Deal alert: Trans-con flights for $97 round-trip, nonstop
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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 (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). 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.
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.
It isn’t often that we see fares for under a hundred dollars for round-trip flights across the US, so if you’ve been eyeing a vacation now’s the time to book. Grab a burger in Buckhead or head to sunny California for some much needed respite from the cold. We won’t judge.
- Note that many deals begin in basic economy, but the right credit card may help. For instance, the annual travel credit offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve will cover up to $300 in travel-related expenses, including both bags and seat fees. The same is true for the up to $200 annual airline fee credit offered by the The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express if you’re able to book on one of the airlines covered by the credit.
To search, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or through an OTA like Priceline, Orbitz or Expedia.
Airline: American, United, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit
Routes: ATL/JFK/EWR to SFO/LAX and vice versa
Cost: $97+ round-trip
Travel Dates: February – March 2020
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card (3x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Atlanta (ATL) to San Francisco (SFO) for $97 round-trip on United:
Atlanta (ATL) to San Francisco (SFO) for $112 round-trip on American:
Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (EWR) for $197 round-trip on United: 
Los Angeles (LAX) to Atlanta (ATL) for $135 round-trip on Spirit: 
San Francisco (SFO) to New York (JFK) for $197 round-trip on Delta: 
New York (NYC) to San Francisco (SFO) for $197 round-trip on JetBlue:
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 The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card (3x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Premier® Card (3x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
Featured photo courtesy of Yuliia Hrozian.
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