Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

American Airlines and JetBlue are currently offering discounted flights to the US Virgin Islands with fares from Boston (BOS), New York (JFK/LGA) and Washington DC (BWI/DCA) to St. Thomas (STT) and St. Croix (STX) starting as low as $248 round-trip. Just like Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands were slammed by hurricanes last fall, but they’ve mostly recovered and are more than open for tourism. Plus, US citizens don’t need a passport to visit!

You can find these fares by heading to Google Flights and plugging in your desired departure and destination cities. After finding the dates that work best for you, book directly with the airline or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline. Just beware of hurricane season when considering flights through November.

Airlines: American, JetBlue
Routes: BOS/BWI/DCA/JFK/LGA to STT/STX
Cost: $248+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September – December 2018
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Baltimore (BWI) to St. Thomas (STT) in September for $248 round-trip on American:

Boston (BOS) to St. Thomas (STT) in November for $251 round-trip on American:

New York (LGA) to St. Croix (STX) in October for $253 round-trip on American:

New York (JFK) to St. Thomas (STT) in November for $268 round-trip on JetBlue:

Washington DC (DCA) to St. Croix (STX) in October for $301 round-trip on JetBlue:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: The Flight Deal

Featured image by John Duarte / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11:00pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. But if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Flights to Spain are on sale! You can fly on Norwegian nonstop to either Madrid or Barcelona from all its US gateways for under $400 round-trip. Or you can fly Delta, American or Iberia nonstop to Spain for just over $400 round-trip. Want to make the trip easier with extra legroom, better catering and more miles? Upgrade to premium economy for just over $800 round-trip. And if you’re looking to earn American Airlines elite status, you’ll want to book these cheap fares through a partner like British Airways, Iberia or Finnair.

You can find these fares by heading to Google Flights and plugging in your desired departure and destination cities. After finding the dates that work best for you, book directly with the airline or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline.

Airlines: Norwegian, Delta, American, Iberia
Routes: EWR/OAK/FLL/LAX/JFK to BCN/MAD
Cost: $339+ round-trip in economy, $809+ round-trip in premium economy
Dates: September 2018 to May 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Newark (EWR) to Barcelona (BCN) in November for $339 round-trip ($165 outbound + $174 return) on Norwegian:

Newark (EWR) to Barcelona (BCN) in November for $350 round-trip on Norwegian:

Oakland (OAK) to Barcelona (BCN) in October for $354 round-trip ($170 outbound + $184 return) on Norwegian/LEVEL:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Madrid (MAD) in November for $360 round-trip ($175 outbound + $185 return) on Norwegian:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Barcelona (BCN) in October for $377 round-trip ($180 outbound + $197 return) on Norwegian:

New York-JFK to Barcelona (BCN) in February 2019 for $409 round-trip on Delta:

New York-JFK to Madrid (MAD) in January 2019 for $414 round-trip on Iberia:

New York-JFK to Barcelona (BCN) in February 2019 for $808 round-trip on American Airlines’ 777 premium economy:

New York-JFK to Madrid (MAD) in November for $813 round-trip in Iberia’s premium economy on its brand-new A350 via AA:

New York-JFK to Madrid (MAD) in November for $813 round-trip in Iberia’s premium economy on its brand-new A350 via British Airways (earns 7,177 award miles; 10,766 EQM and 1,435 EQD credited to AAdvantage):

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image via Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Although Delta’s SkyMiles program doesn’t have the best reputation, it frequently has flash sales for award flights featuring fantastic deals such as flights to Asia for 50,000 SkyMiles round-trip, Bermuda for 12,000 SkyMiles, Mexico for 12,000 SkyMiles and London for 36,000 SkyMiles. And now, flights to Australia from 58,000 SkyMiles round-trip.

At current TPG valuations, 58,000 SkyMiles are worth approximately $696. Adding in taxes of around $118 brings the total value of these awards to just over $800 round-trip. While that’s generally a good deal for flights to Australia, we’ve seen really good deals to Australia recently. So check the cash prices for these trips to make sure that it’s not better to pay cash or redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase travel portal for flights instead. For example, the recent $695 round-trip deals would only cost 46,333 points — and require no out-of-pocket cost.

Although Delta’s deal website only lists five departure cities for this deal, we are seeing quite a few other airports included. The deal dates of Aug. 8 through Dec. 9, however, seem to be universal to all routes. Given how widespread this sale is, your best bet would be to head to Delta.com and search around for the route of your choice to see how it’s pricing. The sale ends Aug. 8, 2018, at 11:59pm ET, so you’ll want to book soon if you want to take advantage of the deal.

