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Deal alert: Escape to sunny California this winter for fares as low as $98

Jan. 08, 2022
4 min read
Street in downtown of San Francisco with San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the center, California, USA
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Quick summary

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

American Airlines is offering a fare sale to sunny California just in time to escape the winter blues. AA has deals to Los Angeles and San Francisco for under $200 round-trip from several major U.S. cities including many of their hubs.

Universal Studios Hollywood. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)

Secret Flying first reported the offers available from January to March.

Deal basics

Airlines: American Airlines.
Routes: AUS/ATL/DFW/EWR/JFK/MIA/ORD to LAX and SFO.
How to book: Directly through American's site or via Google Flights.
Travel dates: January to March.

Related: 6 great road trips from San Francisco

Sample flights

The deals below are for Main Cabin seats on American Airlines, which include a seat selection and a carry-on. A checked bag and/or better seats are available for additional charges.

One of the cheapest deals we found was from Austin, Texas (AUS), to Los Angeles (LAX) at $98 round-trip for a nonstop flight at the end of January.

(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)

You can go from the Sunshine State to the City of Angels for $138 round-trip on a nonstop flight from Miami to Los Angeles. Some of these flights are being operated by American's giant Boeing 777-200 jets.

(Screenshot courtesy American Airlines)
(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)

Travelers in Georgia can swap peach cobbler for some avocado toast at the same price of $138 round-trip from Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles.

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(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)

Another departure option is flying from Dallas (DFW) to San Francisco (SFO) for $164 round-trip.

(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)

Those traveling from the East Coast in February can snag a nonstop flight from frigid New York (JFK) to San Francisco for $178 round-trip.

(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)

Travelers from the Windy City can trade their snow boots for flip-flops and head to Los Angeles from Chicago (ORD) for $138 round-trip.

(Screenshot courtesy of Google Flights)

Maximize your purchase

Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year); the Citi Prestige® Card for 5 points per dollar on airfare; the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees) for 3 points per dollar on air travel; Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on air travel); the American Express® Gold Card for 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2 points per dollar 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.

Bottom line

Whether you want to hit the theme parks, ride a San Francisco Cable Car or catch some sun and waves on the beach, this affordable deal is hard to pass up. Doing it on a 777-200 would be even better.

Featured image by ALEXANDER SPATARI/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.