I know, you’re probably just about sick of hearing this, but travel deals for this summer continue to be jawdropping, and if you are thinking you might go next year instead, that would probably be a mistake. Last summer prices for airfare to New York were at least double what they are now, and by next summer there’s very little chance they’ll be at these same prices again.

Have you heard of Airtran Airlines? Many people haven’t, and I think they are based in Denver and they don’t show up on most web searches on those aggregator sites, but they are real and they have good service. Right now you can fly to New York City for $119 each way from Los Angeles or Las Vegas, and less from just about anywhere else in the country. Combine that with a great deal on one of the cheap NYC hotels that are doing great specials this summer, and you can visit the Big Apple for about the price you’d expect to pay for visiting some lousy town 200 miles from you.

If your budget isn’t enough to afford one of the hotels there (they tend to start over $100 per night even on promotions) then you’ll be happy to know that there are more hostels in New York than in probably the entire rest of the country put together. Hostels, in case you aren’t aware, are places meant for budget travelers where you can get a bed in a dorm room or even a private room for much less than a traditional hotel. You also tend to have an easy time meeting people, which isn’t true in most American hotels at all.

Seriously, check out a New York travel guide and you’ll discover that there are cheap hostels and cheap meals to be found there, plus plenty of things to do that are totally free. Typically going to this city can kill your budget, but this year things are very different.