Airline: Delta
Routes: US Cities (SEA/PDX/ATL/JFK/LAX/MSP/DCA and others) to SYD
Cost: 58,000+ SkyMiles and $113+ round-trip in economy
Dates: Aug. 8 to Dec. 9, although exact dates depend on the route
Booking Link: Directly with Delta
Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip-delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Seattle (SEA) to Sydney (SYD) for 58,000 miles + $118 in taxes and fees round-trip in September:

Portland (PDX) to Sydney (SYD) for 58,000 miles + $118 in taxes and fees round-trip in October:

Atlanta (ATL) to Sydney (SYD) for 64,000 miles + $118 in taxes and fees round-trip in October: 

New York-JFK to Sydney (SYD) for 64,000 miles + $118 in taxes and fees round-trip in November: 

Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) to Sydney (SYD) for 64,000 miles + $118 in taxes and fees round-trip in November: 

Washington DC Reagan National (DCA) to Sydney (SYD) for 64,000 miles + $118 in taxes and fees round-trip in October:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) for 64,000 miles + $113 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in December: 

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases to pay the taxes and fees, such as the Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

If you don’t have enough SkyMiles in your account, consider signing up for one of the Delta credit cards to ensure you’re able to take advantage of a deal next time one pops up. For example, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express currently comes with a bonus of 60,000 SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 in the first four months. Offer ends Sept. 19. Also, this is a great card for defeating basic economy.

Featured image by CraigRJD / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11:00pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. But if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Historically, it was nearly impossible to get cheap international one-way flights — making points & miles options particularly valuable for those not traveling on a simple round-trip. With the expansion of low-cost international airlines, now it’s not rare to see $99 one-way flights to Europe. However, cheap international one-way business class flights on legacy carriers have remained somewhat of a unicorn. Today, we have a few unicorn sightings.

Besides being able to fly to Asia for just over $1,200, the best part of these options is that they’re on top-notch US-based carriers. These aren’t smoke-filled China Eastern aircraft or “satisfactory” Hainan business class products. Instead, you’ll be flying on some of the best that Delta and American Airlines have to offer — and not the worst United product either.

These one-way fares can be great if you have enough points and can find availability to book a premium cabin one direction but not both. Or, this can be great for flexible travelers who’d love to position from the US to Asia. If you’re looking to fly round-trip in business class, there’s some great round-trip fares too starting at just $2,030 round-trip.

Here’s an overview of the elite and award mileage earning potential from these flights:

You can find these fares by heading to Google Flights and plugging in your desired departure and destination cities. After finding the dates that work best for you, book directly with the airline or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline.

Airlines: American, Delta, United
Routes: RDU/BWI/BOS/IND/MCO to ICN/PEK
Cost: $1,249+ one-way in business; $2,029+ round-trip in business
Dates: August to November
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Seoul (ICN) for $1,249 one-way on United:

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Seoul (ICN) for $1,249 one-way on American:

Baltimore (BWI) to Seoul (ICN) for $1,268 one-way on United:

Baltimore (BWI) to Seoul (ICN) for $1,268 one-way on Delta One Suites A350:

Indianapolis (IND) to Seoul (ICN) for $1,329 one-way on United:

Orlando (MCO) to Seoul (ICN) for $1,479 one-way on United:

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,029 round-trip on American:

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,029 round-trip on United:

San Diego (SAN) to Beijing (PEK) for $2,079 round-trip on American 787-9:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: Sam Chui via One Mile at a Time

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Although Delta hasn’t had a published award chart since February 2015, it does offer award flash sales fairly regularly. Destinations have included flights to Asia for 50,000 SkyMiles round-trip, Bermuda for 12,000 SkyMiles, Mexico for 12,000 SkyMiles, and London for 36,000 SkyMiles.

Just this Saturday, Delta launched an award sale to Australia for just 58,000 SkyMiles round-trip. And Sunday, we are seeing a domestic award sale with routes as cheap as 10,000 SkyMiles round-trip. For reference, even on an American Airlines nonstop flight of under 500 miles booked with a reduced mileage award code would still cost 13,000 round-trip.

At current TPG valuations, 10,000 SkyMiles are worth approximately $120. Adding in taxes of just $11 brings the total value of these awards to as little as $131 round-trip.

