Award bonanza: Los Cabos as low as 2,400 points and other great warm-weather deals
Earlier this week, we reported on an American Airlines spring award sale offering one-way tickets to a number of high-demand domestic, Caribbean and Central American destinations for as little as 5,000 miles one-way.
It turns out that American's award sale was just a drop in a bigger wave of pretty incredible points redemptions we're seeing roll out on multiple airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue.
There's plenty of good news in these deals, which may help you plan some cool spring breaks and trips into the beginning of summer. American has 5,000-mile one-way availability to places like Turks and Caicos, Barbados, and Cancun. We're also seeing Delta with 8,000-mile one-way flights to Hawaii from Los Angeles. JetBlue is offering New York-to-Cancun flights for just 4,000 points one-way and Los Angeles-to-Los Cabos flights for only 2,400 points one-way (really).
Here's what you need to know to take advantage of these deals.
How to find deals
The key to booking some of these point redemptions is flexibility (and also speed, since we don't know for sure how long these will last). Start by looking at the fare calendars for the carriers with which you have loyalty points and miles. We're seeing deals from April through June on competitive leisure routes; look at each of these months for destinations you'd likely book a vacation to, such as the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico.
Sample flights
American Airlines
The best news in this deal is that there are many options out there. Here's one from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to the brand-new Tulum International Airport (TQO) in Mexico for 5,000 miles each way.
Note that there are brief stops at American hubs in each direction.
East Coasters can head to Cancun International Airport (CUN) from a handful of major cities, like Philadelphia, starting at 5,000 miles.
Delta Air Lines
People on the West Coast could fly from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) in Hawaii for just 8,000 Delta SkyMiles on select dates in April. As the flexible booking calendar shows, there are multiple dates with availability.
On the East Coast, Delta is also playing ball on award flights to Mexico, with flights from New York City-area airports to Cancun available for a good chunk of April starting at 9,500 miles. (Don't forget, people who carry select cobranded Delta cards can get an extra 15% off that rate with the TakeOff 15 benefit.)
JetBlue
Some of the best deals we're finding right now are coming out of JetBlue's TrueBlue program.
Folks in the New York City area can snag a direct flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Cancun on JetBlue; flights cost as few as 4,100 TrueBlue points for late April through early May.
Direct flights from LAX to Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) are as low as 2,400 points the last week of April and all through May. This gives West Coast travelers the chance to finally visit one of the best all-inclusive resorts in the area.
United Airlines
April is a great time to burn some United miles on a trip to the Bahamas. From Newark, award flights are as low as 7,500 miles.
United is also helping people save on trips to Mexico with flights from Newark to Cancun on select dates in April available for 8,300 miles.
Bottom line
We're seeing great deals on award redemptions to prime warm-weather destinations during the peak spring travel period on a number of airlines, including American, United, JetBlue and Delta.
To find these deals, it helps to have some flexibility in your travel schedule and to use the fare calendars to find the best redemption values. Don't sleep on these deals — they might not last long.
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