Of all the hyper-local secrets that hardcore Angelenos love to keep in their arsenal — hidden parking lots, shifty food trucks, shortcuts through Marina del Raaaey — the best-loved is, without doubt, the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.

LAX is for tourists and noobs, duh! And without fail, every time a visitor complains about their nightmare flight into LAX, someone within earshot will mutter, “Shoulda gone with Bob Hope.”

The third annual “Affordability Report” from CheapFlights.com backs up our big talk:

Of a whopping five California airports that made the nation's top 10 cheapest, Bob Hope takes the No. 1 spot by a landslide. The average flight to or from our beloved Burbank landing strip, according to the report, is only $221.

Here's the full list:

1. Bob Hope Airport, CA (BUR) – $221

2. Long Beach (Daugherty Field), CA (LGB) – $250

3. Fresno Air Terminal, CA (FAT) – $290

4. Harrisburg International, PA (MDT) – $304

5. Lehigh Valley, PA (ABE) – $307

6. John Wayne/Orange County, CA (SNA) – $316

7. White Plains, NY (HPN) – $324

8. Metropolitan Oakland International, CA (OAK) – $330

9. Chicago Midway, IL (MDW) – $339

10. Bellingham International, WA (BLI) – $342

Los Angeles, second largest city in America and home to some of the richest mofos in the world, isn't exactly known for its affordability — but unlike New York, where good deals have nowhere to hide, our sprawl allows for a few un-mined gems among the foothills. (Not that these damned consumer surveys will keep it that way for long.)

Congratulations, America, for discovering Bob Hope. Where your flight is not only affordable, but your landing is a thrill and your scenery straight Top Gun glam. Do like a local and — as you step down onto the tarmac all rockstar, where your car awaits not 200 feet away — smirk across the basin at all those clueless New Yorkers tied up in the LAX baggage claim.


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[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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