Although Delta’s deals site only lists 7 departure cities for this deal, we are seeing quite a few other airports included. Given how widespread this sale is, your best bet would be to head to Delta.com and search around for the route of your choice to see how it’s pricing. The sale ends Aug. 8 at 11:59pm ET, so you’ll want to book soon if you want to take advantage of the deal.

Airline: Delta
Routes: Flights between AUS, BOS, CVG, FLL, JAX, JFK, LAX, PWM, RDU, SAN, SEA, SFO, SLC, TPA — and likely more
Cost: 10,000+ SkyMiles and $11.20 round-trip in economy
Purchase By: August 8
Dates: Sept. 15 to Nov. 15, although exact dates depend on the route
Booking Link: Directly with Delta
Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip-delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Boston (BOS) to Jacksonville (JAX) for 10,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

New York Kennedy (JFK) to Portland, Maine (PWM) for 10,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) for 11,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

San Francisco (SFO) to Seattle (SEA) for 11,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Cincinnati (CVG) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) for 12,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Boston (BOS) to Austin (AUS) for 12,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to Tampa (TPA) for 13,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

San Diego (SAN) to Salt Lake City (SLC) for 14,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Austin (AUS) for 15,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Seattle (SEA) to Los Angeles (LAX) for 15,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases to pay the taxes and fees, such as the Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

If you don’t have enough SkyMiles in your account, consider signing up for one of the Delta credit cards to ensure you’re able to take advantage of a deal next time one pops up. For example, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express currently comes with a bonus of 60,000 SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 in the first four months. Offer ends Sept. 19. Also, this is a great card for defeating basic economy.

Featured image by Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

American Airlines is currently offering cheap flights to Beijing (PEK) and Shanghai (PVG) from Delta hub cities across the US, such as Portland (PDX), Seattle (SEA) and Minneapolis (MSP). The fares start at $394 round-trip and are available for travel from September 2018 through May 2019. Besides getting you to China on the cheap, these fares could significantly boost your American AAdvantage mileage balance and help you earn elite status quicker. You can read more on the special tricks to maximize your mileage earning on American Airlines flights after the flight booking examples, below.

To book, head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure city. After finding the dates that work best for you, book with American directly or with an OTA such as Expedia or the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

Airlines: American Airlines
Routes: ATL/MSP/PDX/PHX/SAN/SEA/SLC to PEK/PVG
Cost: $394+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September 2018 – May 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Portland (PDX) to Beijing (PEK) in November for $394 round-trip on American:

Seattle (SEA) to Beijing (PEK) in March 2019 for $394 round-trip on American:

Minneapolis (MSP) to Shanghai (PVG) in February 2019 for $438 round-trip on American:

Portland (PDX) to Shanghai (PVG) in March 2019 for $438 round-trip on American:

Seattle (SEA) to Shanghai (PVG) in September for $438 round-trip on American:

Orlando (MCO) to Beijing (PEK) in December for $504 round-trip on American:

Maximize Your Mileage Earnings

If you’re chasing AAdvantage elite status, you’re going to want to book the American Airlines flights using special fare techniques to maximize your Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) and award earnings. For example, by booking the $394 round-trip ticket from Portland (PDX) to Beijing (PEK) shown above, a general AAdvantage member would normally earn 14,170 EQMs, 304 EQDs and a measly 1,520 award miles. However, that same ticket booked as a special fare would earn 14,170 EQMs, 1,417 EQDs and 7,085 award miles.

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: The Flight Deal

Featured image by Prasit photo / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

There are plenty of reasons to love Cartagena. A visit there isn’t your typical beach vacation, as you can just as easily immerse yourself in history, art and theater as you can take a dip in the sea. But if you need another reason to visit, flights to Cartagena (CTG) are on sale from several cities, including Atlanta (ATL), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Philadelphia (PHL). The discounted fares start at $258 round-trip and are valid for dates scattered from September through November.

You don’t need any tricks to get these prices, just head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure city. After finding dates that work best for you, book with the airline directly or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline.

