport to fly into for Summerfest. And to be sure, if you did book your trip through Milwaukee’s main airport without even knowing there are other airports in the area that would be fine – except you might be missing out on cheaper airfares.

As you learned in the article about how to find cheap airfare to Summerfest, restricting your airfare searches to just one specific day or a few hour window could limit your ability to find the cheapest fares – and it’s a similar situation with airports. Some airports are more popular with discount airlines than others, and if you don’t know the airports well you may not know which ones have a higher concentration of budget carriers.

In other words, it’s best to check all of the airports that are relatively close to Milwaukee just to be on the safe side. So here are the airports in and around Milwaukee that you can use for Summerfest.

>> When is Summerfest in Milwaukee? In 012, it’s from June 27 – July 8 (closed Monday)

General Mitchell Milwaukee International Airport

Milwaukee’s own General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is a good first choice when looking for airfare to Summerfest. It’s not only served by Frontier Airlines – a discount airline – it’s a hub for Frontier, which means it should have lots of options to choose from. Other discount carriers serving Milwaukee are: Air Canada Jazz, AirTran, Southwest, and US Airways.

>> Find cheap flights to Milwaukee

Dane County Regional Airport

Nearby Madison, Wisconsin has its own airport, and since it’s only a little more than 80 miles from Milwaukee it’s a good option for those going to Summerfest. Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), also known as Truax Field, has service from the following budget airlines (among others): Chautauqua Airlines, Delta Connection, Skywest Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. Public transport is limited to places right in and around Madison, but you can rent a car at Truax Field and drive to Milwaukee from there.

>> Find cheap flights to Madison

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Chicago’s massive O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is in another state, it’s true – but it’s about the same driving distance from Milwaukee as Madison’s airport is. And because O’Hare is so huge, this is probably going to be the airport with the best selection of flights and schedules. Some of the discount carriers serving O’Hare are: Alaska Airlines, Air Canada Jazz, American Eagle, Delta Connection, Spirit Airlines, US Airways, and USA3000.

>> Find cheap flights to Chicago

Midway International Airport

Midway International Airport (MDW) in Chicago is quite popular with people in Chicago because it’s closer to the city itself, but if you’re flying in just to head out to Milwaukee that may not matter as much. (It’s about 100 miles driving from Midway to Milwaukee.) What will matter, however, is whether you can get a better deal on a flight into Midway. There’s a good selection of discount airlines that fly into Midway, which helps. Some of them are: AirTran, Frontier, and Southwest.

>> Find cheap airfare to Chicago Midway

Chicago Rockford International Airport

There are two airports in Chicago, but the one calling itself Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) isn’t one of them. Still, if you’re traveling to Milwaukee it’s another airport that’s worth considering, as it’s about 105 miles’ drive away. The list of airlines serving Chicago Rockford is minimal, but one of them is budget airline Allegiant Air – so if Allegiant is an airline that also serves your home airport, it could be a match made in heaven.

>> Find cheap flights to Rockford

photo by Sonnett