Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend that you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to travel.Discounted business-class fares from New York to the West Coast have been available for several weeks now, but American is also discounting its first-class cabin. First class on AA’s Airbus A321T consists of 10 seats in a 1-1 configuration, so if you’re looking for the most comfortable ride across the country, this is it.Fares to Los Angeles are available from just $1,198 round-trip in first class from October through February, while San Francisco fares will run you just about $100 more. Miraculously, these discounted tickets are available for flights over Thanksgiving and Christmas, so if you’re looking to travel during those periods you’ll get a very nice seat for not much more than the cost of coach. Business-class fares are nearly identical as well, during all periods.See TPG’s review of first class on AA’s A321T.All of these flights are eligible for AA’s lucrative bonus miles promo for premium-cabin travel, earning you up to 24,000 bonus miles on a round-trip. Additionally, as these are P fares, you’ll earn 2 EQPs per mile flown. Note that the cheapest fares to LAX are only available for Saturday-Saturday travel.Airline(s): AmericanRoute(s): JFK to LAX and SFOCost: $1,198-$1,413 round-trip in firstDates: October 2015 through February 2016Elite Mileage Earning: At least 9,880 elite-qualifying pointsFare Class: PBooking Link: OrbitzPay With: American Express® Gold Card, Citi Prestige or Chase Sapphire PreferredHere are a few examples of what you can book:New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) for $1,198 in first class on American (earns 9,880 EQPs):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.New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) for $1,198 in first class on American.Business class is only $2 less:New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) for $1,196 in business class on American.New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) for $1,328 in first class on American (earns 10,320 EQPs):New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) for $1,328 in first class on American.Maximize Your PurchaseDon’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express® Gold Card or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.If you’re able to score one of these tickets, please share the good news in the comments below![card card-name=‘Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’ card-id=‘22125056’ type=‘javascript’ bullet-id=‘1’]
