Deal Alert: Transcontinental Flights From $213 Round-Trip in Basic Economy
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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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. 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.
We're seeing some great cross-country flights starting at $213 round-trip in basic economy. The discounted fares are available for nonstop flights between the East Coast cities of Boston (BOS) and Miami (MIA) and several West Coast cities like Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), Seattle (SEA) and San Francisco (SFO). Of course, the one drawback is that many of these fares are for basic economy, which means that you won’t have the usual carry-on allowance, be able to select your seat, get an upgrade or earn elite qualifying credits as per usual. However, it’s possible to defeat many of basic economy’s negative aspects by having airline elite status or a co-branded airline credit card.
To book, head to Google Flights and plug in your desired departure city and destination. After finding dates that work best for you, book with the airline directly or with an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline. If you want to make sure that your ticket includes a carry-on bag, you can use Google Flights’ newest feature, which allows you to filter out no-carry-on fares.
Airline: American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue, United
Routes: BOS/MIA to/from LAX/SAN/SEA/SFO
Cost: $213+ round-trip in basic economy
Dates: August – November 2018
Booking Link: Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Pay With: The American Express Platinum Card (5x on airfare), Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
San Diego (SAN) to Miami (MIA) in September for $213 round-trip on American:
Boston (BOS) to Seattle (SEA) in October for $220 round-trip on JetBlue:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Boston (BOS) in August for $226 round-trip on United:
San Francisco (SFO) to Miami (MIA) in August for $227 round-trip on American:
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), Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
H/T: Fare Deal Alert
