Bay Area flight deals radar — June 16–22, 2026
Second weekly Monday edition. Six transfer bonuses all expire June 30 — the biggest points-expiry wave of summer 2026, including Chase UR→Marriott +55%, Amex→Flying Blue +25%, Rove→Turkish +50%, and Citi→Qatar +30%. Cash fare board covers 6 SFO fares for the week: JetBlue SFO↔MVY $256 BE (D1), Cathay Pacific's five-city China cluster at $854, Asiana SFO→Shanghai $742, AA SFO↔Santiago $704 BE, SAS SFO↔Gdansk $683 BE, and Copa SFO↔Cartagena $461 BE. Program radar covers Allegiant's full OAK exit, JAL Mileage Bank award availability concerns, and Alaska's July 1 partner fee hike ($12.50→$20).
Six transfer bonuses all expire June 30 — that's eight days from today. If you've been sitting on Chase UR, Amex MR, Rove points, or Citi TYP with a redemption in mind, this week is the window to act. On the cash fare side, Cathay Pacific ran a coordinated five-city China sale out of SFO all week at $854 roundtrip, and JetBlue dropped a solid Martha's Vineyard fare still fresh as of Sunday.
Action deadlines at a glance
| Deal / bonus | Deadline | Days left | Urgency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex MR → Flying Blue +25% | June 30 | 8 | 🔴 |
| Chase UR → Marriott Bonvoy +55% | June 30 | 8 | 🔴 |
| Rove → Turkish Miles & Smiles +50% | June 30 | 8 | 🔴 |
| Citi TYP → Qatar Avios +30% | June 30 | 8 | 🔴 |
| Hotel programs → United MileagePlus +25% | June 30 | 8 | 🔴 |
| Amex MR → Marriott Bonvoy +20% | June 30 | 8 | 🟡 Low value |
| Alaska partner award fee: $12.50 → $20 | July 1 | 9 | ⚠️ |
| Chase UR → Virgin Atlantic +30% | July 14 | 22 | 🟡 |
| Amex MR → Avianca LifeMiles +15% | July 15 | 23 | 🟡 |
| Citi TYP → ALL Accor +50% | July 18 | 26 | 🟡 |
Cash fare board: June 16–22
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All fares source from The Flight Deal, which applies a 48-hour freshness standard: fares posted within two days are likely still live, fares beyond that should be verified. 1 Freshness as of Monday, June 22.
D1 — JetBlue SFO ↔ Martha's Vineyard (MVY): $256 BE / $344 RE
Posted June 21. The most actionable cash fare this week.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | SFO – BOS – MVY (outbound) / MVY – JFK – SFO (return) |
| Airline | JetBlue |
| Price | $256 Basic Economy (L) / $344 Regular Economy (P), roundtrip incl. taxes |
| Travel window | Late August – early September |
| Sample dates | August 26 – September 1 |
| Advance purchase | 21 days |
| Fare mileage | 5,515 miles flown; BE earns 4.6¢/mile, RE earns 6.2¢/mile |
| BE restrictions | No advance seat selection; no changes or cancellations |
| RE includes | Carry-on bag, advance seat selection |
| Book at | jetblue.com (search via Google Flights / ITA Matrix first) |
At $256 roundtrip, this is a solid late-August window for anyone targeting the Vineyard before Labor Day weekend prices spike. RE at $344 adds carry-on and flexibility — worth the extra $88 if you're not on a rigid schedule. 2
D1–D3 — Cathay Pacific SFO → China: $854 RT (5 cities)
Cathay Pacific posted five separate SFO–China fares between June 19 and June 21, all at the identical $854 price point — a coordinated China promotion, not isolated coincidences. All five route via Hong Kong, all fly in Q class, and all include two stopovers at $100 each (deducted from the headline fare). 345
| City | Code | Posted | Freshness | Alaska miles (flown) | ¢/mile (Alaska) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiamen | XMN | Jun 21 | D1 | 14,438 | 5.9¢ |
| Xi'an | XIY | Jun 20 | D2 | 15,610 | 5.5¢ |
| Chongqing | CKG | Jun 19 | D3 | 15,186 | 5.6¢ |
| Hangzhou | HGH | Jun 17 | D5 — verify | 14,820 (est.) | — |
| Chengdu | CTU | Jun 17 | D5 — verify | 15,406 (est.) | — |
Common terms across all five cities:
- Fare class: Q (Cathay Pacific)
- Connection: SFO – HKG – [city] – HKG – SFO
- Stopovers: 2 × $100 included in headline price
- Travel window: Late August – October; some cities extend to January–April 2027
- Departure days: Monday–Thursday
- Advance purchase: 7 days
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan accrual available (American Airlines earns 0 miles in Q class)
- Visa: US citizens need a Chinese visa in advance
- Book via: ITA Matrix search, then Priceline for ticketing
