Big Sky deal alert: Fly business class to Montana from $342 round-trip

Montana has a well-earned reputation as one of the most scenic states in America. Its gorgeous mountains, bountiful lakes and rugged terrain make it irresistible to fans of the great outdoors, as well as those folks eager to take a memorable road trip. Not to mention, it's a place that appeals to both summer travelers and skiing enthusiasts who can't get enough of fresh powder in winter. Oh, and there's also the fact it has almost as many national parks (nine!) as it does unofficial nicknames.

For those reasons and many more, a new fare sale from Alaska Airlines and United Airlines should interest you. Both airlines have reduced business-class fares to several cities in Montana for travel in the summer and, in a few instances, the fall and winter. We're talking business-class seats to cities like Bozeman, Great Falls and Missoula for under $400 round trip in some cases. That's an excellent price.

This sale is targeting people based in the western U.S., as the departure cities are Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. The travel window for this deal is mostly from April to June of this year, making it possible to comfortably visit national parks like Yellowstone and Glacier. That said, there are some dates in fall and winter that are included in the sale, too, so keep an eye out for these while conducting your search.

Deal basics

Airline: Alaska Airlines and United Airlines

Routes: From Denver, San Francisco and Seattle to Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula, Montana

Travel dates: The sale mainly applies to flights between April and June 2024, with some routes available through February 2025

How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline

Book by: As soon as possible

Sample flights

Alaska Airlines has business-class seats from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in June for just $362.

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In general, one thing we noticed as we researched this deal was that if you want to visit Bozeman, it really pays to plan ahead. We found that same $362 round-trip price available in January and February out of Seattle.

Alaska also had plenty of availability for round-trip business-class seats from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to BZN in January and February for $382. According to Google Flights, that's about half of what that ticket usually costs.

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GOOGLE FLIGHTS

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The deals out of Denver were a bit harder to find. Prices changed minute by minute as we perused the Google Flights calendar. However, we did find this nice $429 itinerary on United from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) in June.

And if you've ever wanted to visit Great Falls, Montana (aka the "Electric City"), we recommend arriving in early May or June. We found a lot of business-class seats on Alaska Airlines from SEA to Great Falls International Airport (GTF) for just $342 round trip.

Related: I stayed at a luxury ranch in Montana — and I didn't want to go home

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases and 4 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline
• Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel

Bottom line

Because of the low prices and the lack of business-class inventory, don't wait too long to plan your trip to Montana. Otherwise, you may miss out on getting the very best price.

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