Look, the 600-mile hop between the Queen City and the Twin Cities should be easy. It's a straight shot up through Indiana and Illinois, basically a two-hour zip in the air. But if you’ve ever tried booking flights to minneapolis from cincinnati on a whim, you probably realized the pricing can be weirdly aggressive.
One day it’s $90. The next day it’s $450. Why?
Usually, it's because people treat this route like a standard commuter flight when it’s actually a battleground between a massive legacy hub-dweller and a quirky "hometown" low-cost carrier. If you just click the first link on a search engine, you're likely overpaying. Honestly, getting from CVG to MSP without draining your savings requires knowing exactly who is flying and when they want your money.
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The Direct Flight Dilemma: Delta vs. Sun Country
Most folks don't realize that for a long time, Delta basically owned this route. Because both Cincinnati (CVG) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) are Delta hubs—or in CVG's case, a very strong focus city—they run the show. They have the most frequent daily nonstops. Usually, you’re looking at around 20 direct flights a week from Delta alone.
But then there's Sun Country.
Sun Country is based in Minneapolis. They are the "purple plane" people. They don't fly every single day from Cincinnati, which is the catch. If you can align your schedule with their seasonal or specific-day rotations (often Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays), you can snag fares that make Delta's prices look like a typo.
Pro tip: If you see a nonstop for under $200 round-trip on this route, grab it. Anything under $150 is a "stop what you're doing and buy it" price. In 2026, we’re seeing "basic" economy fares hover around $180, but that doesn't include your bag.
Why Stopovers Are Often a Trap
You might see a Frontier or American flight with a layover in Charlotte or Chicago for $130.
Don't do it.
By the time you sit in O'Hare for three hours, you could have driven halfway to Minnesota. Plus, CVG and MSP are both prone to winter weather delays. Adding a connection in a third city just doubles your chances of sleeping on an airport carpet. Stick to the nonstops unless the price difference is literally hundreds of dollars.
Timing the Market: When to Actually Fly
The "best" time to visit Minneapolis depends on whether you enjoy feeling your eyelashes freeze together.
- January and February: This is the cheapest window. Period. Nobody wants to visit the Bold North when it's -10°F. If you’re a fan of the skyway system (those heated tunnels connecting downtown buildings), you can find incredible deals.
- July and August: This is the peak. It's beautiful, the lakes are buzzing, and the flight prices reflect that.
- The "Goldilocks" Zone: Late September. The humidity in Cincinnati is breaking, and the fall colors in Minnesota are world-class. Prices tend to dip about 10-15% after Labor Day.
Mid-week is your friend. Tuesday and Wednesday departures are consistently cheaper. If you’re flying out on a Friday afternoon and coming back Sunday, you’re paying the "weekend warrior" tax. Everyone does that. Be different.
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Surviving the Airports: CVG and MSP Secrets
Both of these airports have undergone massive changes recently.
At CVG, the old "Escapes Lounge" just got a $7 million facelift. If you have a long wait, it’s actually worth the entry fee now. Also, don't just default to the Terminal Garage. The "ValuPark" lot is $12 a day and the shuttles are actually fast. I've waited longer for a coffee than I have for a CVG shuttle.
When you land at MSP, you need to know which terminal you’re in.
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- Terminal 1 (Lindbergh): This is the big one. Delta lives here. It’s got a mall, basically.
- Terminal 2 (Humphrey): This is where Sun Country and Southwest live.
They are NOT connected by a walkway. You have to take the light rail. It’s free to go between terminals, but it’s a pain if you tell your Uber to meet you at the wrong one.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
Stop overthinking the search.
First, check Sun Country's specific calendar for the month you want to travel. Their site often has "web-only" deals that don't always populate correctly on the big aggregate search sites. If their dates don't work, head to Google Flights and set a "Track Prices" alert for the Delta nonstops.
Next, download the Metro Transit app for Minneapolis before you leave Cincinnati. The Blue Line light rail goes directly from the MSP airport to downtown or the Mall of America for about $2.50. It’s way cheaper than a $50 rideshare.
Finally, if you’re flying Delta, check your "Basic Economy" restrictions. They’ve become much stricter about overhead bin space. Sometimes paying the $30 extra for Main Cabin is cheaper than paying the $65 gate-check fee for a bag they forced you to check because you were in the last boarding group.
To get the best deal on flights to minneapolis from cincinnati today:
- Compare the Sun Country "bundled" price (with bags) against the Delta "Basic" price.
- Book at least 21 days out to avoid the business-traveler price hike.
- Check the MSP Terminal 2 parking rates if you’re renting a car; sometimes it’s cheaper to return it there even if you flew into Terminal 1.