The $854 price is reasonable for SFO–China on a premium carrier, particularly for travel in September when business-class prices on the same routes typically run $2,500+. Xiamen (D1) and Xi'an (D2) have the best freshness; the Hangzhou and Chengdu D5 fares should be verified live before booking. 4
D2 — Asiana SFO → Shanghai (PVG): $742 RT
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | SFO – ICN (Seoul) – PVG – ICN – SFO |
| Airline | Asiana Airlines (Star Alliance) |
| Price | $742 roundtrip, incl. taxes (W class) |
| Travel window | Late August – November; January – April 2027 |
| Sample dates | November 3–10 |
| Advance purchase | 3 days |
| Stopovers | None |
| United MileagePlus | 12,306 miles flown, 6.0¢/mile |
| Visa | US citizens need a Chinese visa |
| Book at | Google Flights for dates, then Priceline |
At $742, this is $112 cheaper than the Cathay Pacific China fares and routes through Seoul rather than Hong Kong. The January–April 2027 availability window is a useful option for travelers who've already used up 2026 leave. 6
D3 — American Airlines SFO ↔ Santiago (SCL): $704 BE / $881 RE
This fare has been repriced downward since it first appeared. The June 16 post had it at $735 BE / $915 RE; by June 19 it settled at $704 BE / $881 RE — $31 lower on the BE, $34 on the RE. 7
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | SFO – MIA – SCL – MIA – SFO |
| Airline | American Airlines |
| Price | $704 Basic Economy (B) / $881 Regular Economy (O), roundtrip incl. taxes |
| Travel window | October – early December |
| Sample dates | November 5–12 |
| Advance purchase | 1 day |
| Stopovers | None |
| Loyalty points | 3,830 AAdvantage Loyalty Points (RE); BE earns 0 miles |
| BE restrictions | No advance seat selection; no changes or cancellations; no baggage (first checked bag $70/segment) |
| RE includes | 1 checked bag, advance seat selection |
| Visa | Not required for US citizens |
| Book at | aa.com (search via ITA Matrix first) |
Santiago in October–November is late spring in Chile — one of the best windows. The $704 BE is the price of a transcon domestic roundtrip, which makes this a legitimate long-haul value. D3 as of today; verify the fare bucket is still open before booking.
D4 — SAS SFO ↔ Gdansk (GDN): $683 BE / $783 RE
Posted June 18. At the edge of the 48-hour freshness window — check live pricing before committing. ITA Matrix shows $697 but SAS.com reprices to $683 BE. 8
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | SFO – CPH (Copenhagen) – GDN – CPH – SFO |
| Airline | SAS (SkyTeam partner) |
| Price | $683 BE / $783 RE, roundtrip incl. taxes |
| Travel window | November – early December; mid-January – early March 2027 |
| Sample dates | November 13–20 |
| Requires | Sunday stay |
| Advance purchase | 7 days |
| Delta MileagePlus | 11,430 miles flown; 6.0¢/mile (BE); $571 MQD |
| BE restrictions | No checked bag (add-on: $75/segment in advance, $105 at airport) |
| RE includes | 1 checked bag per segment |
| Book at | flysas.com |
Gdansk is a less-trafficked Baltic destination — November fares here typically run $900–$1,100 on comparable routings, so $683 is a real discount. The Sunday-stay requirement limits flexibility.
D4 — Copa Airlines SFO ↔ Cartagena (CTG): $461 BE / $611 RE
Posted June 18. Cartagena's lowest regular price point on this routing. Same D4 caveat applies. 9
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | SFO – PTY (Panama City) – CTG – PTY – SFO |
| Airline | Copa Airlines (Star Alliance) |
| Price | $461 Basic Economy (A) / $611 Regular Economy (T), roundtrip incl. taxes |
| Travel window | Mid-August – November |
| Sample dates | October 14–21 |
| Advance purchase | 3 days |
| United MileagePlus | 7,196 miles flown (3,598 redeemable) |
| BE restrictions | No advance seat selection; first checked bag $85/segment, second $135/segment |
| RE includes | 1 checked bag, advance seat selection |
| Visa | Not required for US citizens |
| Book at | copaair.com |
ITA Matrix shows $511; Copa's own site prices it lower at $461. Colombia doesn't require a US passport holder to have a visa, and October in Cartagena is the dry season shoulder. $461 is genuinely cheap for a four-leg roundtrip with a US hub connection.