Airlines: Avianca, JetBlue
Routes: ATL/BDL/BWI/FLL/JAX/MIA/PHL/PIT/RDU/RIC to CTG
Cost: $258+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September – November 2018
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Cartagena (CTG) in October for $258 round-trip on JetBlue:

Atlanta (ATL) to Cartagena (CTG) in September for $290 round-trip on JetBlue:

Miami (MIA) to Cartagena (CTG) in November for $298 round-trip on Avianca via Expedia:

Philadelphia (PHL) to Cartagena (CTG) in October for $326 round-trip on JetBlue:

Baltimore (BWI) to Cartagena (CTG) in October for $336
round-trip on JetBlue:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: Scott’s Cheap Flights

Featured image by Jesse Kraft / EyeEm / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitzor Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

JetBlue is advertising another one of its famous two-day flash sales. This time, the routes included are to various destinations both internationally and throughout the US. We’re seeing the cheapest one-way fares from $34, and round-trips starting at $72. In order to score a ticket at these discounted fares, you must book by August 8, at 11:59pm ET or local time. Eligible travel dates are between September 4 and November 7, 2018, with blackout dates from September 10-12, as well as September 19 and October 8.

Note that a few of the dates included as part of this sale are for summer travel time, as well as peak fall dates. We’re seeing plenty of availability throughout much of September and October and into November, with some dates even extending outside of the published sale dates. Because so many cities are part of this sale, it’ll be best to check out JetBlue’s page in order to find out exactly which ones are included. The best way to find availability is to search Google Flights for the routes and dates and then click through to JetBlue’s website to book. Act quick! These fares won’t last long — they’ll be available through Wednesday only.

Airline: JetBlue
Routes: Domestic and international routes
Cost: $34+ one-way, $72+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September 4 to November 7, 2018 with some blackout dates
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Worcester (ORH) to New York (JFK) for $34 one-way:

Worcester (ORH) to New York (JFK) for 1,800 TrueBlue points + $5.60 one-way:

Long Beach (LGB) to San Francisco (SFO) for $44 one-way:

New York (JFK) to Portland (PWM) for $48 one-way:

Worcester (ORH) to New York (JFK) for $72 round-trip:

Orlando (MCO) to Cancun (CUN) for $102 one-way:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to New Orleans (MSY) for $106 round-trip:

Boston (BOS) to New York (LGA) for $106 round-trip:

New York (JFK) to Savannah (SAV) for $136 round-trip:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to San Juan (SJU) for $155 round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Jeremy Woodhouse / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Now’s your time to plan a winter getaway or last minute summer vacation. Today we’re seeing cheap flights from several West Coast cities, including Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA) and San Francisco (SFO) to the Hawaiian destinations of Honolulu (HNL), Kona (KOA), Lihue (LIH) and Maui (OGG). Fares start at $353 round-trip with solid availability from August 2018 through June 2019, depending on the route.

There are no tricks to find these fares. Use Google Flights to search for your preferred departure and destination and then book through Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline.

Airlines: American, Alaska, Delta, Hawaiian, United
Routes: LAX/PDX/PHX/SAN/SEA/SFO to HNL/KOA/LIH/OGG
Cost: $353+ round-trip in economy
Dates: August 2018 – June 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Seattle (SEA) to Kona (KOA) in January 2019 for $353 round-trip on Hawaiian:

San Diego (SAN) to Maui (OGG) in December for $357 round-trip on Alaska:

San Diego (SAN) to Kona (KOA) in February 2019 for $357 round-trip on Alaska:

Seattle (SEA) to Lihue (LIH) in September for $363 round-trip on Delta:

Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) in October for $363 round-trip on Hawaiian:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Kona (KOA) in August for $367 round-trip on Hawaiian:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Jakob Owens on Unsplash.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Southwest just launched a flash sale which could help you save on your next getaway. With this sale, you can score both domestic and international fares from $49 one-way or $98 round-trip. The discounted fares are valid for travel from August 21, 2018 through February 13, 2019, including dates that could overlap with your holiday travel plans.

While the low fares will only stick around until August 16, you can still take advantage of the sale if you booked your flights before it launched. Thanks to Southwest’s incredibly generous no change fee policy, if the price of your previously purchased flights dropped, you can rebook your flights at the lower rates and be credited the difference. Plus, Southwest let’s you check two bags for free. Factors like these helped Southwest land the top spot in TPG’s 2018 Best Airlines for Families rankings.

Since Southwest’s fares don’t appear on Google Flights or OTAs like Expedia, your best bet for finding availability is by searching with Southwest’s flexible dates calendar and selecting the dates that work best for you. To see a list of the routes and cities eligible as part of this sale, check out this page.

JetBlue’s also running a flash sale, with fares starting at $34 one-way.

