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Travel is now easier and more affordable with budget airlines marking down fares to compete with other airlines to gain market share. While it's cheaper to fly now, it's also becoming more stressful to travel. Getting to the airport, fighting traffic, standing in long lines to get through security, and on and on and on.

I have to admit, some of those things don't bother me much but when it comes to short-haul travel, it can be quite annoying. For instance, for me to go from Orange County to Las Vegas, which is less than an hour flight, I would rather not have to go through the hassles listed above, although it still beats driving 3-5 hours just to get to Sin City!

SEMI-PRIVATE PLANES

While flying commercial airlines is easy with an abundance of flight options from Southern California to Las Vegas, I've recently discovered an easier and sometimes cheaper way to get to and from Las Vegas. Blackbird is a new booking service that lets you reserve a seat on a shared semi-private plane with flights scheduled daily. You can book these scheduled flights for as little as $59 one way with hassle free booking and a generous cancellation policy up to 48 hours prior to departure!

Some dates will cost more than others, but if you have flexible travel dates, this can easily save you money, time and hassle.

Take a look at the sample pricing from Orange County to Las Vegas:

BLACKBIRD $300 REFERRAL CREDIT

They also have a great referral program which will help you give and receive up to $300 credit for each person you refer! The best part is, the person you refer will also receive up to $300 credit on their first 3 flights ($100 credit per reservation)! So if you reserve a seat that costs $99 one way, you are essentially flying for free.

To get your first $300 credit, sign up for a free account using my Blackbird referral code FAM9I 

ROUTES & booking

Using Blackbird is easy and simple, both their mobile app and online system is simple to use and their customer service is excellent!

As of right now, Blackbird offers flights throughout Northern and Southern California, Las Vegas, and certain parts of Florida. Check back often for updates on routes and schedules!

UPDATE (January 10, 2019): They have flights from NorCal, LA and SD to/from Coachella! So book your seats now! Schedule dates/times and prices will vary but some are as low as $149 each way, using your referral credit ($100 each booking) you can fly for $49 one way!

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

• San Carlos
• Oakland
• Concorde
• Palo Alto

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles

• Burbank
• Hawthorne

Orange County

• Orange County/John Wayne Airport

San Diego

• San Diego/Montgomery Airport

LAS VEGAS

• Las Vegas Airport

FLORIDA AREA

• Key West
• Marathon
• Naples
• Punta Gorda
• Fort Lauderdale
• Miami
• St Augustine
• Orlando

Have you used Blackbird or any other services like this? If so, comment below!

This site may contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.