Deal alert: Here are some of the best fall travel prices we've found
Want to travel this fall but are on a budget? Check out this compilation of some of the best travel deals TPG has found for the fall.
These deals allow you to travel across the country -- or even the world -- without breaking the bank. And now that more countries are reopening to Americans, the travel possibilities are wide open.
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Canada
Canada is reopening to fully vaccinated Americans on Aug. 9 -- and there are some impressive deals to be found if you hope to travel there this fall.
Award tickets on various airlines such as Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are as low as 6,000 miles each way, as originally reported by TPG on July 21.
Airline: Air Canada/American/Delta/United
Routes: Between JFK/LGA/ORD/DEN and YYZ/YOW/YUL/YEG/YVR (and more)
Cost: From 6,000 miles each way
Dates: Most dates throughout the fall and winter
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Canada is about to reopen to Americans: Here are our favorite points hotels
For example, Delta is offering flights from New York (JFK/LGA) to Toronto (YYZ) for 12,000 SkyMiles round-trip. This deal is available on most dates in the fall.
Additionally, American Airlines is offering award tickets between Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Vancouver (YVR) starting at 17,500 AAdvantage miles round-trip on various dates this fall, as first reported by TPG's Andrew Kunesh.
And deals can be found between various other U.S. and Canadian cities throughout the upcoming season.
However, there's a slight catch to these award ticket deals: The taxes and fees for most round-trip award tickets to Canada are around $60. So depending on the route, it might just be worth it to pay the ticket in cash if the price is cheap enough.
Be sure to reference TPG's latest valuations of various loyalty programs to see if booking with miles is worth it for you.
France
Flights from Newark (EWR) to Paris (ORY) on French Bee start at $199 each way this fall and winter. Act fast: The price for this route has already gone up from the $139 it was when it was originally reported by TPG's Caroline Tanner in early July.
Nonstop flights from San Francisco (SFO) to ORY start at $189.
Airline: French Bee
Routes: Between EWR/SFO and ORY
Cost: From $189 each way
Dates: Various dates between October 2021 and March 2022
Pay with: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Related: Now boarding: A review of French Bee’s inaugural Newark-Paris flight
Although French Bee is a no-frills low-cost carrier, these fares offer travelers a highly discounted way to get to France, and flyers can tailor their experience by choosing between premium and economy class.
Greece
As first reported by Run with Miles on Twitter, Air Serbia is offering business-class fares for as low as $647 each way from New York (JFK) to Athens, Greece (ATH). Available on select dates in August and September, this business-class deal can be booked for nonstop flights from JFK to Belgrade, Serbia (BEG), as well.
Related: 8 reasons my first trip to Greece was better than I expected
Although the flights to Greece involve a long six-hour layover at BEG, the flight is around the price of economy class -- and Air Serbia business class comes with lounge access.
Airline: Air Serbia
Routes: Between JFK and ATH/BEG
Cost: From $647 each way
Dates: Various dates in August and September 2021
Pay with: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The Netherlands
Fly TAP Air Portugal to Amsterdam from various U.S. cities this fall with prices starting at $399 round-trip. The flights, which include a layover in Lisbon (LIS) or Porto (OPO), could include a flight on one of TAP's new Airbus A330-900neos.
Airline: TAP Air Portugal
Routes: Between BOS/ORD/EWR/MIA/SFO and AMS (and more)
Cost: From $399 round-trip
Dates: Various dates between September 2021 and March 2022
Pay with: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Related: The Netherlands to welcome back Americans, with little restriction
An example booking of a $399 round-trip ticket is a flight from Miami (MIA) to Amsterdam (AMS) this November.
The cheapest fares are with the most restrictive fare class that TAP has on offer, which means that you have to pay extra for items such as checked bags and seat selection. However, upgrades to less-restrictive fare classes are not much more money.
Take note that TAP offers stopovers in Portugal for no extra cost on select bookings. So, your $400 flight to the Netherlands could enable you to see Portugal as well.
And TAP offers cheap flights from the U.S. to various other European destinations as well, such as the United Kingdom, which is reopening for Americans on Aug. 2.
Tahiti
As originally reported by TPG's Ryan Patterson on July 24, you can fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Papeete, Tahiti (PPT), on Air France in business class this fall and spring for only 64,000 Flying Blue miles each way. Air France flights from LAX-PPT are triweekly and restart in September, according to a Google Flights search.
Airline: Air France
Routes: Between LAX and PPT
Cost: 64,000 Flying Blue Miles each way
Dates: September 2021 through June 2022
Pay with: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Related: The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming with Air France-KLM Flying Blue
While business-class availability on these flights to Tahiti is low this fall, seats are still available. If a seat can't be found on the dates that work for you in the fall, availability is wide open in the spring.
And Flying Blue is currently offering a transfer bonus of 30% for Amex Membership Rewards. So, if you transfer points to Flying Blue during this promotion, your one-way business-class ticket to Tahiti would only cost about 50,000 Membership Rewards points each way.
United States
Flights to Florida are impressively cheap.
JetBlue flights from New York (JFK) to Jacksonville, Florida (JAX), are consistently $137 round-trip throughout the fall for flights in Blue Basic. With various nearby Atlantic Coast beaches, such as Ponte Vedra, JAX is a great option for those wanting a relaxing Florida beach vacation.
Related: 13 of the best beaches in Florida
Flights to South Florida on the ultra low-cost carriers are even cheaper: Spirit is offering $61 round-trip fares between New York (LGA) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on select dates in August, September and October. And Frontier is similarly cheap with flights from LGA to Miami (MIA) starting at $62 round-trip.
Airline: JetBlue/Frontier/Spirit
Routes: Between EWR/JFK/LGA and FLL/JAX/MIA
Cost: From $61 round-trip
Dates: Various dates between August and October 2021
Pay with: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
While the sample itineraries to Florida offer good value, there are deals to be found across the country.
For example, Alaska Airlines is offering a limited-time fare sale across its network, with fares starting at $59 each way. With discounts for almost every Alaska destination, you can likely book a cheap flight from a city near you.
Airline: Alaska
Routes: Network-wide, including flights to and from LAX/SEA/PDX/ANC/DAL/DCA (and more)
Cost: From $49 each way
Dates: Book by Aug. 9; travel on select dates between Sept. 7 and Nov. 17 (most routes)
Pay with: The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
How to make the most out of your flight purchase
Be sure to maximize your airfare purchase by using the right card. Some of TPG's favorite cards when buying airfare include The Platinum Card from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), American Express Gold Card (3x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Premier Card (3x on air travel), Citi Prestige Card (5x on air travel) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel).
Read this guide to learn more about the best credit cards to use when purchasing flights.
Bottom line
There are some good deals to be found this fall to a wide variety of destinations, but many of them are likely only available for a limited time -- so book soon.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 5X | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com |
| 1.5X | Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year |
| 1X | 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 5X | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com |
| 1.5X | Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year |
| 1X | 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.Earn 150,000 points120,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$695Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Good, Excellent
Why We Chose It
It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.