Airlines: Southwest
Routes: Domestic and international routes
Cost: $49+ one-way, $98+ round-trip in economy
Dates: August 2018 – February 2019
Booking Link: Southwest
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego (SAN) in September for $49 one-way:

Portland (PDX) to Los Angeles (LAX) in September for $64 one-way:

Seattle (SEA) to San Jose (SJC) in October for $68 one-way:

Baltimore (BWI) to Boston (BOS) in November for $68 one-way:

Atlanta (ATL) to Columbus (CMH) in October for $69 one-way:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Cancun (CUN) in September for $96 one-way:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image courtesy of Marriott Cancun.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

From UNESCO-recognized cultural attractions and phenomenal cuisine to gorgeous beaches and a vibrant nightlife scene, Tel Aviv, Israel offers something for every type of traveler. And if you book now, your next trip there might cost a little less. We’re currently seeing fares from a handful of cities including Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Miami (MIA) New York (JFK) and Washington DC (IAD) to Tel Aviv (TLV) from just $609 round-trip. The low fares are valid for travel from October 2018 through February 2019 and are being offered by several full service carriers, but you’ll find the most availability with Turkish Airlines which has received solid reviews from TPG staff.

Use Google Flights to search for your preferred departure and destination and then book directly through the airline or through an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline. Do note that when booking Turkish Airlines flights directly, you can hold reservations for 24 hours, but the airline doesn’t offer free cancelations. However, if you book Turkish through an OTA like Expedia, the flight can be refunded within 24 hours regardless of the airline’s policy.

Airlines: Aeroflot, Delta and Turkish Airlines
Routes: BOS/IAD/JFK/MIA/ORD to TLV
Cost: $609+ round-trip in economy
Dates: October 2018 – February 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Boston (BOS) to Tel Aviv (TLV) in October for $609 round-trip on Turkish Airlines via Expedia:

Chicago (ORD) to Tel Aviv (TLV) in December for $609 round-trip on Turkish Airlines via Expedia:

Boston (BOS) to Tel Aviv (TLV) in January for $612 round-trip on Delta:

Washington DC (IAD) to Tel Aviv (TLV) in January 2019 for $618 round-trip on Turkish Airlines via Expedia:

New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv (TLV) in October for $632 round-trip on Aeroflot via Expedia:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: The Flight Deal Feed

Featured image by Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Now’s the time to book your next trip to Europe! Today we’re seeing discounted flights from East and West coast cities to many destinations throughout Europe, including Amsterdam (AMS), Barcelona (BCN), Paris (CDG) and Rome (FCO). Although the low fares are primarily offered by full service carriers such as Air Italy, Delta and United, the cheapest fares book into basic economy. What that means is that you’ll often need to pay for things like seat assignments and checked bags, but you’ll still get the usual onboard experience with free food and drinks. However, some co-branded credit cards can help get around the pitfalls of basic economy.

To find these low fares head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure and destination cities. After finding the dates that work best for you, book directly with the airline or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline.

Airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Italy, American, British Airways, Delta, LEVEL, United
Routes: BOS/DTW/EWR/JFK/LAX/MIA/ORD/SFO to AMS/ARN/BCN/CDG/CPH/FCO/HEL/LHR/MAD
Cost: $350+ round-trip in basic economy
Dates: October 2018 – May 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

San Francisco (SFO) to Barcelona (BCN) in September for $350 round-trip on LEVEL:

New York (JFK) to Rome (FCO) in October for $368 round-trip on Air Italy:

New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) in December for $419 round-trip on Delta:

Boston (BOS) to Amsterdam (AMS) in December for $420 round-trip on Delta:

Newark (EWR) to Amsterdam (AMS) in January 2019 for $422 round-trip on United via Lufthansa:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Barcelona (BCN) in December for $437 round-trip on British Airways / Aer Lingus:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Lanski / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

Cheap flights to Hawaii continue to amaze! American Airlines, Alaska, Hawaiian and United are currently offering flights from tons of cities including Denver (DEN), Newark (EWR), Houston (IAH), Oakland (OAK), Portland (PDX), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA), San Jose (SJC), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL), Kona (KOA), Lihue (LIH) and Maui (OGG) from $353 round-trip. Most flights are available in the fall and winter months. Although limited, there are scattered dates in September and October 2018 and late January 2019 for discounted fares from Newark to Honolulu and Maui from $365 round-trip.

To book, head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure city. After finding the dates that work best for you, book with with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline or directly with the airline.

