Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.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.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.American Airlines has launched an aggressive attack fare on United hubs of Newark (EWR), Houston (IAH), Denver (DEN) and San Francisco (SFO) offering round-trip flights for less than $300 in Basic Economy, with the option to buy up to Main Cabin for $90 more round-trip. Most of these city pairs have one-stop options, but it might take a little digging to find these instead of the more-numerous two-stop options.For this particular deal, the cheapest options are showing up on American Airlines’ website after clicking through Google Flights. The fares aren’t appearing on AA.com through a direct search, and I haven’t been able to find the fares through an OTA such as Expedia or Priceline.If you can’t make a trip happen in the next couple of months, you can score a deal on a 2019 Hawaii getaway through AA Vacation’s ongoing $130-off sale. You can get a flight+hotel for two adults and a five-night stay in Kona for just $986 total ($493 per person). Even better, that’s in Main Cabin — instead of Basic Economy — and the flights code as Special Fares.Airlines: AmericanRoutes: EWR/DEN/IAH/SFO to HNL/LIH/KOACost: $284+ round-trip in basic economyTravel Dates: October to early December 2018Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)Booking Link: Expedia, Priceline or directly with the airlineHere are a few examples of what you can book:Newark (EWR) to Honolulu (HNL) for $284 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Denver (DEN) to Honolulu (HNL) for $284 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Houston Intercontinental (IAH) to Lihue (LIH) for $284 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Denver (DEN) to Lihue (LIH) for $284 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Denver (DEN) to Kona (KOA) for $284 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:San Francisco (SFO) to Lihue (LIH) for $284 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Newark (EWR) to Lihue (LIH) for $291 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Newark (EWR) to Kona (KOA) for $292 round-trip on American Airlines Basic Economy:Maximize Your PurchaseDon’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, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.