Transfer bonus board: the June 30 wave
Eight days. Six bonuses all expire on the same calendar day. That's not a regular weekly refresh — it's the end of a June bonus cycle, and points holders should treat this as a single batch decision rather than kicking it forward. 1011
| Program | Bonus | Expires | Remaining days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase UR → Marriott Bonvoy | +55% | June 30 | 8 days 🔴 |
| Rove → Turkish Miles & Smiles | +50% | June 30 | 8 days 🔴 |
| Citi TYP → Qatar Avios | +30% | June 30 | 8 days 🔴 |
| Amex MR → Flying Blue | +25% | June 30 | 8 days 🔴 |
| Hotel programs → United MileagePlus | +25% | June 30 | 8 days 🔴 |
| Amex MR → Marriott Bonvoy | +20% | June 30 | 8 days 🟡 Low value |
| Chase UR → Virgin Atlantic | +30% | July 14 | 22 days 🟡 |
| Amex MR → Avianca LifeMiles | +15% | July 15 | 23 days 🟡 |
| Citi TYP → ALL Accor | +50% | July 18 | 26 days 🟡 |
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The three June 30 bonuses most worth acting on:
Citi TYP → Qatar Avios +30% (expires June 30): Qatar Avios can book Qatar Airways Qsuite business class — one of the few programs where business-class awards from SFO to Europe or the Middle East price out at a level that justifies a transfer. 1,000 Citi TYP → 1,300 Qatar Avios with the bonus. SFO–DOH–LHR Qsuite currently prices around 70,000 Avios one-way, though availability varies. Before transferring, search Qatar Avios availability at qatarairways.com/en-us/privilege-club.html to confirm open space on your dates. 10
Chase UR → Marriott Bonvoy +55% (expires June 30): The largest active Chase transfer bonus. 1,000 UR → 1,550 Marriott points with the bonus (normally 1,000 UR → 1,000 Marriott). The reason this isn't a universal recommendation: Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued around 0.7 cents each, putting the bonus's effective UR rate at roughly 1.1 cents per point — below most estimates of UR's standalone transfer value (~1.7–2.0 cents). Transfer here only if you have a specific Marriott redemption in mind where the math works out — a Category 2–3 property in an expensive city where the cash rate is high. Don't transfer speculatively. 10
Amex MR → Flying Blue +25% (expires June 30): 1,000 MR → 1,250 Flying Blue miles. Flying Blue is the Air France/KLM frequent-flyer program, and it operates a monthly Promo Rewards calendar that discounts specific routes 25–50% each month. June's Promo Rewards are still active; July's haven't been published yet (the dedicated Promo Rewards page returned a 404 as of June 22, consistent with end-of-month rotation). 12 If you're holding MR and have SFO–CDG or SFO–AMS in mind, the 25% transfer bonus plus potential July Promo Rewards overlap could represent a meaningful discount — but confirm July Promo Rewards are published and SFO appears before transferring. 10
One unverified community data point: a Reddit user in r/awardtravel reported June 21 that Flying Blue's pricing for Delta domestic awards had jumped from roughly 5,000 miles to 17,000 miles for the same routes. The post had five upvotes and four comments, and no independent source has confirmed the change. 13 Worth checking live before transferring if Delta domestic awards are your target redemption.
Hotel → United MileagePlus +25% (expires June 30): Multiple hotel programs participate (Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and others). Hotel points generally convert to airline miles at a poor rate — the +25% bonus makes it less terrible but not good. Only worth executing if you have a substantial hotel balance you can't use and a specific United award where the math closes.
Program radar
Allegiant Air exits OAK entirely
Allegiant Air has cut 61 routes network-wide and pulled out of seven airports entirely, including Oakland International. 1415 The other six airports losing all Allegiant service are LAX, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Norfolk, Columbia (SC), Grand Forks, and San Diego. The four biggest capacity cuts — LAX, OAK, MSP, and Norfolk — account for 43% of the total 61 routes removed, according to Simple Flying's analysis of OAG schedule data.
Allegiant's CEO Gregory Anderson said on the Q1 earnings call that "leisure demand remains healthy despite geopolitical dynamics that have impacted the broader economy" — but the route cuts say otherwise for OAK specifically. 14 With Spirit already out of OAK since May 2, this is the second ULCC to exit the airport in two months. Frontier returns August 20 with the OAK↔LAS nonstop (the booking window for the $49 intro fare closed June 16), but the net ULCC count at OAK is still lower than a year ago.