Airlines: American, Alaska, Hawaiian, United
Routes: DEN/EWR/IAH/LAX/OAK/PDX/SAN/SEA/SFO/SJC to HNL/KOA/LIH/OGG
Cost: $353+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September 2018 – February 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

San Francisco (SFO) to Kona (KOA) in December for $353 round-trip on Hawaiian:

Houston (IAH) to Honolulu (HNL) in September for $354 round-trip on American:

Oakland (OAK) to Lihue (LIH) in February 2019 for $357 round-trip on Hawaiian:

Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) in October for $363 round-trip on Hawaiian:

Newark (EWR) to Maui (OGG) in October for $365 round-trip on United:

Newark (EWR) to Honolulu (HNL) in September for $384 round-trip on American:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Rob DeCamp Photography / Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

After becoming ubiquitous in Europe, FlixBus launched its first US routes on May 31. Having used FlixBus often in Europe, we were curious to see how the big green bus did here in the US. So, TPG contributor Katie Genter made sure to be on board to review the inaugural bus from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. While it’s not as nice as flying in a semi-private jet between the two cities, FlixBus is a step-up from Megabus.

However, it doesn’t seem like bookings have taken off like the company hoped. So, FlixBus has launched a flash sale with rides available for just $0.99 one-way plus a $2 booking fee.

Before we get into the details and examples, here’s FlixBus’ current route map for reference if this deal is relevant for you:

Cost: $3+ one-way
Dates: now through September 5
Book by: midnight Pacific Time on August 9
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel) or Citi Prestige (1x but good trip delay insurance)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Los Angeles to San Francisco for $3 one-way:

Phoenix to Las Vegas for $3 one-way:

San Diego to Los Angeles from $3 one-way:

Las Vegas to Los Angeles from $7 one-way:

Best Credit Card to Use

Since these are prices really cheap, it’s going to be more important to use a credit card that offers travel protection rather than points-earning. Your top options are going to be Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Featured image by Katie Genter.

While it is more fun to use points to cover hotel stays than spend actual cash, we all know that sometimes cash is king when you need to book a place to stay. Even those who are pretty savvy with miles and points can sometimes forget the important step of checking cash-back sites before heading directly to a hotel’s homepage to book a stay with dollars.

Just like you may already go to an online airline shopping or cash back site before you order a new outfit or back to school supplies, you can do the same exact thing with some big hotel chains to put cash or miles back in your pockets. Not only is that step always important to maximize the money you spend on travel, but today is a “Travel Thursday,” which means that Ebates has higher than normal cash back rates for some travel-focused retailers — this includes several major hotel chains!

If you make a hotel reservation today by going through Ebates you can get up to 10% cash-back at Marriott, IHG, Hilton and more. In this case, Ebates is just a pass-through website that takes you to the hotels’ individual booking sites to make your reservations, so earning cash back does not impact your ability to earn points and use elite status benefits. It is just a great way to get cash-back after you complete your stay — at 10% back, it is a step that is probably worth the effort.

Earn Up To 10% Cash Back on Hotels Stays Booked Today

Marriott: 10% cash back

Hilton: Up to 10% cash back (though Gold and Diamond members annoyingly only get 1% back)

IHG: 10% cash back

There are some other increased travel-related increased cash back offers available on Ebates that you can browse here, but be careful to not make you actual hotel bookings on the Ebates site if you want it to be eligible for earning points and elite perks. Just use the Ebates site to get to the actual hotel’s booking site if you care about points and perks (and most of us here at TPG care very much about those things). Since you are still booking on the hotels’ sites as usual, you can pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on the travel charge or even use a co-branded hotel credit card to rack up extra points that way.

At 10% cash back, Ebates likely has the best offering today for the hotel chains mentioned above — but generally speaking you will want to quickly compare cash back rates at Cashbackmonitor.com to see which site will give you the best payout when you are spending money for hotel stays. If you are looking for some other ways to maximize hotel reservations when you have to spend cash, check out this post.

Featured image by dolgachov/Getty Images

If a trip to China has been on your to-do list, then you should consider booking now. Delta’s offering discounted award flights from the US to Shanghai (PVG). The airline had a similar sale in early July and is back with more deals at rock-bottom rates — round-trip flights start at just 40,000 miles.

Departures are available from Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK/LGA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Birmingham (BHM), Nashville (BNA), Jacksonville (JAX), New Orleans (MSY), Raleigh/Durham (RDU) and Washington DC (DCA/IAD) — although you may find cities outside of those listed.

