SFO deal radar June 9 — Seoul and Hanoi lead a quiet fare day
No new fares posted in the June 7–8 monitoring window. Three Day-2 deals lead the board: United SFO↔Seoul nonstop at $721 Basic Economy, Korean Air SFO→Hanoi at $879 via Seoul, and United SJC↔Washington Dulles at $284 Basic Economy. Two Day-4 entries (SAS Tallinn, AA Nantucket) are flagged as needing live verification before booking. On points, two deadlines require action this week: Alaska Saver earning eliminates in 2 days (June 11) and Citi ThankYou → Preferred Hotels / Wyndham bonuses expire in 4 days (June 13). New developments covered include the China Airlines × JetBlue TrueBlue reciprocal award partnership (SFO-relevant, with a strong phantom-availability caveat), a Hilton × Qatar Avios 1,000-points-per-stay promo through August 31, Choice Privileges Japan devaluation, and Philippine Airlines joining oneworld. Full 8-entry transfer bonus board included with expiry dates.
June 9, 2026 · 12:46 AM
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No new fares dropped from Bay Area airports in the past 24 hours. The fare board carries forward five deals from June 6–7: United SFO↔Seoul at $721 Basic Economy nonstop and Korean Air SFO→Hanoi at $879 roundtrip are both Day 2 and worth booking today if the routes fit. United SJC↔Washington Dulles at $284 Basic Economy is Day 2 as well, and still solid. SAS SFO↔Tallinn ($683) and American SFO↔Nantucket ($254) are now Day 4 — use caution.
On points, the Alaska Saver earning deadline arrives in two days (June 11), and the Citi ThankYou → Preferred Hotels and Wyndham transfer bonuses expire in four days (June 13). Two new partnership stories broke this week: China Airlines Dynasty Flyer × JetBlue TrueBlue opened up reciprocal redemptions with SFO implications, and Hilton launched a no-downside Avios promo running through August.
Today's fare board
| Route | Airport | Airline | Price | Posted | Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO ↔ Seoul (ICN) | SFO | United | $721 BE / $921 RE | Jun 7 | Day 2 | ✅ Fresh |
| SFO → Hanoi (HAN) | SFO | Korean Air | $879 RT | Jun 7 | Day 2 | ✅ Fresh |
| SJC ↔ Washington Dulles (IAD) | SJC | United | $284 BE / $394 RE | Jun 7 | Day 2 | ✅ Fresh |
| SFO ↔ Tallinn (TLL) | SFO | SAS | $683 Economy Light / $783 RE | Jun 6 | Day 4 | ⚠️ Check before booking |
| SFO ↔ Nantucket (ACK) | SFO | American | $254 BE / $364 RE | Jun 6 | Day 4 | ⚠️ Check before booking — very thin |
All prices roundtrip, all taxes included. 1
No new posts appeared in the June 7–8 monitoring window across The Flight Deal, Going.com, or Secret Flying for SFO, OAK, or SJC origins. Real-time price verification requires Matrix ITA Software or checking airline booking engines directly — Google Flights SPA returned only a loading framework during the scan.
Active fares
United SFO ↔ Seoul (ICN) — $721 BE / $921 RE roundtrip, nonstop
United Airlines posted this June 7. 2
Route: SFO–ICN nonstop in both directions. Fare class: K. Travel window: Mid-August through early December 2026. Sunday overnight stay required. 3-day advance purchase. Sample dates: November 5–12, 2026.
Baseline: SFO–Seoul roundtrip typically runs $1,200–$1,800. At $721, this fare saves roughly 40–50%.
Baggage and restrictions: Basic Economy ($721) — no advance seat assignment, second checked bag costs $120 per direction, non-refundable and non-changeable after the 24-hour risk-free window, no miles accrual unless you hold a United co-branded card or elite status. Regular Economy ($921) includes two checked bags, standard carry-on, and advance seat selection. Up to two Asia stopovers allowed at $100 each. US passport holders enter South Korea visa-free. Elite Qualifying Dollars: $770 roundtrip. Redeemable miles (Basic Economy, with status): 2,490 on the 11,286-mile routing. Book at united.com.
Korean Air SFO → Hanoi (HAN) — $879 roundtrip via Seoul
Korean Air posted this June 7. 3
Route: SFO–ICN–HAN–ICN–SFO. Korean Air is a SkyTeam member and Delta partner. Fare class: T. Travel window: Mid-August through early October 2026. Departures and returns limited to Monday–Thursday. 3-day advance purchase. No stopovers. Sample dates: September 14–21, 2026. Booking channel: Priceline.
Baseline: SFO–Hanoi roundtrip typically runs $1,200–$1,600. At $879, this fare saves roughly 27–45%.
Baggage and restrictions: Fare class T earns 6.0 cents per mile for Delta MQD credit — 14,618 miles routing, Medallion Qualifying Dollars: $730 roundtrip. Redeemable miles: 3,654. Vietnam requires an e-Visa for US passport holders; the current online system processes approvals in 3 business days. Book via Priceline using the TFD link to confirm $879 pricing.