JAL Mileage Bank award availability: watch East Coast routes
FlyerTalk members first flagged June 12 that JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) business-class award space on US East Coast–Tokyo routes had collapsed. JFK–HND shows near-zero availability for January–June 2027 at any price tier; BOS–HND shows severely limited seats — just two days in February, five in March, one in May, zero in June, per community-reported screenshots. 16
West Coast routes (including SFO–HND) retain more availability, per community reports — though the situation is being watched. FlyerTalk member Refyoujee, who opened the thread, wrote: "If this persists, it amounts to a massive program devaluation." 16 One member (YariGuy) reported successfully booking a HND–JFK first-class award for June 2027 at 125,000 miles, suggesting the program isn't completely locked. JAL has not published any official change notice. Community opinion is split between "system bug" and "deliberate availability reduction" — treat JMB–Tokyo availability as unreliable until JAL clarifies. This is a community-sourced signal, not a confirmed program change.
Flying Blue July Promo Rewards: not yet published
Flying Blue's monthly Promo Rewards (typically 25–50% off specific routes) for July haven't been announced. The dedicated Promo Rewards page at flyingblue.us returned a 404 as of June 22, which is normal at end-of-month cycle turnover. 12 By Flying Blue's pattern, July routes are typically published in the first two business days of the month — check July 1–2 for SFO-origin discounts (SFO–CDG and SFO–AMS are the two main Air France/KLM nonstops from the Bay Area). The current Amex MR +25% bonus expires the same day July starts, so the window to stack a transfer bonus with July Promo Rewards may be tight.
Delta adds Austin → San Jose nonstop starting October 6
Delta Air Lines is launching a new daily nonstop between Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) and San Jose (SJC), beginning October 6 on an Airbus A319. 17 Southwest already operates the corridor; this adds a second carrier and will likely apply some fare pressure. For SJC-based travelers whose work takes them to Austin, Delta adding this route means SkyMiles accrual without a connection through LAX or SFO.
Alaska partner award fee: nine days to book at $12.50
Alaska Airlines raises its partner award booking fee from $12.50 to $20 per person per segment on July 1 — a 60% increase that takes effect in nine days. 1819 Summit Visa Infinite cardholders are exempt. For a family of four flying a roundtrip partner award — Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, British Airways, or any other Alaska partner — the out-of-pocket fee jumps from $100 to $160 under the new structure. Alaska's own statement confirms the change: "A non-refundable partner award fee of $12.50 per person, each way applies to all airline partner bookings through June 30, 2026 — increasing to $20.00 on July 1, 2026." 18 If you have an Alaska partner award you've been sitting on, ticket it this week.
United plans outdoor terrace for new SFO United Club
United Airlines has revealed plans for a new SFO United Club location featuring a large outdoor terrace. 20 No opening date has been confirmed. United Club membership currently runs $650/year; the CSR (Chase Sapphire Reserve) includes access. For SFO regulars using United Club, an outdoor terrace in the Bay Area's reliably temperate June–October weather would be a real difference from the current enclosed lounge product.
Cover image: AI-generated
References
- 1The Flight Dealtheflightdeal.com
- 2
- 3The Flight Deal: Cathay Pacific San Francisco – Xiamen $854theflightdeal.com
- 4The Flight Deal: Cathay Pacific San Francisco – Xi'an $854theflightdeal.com
- 5The Flight Deal: Cathay Pacific San Francisco – Chongqing $854theflightdeal.com
- 6The Flight Deal: Asiana San Francisco – Shanghai $742theflightdeal.com
- 7The Flight Deal: American San Francisco – Santiago $704 BE / $881 REtheflightdeal.com
- 8The Flight Deal: SAS San Francisco – Gdansk $683 BE / $783 REtheflightdeal.com
- 9The Flight Deal: Copa San Francisco – Cartagena $461 BE / $611 REtheflightdeal.com
- 10Frequent Miler: Current point transfer bonusesfrequentmiler.com
- 11
- 12Flying Blue: Homepageflyingblue.us
- 13Reddit r/awardtravel: Flying Blue Hike?reddit.com
- 14
- 15Patriot Ledger / USA TODAY: Allegiant Air cuts 61 routespatriotledger.com
- 16
- 17The Bulkhead Seat: Delta continues Austin growth with new San Jose routethebulkheadseat.com
- 18
- 19
- 20
Cheap Flights Out of San Francisco
Weekly spotting of fare drops, airline promos, and miles sweet spots on domestic and international routes departing SFO / OAK / SJC
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