Despite Delta not publishing an award chart, round-trip awards to China usually start at 70,000 miles so this is nearly half-off. Taxes and fees are a reasonable $35-$40 on these routes.

Head over to Delta’s website and use the flexible date calendar to find the cheapest rates. You’ll need to book your ticket by August 15 to take advantage of the deal.

Airline: Delta
Routes: JFK/LGA/ATL/BHM/BNA/DCA/IAD/FLL/JAX/MSY/MCO/RDU to PVG
Cost: From 40,000 miles plus taxes/fees starting at $35 round-trip
Book by: August 15
Dates: August 16 – December 9, 2018
Restrictions: Must purchase seven days in advance. No minimum stay required
Pay Taxes and Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Atlanta (ATL) to Shanghai (PVG) nonstop for 40,000 miles and $35 round-trip:

New York (LGA/JFK) to Shanghai (PVG) for 40,000 miles and $41 round-trip:

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Shanghai (PVG) nonstop for 40,000 miles and $41 round-trip:

Orlando (MCO) to Shanghai (PVG) nonstop for 40,000 miles and $41 round-trip:

Although you won’t be able to earn a welcome bonus in the next few days (since the qualification period is the first three months from account opening), consider applying for a Delta credit card the next time the carrier has a sale. Right now, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express comes with a limited time bonus of 60,000 SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 in the first four months. Offer ends 9/19/18. You’ll earn two miles per dollar on Delta purchases and one mile per dollar on everything else.

If you have a business, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express is offering a 70,000-mile welcome bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months (you also get 10,000 MQMs).

Featured image by Getty Images.

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

American, Delta, JetBlue and United are currently offering cheap flights to the Sunshine State from as low as $88 round-trip. The discounted fares are available for travel in September and October to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO) and Miami (MIA). Departures are available from cities inlcuding Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Baltimore (BWI), Charlotte (CLT), Newark (EWR), Washington DC (IAD), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD) and Philadelphia (PHL). Although many of the discounted fares are for basic economy, Delta allows basic economy passengers to travel with a carry-on bag (in addition to a personal item) and AA announced that it will follow suit beginning September 5, so you might want to consider them over United. As a reminder, it’s possible to defeat many of basic economy’s negative aspects with airline elite status or a co-branded airline credit card.

There are no tricks to find these fares. Use Google Flights to search for your preferred departure and destination and then book through Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline. If you want to make sure that your ticket includes a carry-on bag, you can use Google Flights’ newest feature, which allows you to filter out no-carry-on fares.

Airlines: American, Delta, JetBlue, United
Routes: ATL/BOS/BWI/CLT/EWR/IAD/IAH/LAX/ORD/PHL to/from FLL/MCO/MIA
Cost: $88+ round-trip in economy
Dates: September – October 2018
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Atlanta (ATL) to Orlando (MCO) in September for $88 round-trip on JetBlue:

Houston (IAH) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) in September for $100 round-trip in basic economy on United:

Chicago (ORD) to Orlando (MCO) in September for $103 round-trip in basic economy on United:

Newark (EWR) to Miami (MIA) in September for $104 round-trip in basic economy on United:

Baltimore (BWI) to Miami (MIA) in September for $137 round-trip in basic economy on American:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Orlando (MCO) in October for $186 round-trip in basic economy on Delta:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

Featured image by Lance Asper on Unsplash

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.

We’re fans of Delta’s Premium Select, the carrier’s new class of service found on the Airbus A350 and select refurbished Boeing 777 jets. If you’ve been looking for an affordable way to test it out, now’s your chance. TPG Editor-at-Large Zach Honig spelled out the top nine things you need to know about Premium Select (which is Delta’s version of Premium Economy, found widely on international carriers), and Reviews Editor Nick Ellis reviewed the product on an A350 flight between Detroit and Tokyo.

Given how fresh the product is, pricing hasn’t been very kind. That makes today’s deal all the more alluring. We haven’t seen too many fare sales for Delta’s Premium Select, but it appears that quite a few US-to-China routes and dates are open for booking at less than $800 round-trip.

We’re seeing deals start at $747 all-in for travel from US cities to Shanghai (PVG) and Beijing (PEK), which is well below what you would typically expect to pay for these flights in standard economy. Dates seem to be relatively plentiful, including much of October, November and December. We’re also seeing impressive connection options, which will be good news for those who are a hop away from DTW and LAX.