United SJC ↔ Washington Dulles (IAD) — $284 BE / $394 RE roundtrip
United Airlines posted this June 7. 4
Route: SJC–ORD–IAD, valid in both directions. Note the departure airport is San Jose Mineta (SJC), not SFO. Fare class: N (Basic Economy), K (Regular Economy). Travel window: Mid-August through early December 2026, or January–early February 2027. 14-day advance purchase required. Sample dates: August 20–24, 2026.
Baseline: SJC–IAD roundtrip typically runs $450–$650. Regular Economy at $394 saves roughly 30–40%.
Baggage and restrictions: Basic Economy ($284) — seat assigned at check-in, full-size carry-on $50 per direction at the gate without a United co-branded card or status, no miles accrual. Regular Economy ($394) includes advance seat selection and a standard carry-on. As The Flight Deal noted, "the $394 fare is a regular economy fare which allows for a normal size carry-on and one personal item in addition to advance seat assignment." 4 Elite Qualifying Dollars: $320 roundtrip. Book at united.com.
Day 4 entries — check before booking
Two fares have passed The Flight Deal's standard two-day freshness window. Both may still be bookable but require verification at the airline or Priceline before assuming availability.
SAS SFO ↔ Tallinn (TLL) — $683 Economy Light / $783 RE: Posted June 6, routed SFO–CPH–TLL via Copenhagen. 5 Travel window: early December 2026 or mid-January–February 2027. Sunday stay required. Economy Light does not include a checked bag ($75/direction online 22+ hours out; $105 at the airport). SAS deals have historically held longer than 2 days, but this one is past the threshold. Check flysas.com on the December 3–11 sample window before booking.
American SFO ↔ Nantucket (ACK) — $254 BE / $364 RE: Posted June 6, routed SFO–PHL–ACK via Philadelphia, July 2026 only. 6 Availability was described as "extremely limited — just a few scattered dates" at time of posting. 6 The AA.com SFO–ACK page returned a 404 during verification — check aa.com directly and search the full July calendar; assume thin-to-no availability until confirmed.
Points and miles
Deadline tracker
| Deadline | Program | What | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 11 | Alaska Atmos Rewards | Saver fare earning eliminated — book Saver tickets by June 10 to earn 30% miles | 🔴 2 |
| June 13 | Citi TYP → Preferred Hotels | 30% transfer bonus (1,000:2,600) expires | 🔴 4 |
| June 13 | Citi TYP → Wyndham | 25% transfer bonus (1,000:1,250) expires | 🔴 4 |
| June 15 | Chase Sapphire Reserve | 150,000 UR welcome bonus ends at 9 AM EDT | 🟡 6 |
| June 30 | Multiple programs | Seven transfer bonuses expire (see board below) | 🟡 22 |
| July 1 | Alaska partner awards | Booking fee rises $12.50 → $20 per person per direction | 🟡 23 |
🔴 Alaska Atmos Rewards: Saver earning ends June 11 (2 days)
Alaska Airlines eliminates Atmos Rewards mile and qualifying status credit earning on Saver (basic economy) fares starting with tickets issued June 11. 8 Tickets booked on or before June 10 still earn at the current 30% rate, even if travel is after August 1 — the cutoff is the issue date, not the travel date. A separate deadline follows: the Alaska partner award booking fee rises from $12.50 to $20 per person per direction on July 1 (call-center fee goes from $15 to $30). If you have a partner award planned on Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, or British Airways, issuing before July 1 locks in the lower fee.
🔴 Citi ThankYou bonuses expire June 13 (4 days)
Two Citi ThankYou Point transfer bonuses expire Saturday: 7
- Citi TYP → Preferred Hotels I Prefer at 30%: 1,000 ThankYou Points transfer as 2,600 I Prefer points (standard rate is 1,000:2,000). Preferred Hotels & Resorts (an independent luxury hotel collection) has properties at long-haul Bay Area destinations in Europe and Asia.
- Citi TYP → Wyndham Rewards at 25%: 1,000 ThankYou Points transfer as 1,250 Wyndham points (standard rate is 1,000:1,000).
Transfer only if you have a specific redemption already in mind — both partners have limited top-end value without a target property locked.
🟡 Chase Sapphire Reserve 150K bonus — ends June 15 at 9 AM EDT (6 days)
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is offering 150,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. 9 The Points Guy values that at $3,075 at 2.05 cents per point per its June 2026 valuations, calling it the largest publicly available welcome bonus ever offered on the card. Annual fee is $795. Benefits include a $300 annual travel credit, Sapphire Lounge access at eight US airports plus 1,800+ Priority Pass lounges, and elevated earning on travel and dining. The deadline is June 15 at 9 AM EDT, not June 14 as some Reddit speculation suggested.
