Deal alert: United flights for $97 round-trip

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Looking for a cheap last-minute escape? United’s got you covered with round-trip fares for $97.

The best part about this deal is that there’s widespread availability on various U.S. routes whether it’s a short hop from Boston (BOS) to Newark (EWR) or a longer flight like Austin (AUS) to San Francisco (SFO).

If you don’t see your airport/destination in the examples, do not fret. There are plenty more cities included in this deal, but you’d be scrolling forever if we added them all. Head to Google flights, plug in your city as the departing airport, then type in United States in the “where to?” spot, bring the price adjustment down to $100 and enter dates as flexible as you can, then have some fun seeing where you can go for less than a hundred bucks.

Related: How to survive basic economy on United Airlines

Note that since this is United basic economy, you will have to pay extra for a carry-on bigger than backpack and for checked luggage — but that’s not so bad considering it’s only $97 round-trip.

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 or Expedia.

Airlines: United
Routes: Various U.S. routes
Cost: $97 round-trip in basic economy
Travel Dates: Varies by route
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Citi Premier℠ Card (3x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), American Express® Gold Card (3x on airfare booked directly with the airline or amextravel.com) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)

The information for the Citi Prestige and Citi Premier cards 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’s an example of what you can book:

Newark (EWR) to Fort Myers (RSW) for $97 round-trip on United:

Boston (BOS) to Newark (EWR) for $97 round-trip on United:

Baltimore (BWI) to Chicago (ORD) for $97 round-trip on United:

Houston (IAH) to Las Vegas (LAS) for $97 round-trip on United:

Denver (DEN) to Portland (PDX) for $97 round-trip on United:

San Francisco (SFO) to Denver (DEN) for $97 round-trip on United:

Austin (AUS) to San Francisco (SFO) for $97 round-trip on United:

Chicago (ORD) to Austin (AUS) for $97 round-trip on United:

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), Citi Prestige® Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier℠ Card (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 photo by Alberto Riva/TPG)