It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but I’ve grown frustrated seeing largely high fares. My typical requirement is under 4 cents per elite qualifying mile, but I’ll start making judgment calls if it runs into the grey area of 4-6 cpm.
The Flight Deal shares that you can get from Portland to Boston on United Airlines for only $265, coming out to around 4.5 cpm. This requires routing through SFO and ORD, which are relatively direct. This fare is available through March.
If you can find connections elsewhere, then you’re return will be better. Generally mileage runs out of Seattle or Portland to the East Coast work best if you route through Houston. When I did a search of my own, I found lots of availability for only a slightly higher fare of $269. In exchange, you’ll get 6,832 miles for an effective rate of 3.9 cpm.
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About Scott Mackenzie