Active transfer bonus board
No changes to the 8-entry board in the past 24 hours. 7
| Source program | Bonus | Partner program | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citi ThankYou | 30% | Preferred Hotels I Prefer | June 13 🔴 |
| Citi ThankYou | 25% | Wyndham Rewards | June 13 🔴 |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 25% | Air France-KLM Flying Blue | June 30 |
| Citi ThankYou | 30% | Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios | June 30 |
| Rove Miles | 50% | Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | June 30 |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 55% | Marriott Bonvoy | June 30 |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 20% | Marriott Bonvoy | June 30 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 25% | United MileagePlus | June 30 |
Citi TYP → Qatar Avios (30%, through June 30): One r/awardtravel user booked Oman Air business class Europe–Muscat roundtrip for approximately 106,000 Citi ThankYou Points after the 30% bonus (equivalent to 138,000 Qatar Avios), plus roughly $567 in taxes and fees. Cash price for the same routing was approximately $3,200. The calculated redemption value came out to about 2.2 euro cents per Citi point. 10
New program developments
China Airlines Dynasty Flyer × JetBlue TrueBlue — SFO-relevant but phantom availability is rampant
China Airlines (Dynasty Flyer) and JetBlue (TrueBlue) launched reciprocal award redemptions on May 8. 11 JetBlue serves SFO, making this theoretically usable for Bay Area itineraries.
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Dynasty Flyer → JetBlue pricing (round-trip economy): US domestic 35,000 miles; Central America 40,000; South America 50,000; Europe 70,000. Booking is call-center only — no online redemption yet. 11
TrueBlue → China Airlines pricing (one-way, community-sourced): JFK–Taipei business class at approximately 99,000 TrueBlue points; JFK–Taipei premium economy at 54,000; intra-Asia (e.g., PVG–TPE) from 17,500. China Airlines operates SFO–TPE nonstop, which makes TrueBlue → CI potentially relevant for Bay Area departures. 12
The community caveat is significant: multiple r/awardtravel users report that search engines show JetBlue–China Airlines business class availability that disappears when you try to book. One user who booked successfully posted a confirmed YVR–TPE premium economy booking, but West Coast availability appears more reliable than East Coast. 12 Call China Airlines or JetBlue directly before transferring points.
Hilton × Qatar Airways: 1,000 Avios per stay through August 31
Hilton Honors and Qatar Airways Privilege Club launched a joint promo for stays June 1–August 31, 2026. 13 Complete one qualifying Hilton stay and earn 1,000 bonus Qatar Avios on top of your regular Hilton points.
Registration: Two steps — first register at hiltonhonors.com/en_US/qatarairwaysq12026/landing/, then set Qatar Airways Privilege Club as your preferred airline partner in your Hilton profile. No minimum spend; no promo code. Avios credit within 8 weeks of stay. 13
Qatar Avios transfer instantly and freely to British Airways Executive Club and Finnair Plus, so this functions as a 1,000-point bonus to any of three programs. The promo stacks with Hilton's separate global stay bonus running through August 15 (register separately).
Choice Privileges Japan devaluation — Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka hit hardest
Choice Privileges raised award point requirements at select Japan hotels, with some centrally located properties doubling in cost. 14 15 Affected cities include Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. Comfort Inn properties in prime downtown locations — previously bookable at 8,000–12,000 points per night — were among the hardest hit.
If you hold Choice Privileges points earmarked for Japan, check current award pricing before assuming prior rates still apply.
Flying Blue June Promo Rewards: SFO excluded; July list pending
SFO is not among the 13 North American cities in Flying Blue's June 2026 Promo Rewards discounted awards. 16 The Amex Membership Rewards → Flying Blue 25% transfer bonus remains active through June 30 and can be used regardless, but SFO travelers cannot stack it with discounted Promo Rewards awards this month. The July batch is expected to publish July 1 at flyingblue.us — check whether SFO makes the list then.
Philippine Airlines joining oneworld
Philippine Airlines announced June 7 it will join the oneworld alliance. 17 PAL serves SFO nonstop (A350, SFO–MNL). Once the membership activates, earning and redemption will open across American AAdvantage, British Airways Avios, Cathay Asia Miles, JAL Mileage Bank, and other oneworld programs on PAL metal. No formal join date within 2027 has been announced.
References
- 1The Flight Deal: San Francisco SFO category page
- 2The Flight Deal: United SFO–Seoul $721 BE / $921 RE RT
- 3The Flight Deal: Korean Air SFO–Hanoi $879 RT
- 4The Flight Deal: United SJC–Washington Dulles $284 BE / $394 RE RT
- 5The Flight Deal: SAS SFO–Tallinn $683 Economy Light / $783 RE RT
- 6The Flight Deal: AA SFO–Nantucket $254 BE / $364 RE RT
- 7Frequent Miler: Last Chance Deals
- 8Upgraded Points: Book Alaska Saver Fares by June 11
- 9The Points Guy: Chase Sapphire Reserve 150K last chance
- 10r/awardtravel: Citi → Qatar Avios with 30% bonus for Oman Air J
- 11National Law Review: China Airlines Partners with JetBlue on Reward Tickets
- 12r/awardtravel: JetBlue/China Airlines partnership discussion
- 13Suitesmile: Hilton Promo — Earn 1,000 Avios After 1 Stay
- 14r/awardtravel: Choice Privileges Japan devaluation PSA
- 15Upgraded Points: Choice Privileges Devaluation in Japan
- 16AwardWallet: Flying Blue Promo Rewards June 2026
- 17r/awardtravel: Philippine Airlines to join oneworld
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