We’d encourage you to test out departure airports as well as dates using a flexible search engine through Expedia or Orbitz. As you’re scouting options that would work for you, make sure you route through Detroit (DTW) or Los Angeles (LAX). Delta’s A350 fleet to China currently routes only through DTW and LAX, with Seattle slated to gain an A350 flight to Tokyo (NRT) beginning March 1, 2019.

Airlines: Delta
Routes: Many US Cities (routing through DTW and LAX) to/from PVG/PEK
Cost: $747+ round-trip in Premium Select
Dates: September 2018 – Early 2019
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Los Angeles (LAX) to Shanghai (PVG) in November for $747 round-trip:

Orlando (MCO) to Beijing (PEK) in November for $862 round-trip:

Baltimore (BWI) to Beijing (PEK) in December for $947 round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: BoardingArea

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to line-up the time away.

Although the Frontier Airlines “best sale of the season” ended on August 1, the ultra-low-cost carrier is still offering some very cost-effective getaways for early fall between a large number of cities. Book by August 13 for travel dates between August 18 to November 14.

Remember that budget airlines like Frontier charge additional fees for full-size carry-on bags, checked bags and seat assignments. However, you can earn entry-level Elite20k elite status with Frontier after just one round-trip ticket (with connecting flights) or two round-trip tickets (direct), which gives you a free full-sized carry-on bag, complimentary seat assignment at booking and enables you to pool miles together with family members.

Airline: Frontier
Routes: Various domestic routes between ABQ/SAT/AUS/MSY/ATL/CVG/CMH/GSP/MCO/MDT/RDU/IND/PHL/JAX/MCI/MEM/MKE/OMA/CLT/DTW/CLE/SNA/LAS/ONT/SJC/SEA/PDX/IAD/BUF/SLC/TUL/TPA/
Cost: $19+ one-way
Dates: August 14 – October 3
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Here are some examples of what you can book:

Atlanta (ATL) to Cincinnati (CVG) for $38 round-trip:

Austin (AUS) to New Orleans (MSY) for $40 round-trip:

Tulsa (TUL) to Washington, DC (IAD) for $40 round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

If Frontier Airlines is a regular part of your family’s budget travel strategy, you may want to brush-up on some of its latest family friendly developments, including the ability for some Frontier Miles members to pool miles together and complimentary family seat assignments for certain Frontier elite members.

Featured image courtesy of Shutterstock. 

Want to see the latest flight deals as soon as they’re published? Follow The Points Guy on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to text message alerts from our deals feed, @tpg_alerts.

Amtrak is currently having a four-day flash sale for routes up and down the Northeast Corridor. Now through August 17, book a coach class ticket on one of the Northeast Regional routes starting at just $19 one-way for travel between September 5 through November 15, 2018.

Below are some of the route rates that Amtrak is promoting on its website. However, other routes apply.

Carrier: Amtrak
Routes: Northeast Regional train service including Keystone and Pennsylvanian between New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA. Valid on the Vermonter between New Haven, CT and Washington, DC and thruways to Virginia Beach and Norfolk, VA.
Cost: From $19 one-way, $38 round-trip
Book by: August 17, 2018
Travel Dates: September 5 – November 15
Restrictions: Prices can’t be combined with other discount codes. Sale prices are available exclusively for one-way Coach Class fares and upgrades to Business Class are not permitted. Space is limited as sale prices are not available on all trains or at all times. Once purchased, tickets are non-refundable. Exchanges are permitted within the ticket validity period; a 25 percent cancellation fee applies. Other restrictions may also apply.
Pay With: Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), Citi ThankYou Premier (3x on travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)

Washington, DC (WAS) to Richmond, VA (RVR) for $19 one-way:

Washington, DC (WAS) to Richmond, VA (RVR) for $38 round-trip:

Washington, DC (WAS) to Charlottesville, VA (CVS) for $19 one-way:

Baltimore, MD (BAL) to Philadelphia, PA (PHL) for $29 one-way:

Washington, DC (WAS) to Philadelphia, PA (PHL) for $29 one-way:

Boston, MA (BOS) to New York, NY (NYP) for $39 one-way:

New York, NY (NYP) to Washington, DC (WAS) for $39 one-way:

New York, NY (NYP) to Washington, DC (WAS) for $78 round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on train purchases, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on all travel purchases), Citi ThankYou Premier Card (3x on travel purchases) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases).

Featured image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images