Business class award fares to Lisbon from New York started at 55,000 points one way in PointsGPT's recorded finds, and half of the 57 New York business finds were at or below 75,000. Economy from New York started at 20,000 points, with half of the 17 finds at or below 25,000. From Los Angeles, the cheapest business finds were 57,500 points and the cheapest economy finds 15,000. These finds were from US departure cities, recorded September to November 2026, for one traveler, one way, as of 3 November 2026. They were available when someone searched and may not be by the time you do. Award availability changes frequently.
What the recorded finds show
A recorded find is the cheapest award fare a PointsGPT search returned in the cabin and on the dates the person asked for. The figures below are airline miles, one way, for one traveler, to Lisbon Humberto Delgado (LIS). When your card points transfer at 1:1, the miles and the card points are the same number.
From New York (JFK, Newark and LaGuardia):
- Business (57 finds, from 52 people): eight were 55,000 points, half were at or below 75,000, and 75,000 itself came up ten times.
- Economy (17 finds): five were 20,000 points and half were at or below 25,000. The cheapest came through Delta SkyMiles on nonstop flights from JFK, and 6 of the 17 finds were nonstop.
From Los Angeles (LAX and the nearby airports):
- Business (33 finds, from 33 people): five were 57,500 points, all through American Airlines AAdvantage, and half were at or below 125,000.
- Premium economy (5 finds): three were between 39,000 and 40,000 points.
- Economy (8 finds, from seven people): two were 15,000 points, Virgin Atlantic fares with a connection, and half were at or below 28,250.
From other cities: the cheapest business find from Miami, Dallas and Chicago was 57,500 points each time. In economy, Flying Blue priced four of the six Chicago finds at 18,750, and two of the three Miami finds were also 18,750.
From every US departure city we recorded:
- Business (194 finds): a quarter were at or below 75,000 points, half at or below 103,800 and three quarters at or below 152,000. The most common price was 57,500 (23 of 194), then 75,000 (19) and 88,000 (14).
- Economy (59 finds): a quarter were at or below 20,000 points, half at or below 25,000 and three quarters at or below 33,500. The most common price was 25,000 (15 of 59).
- Premium economy (23 finds): a quarter were at or below 40,000 points, half at or below 64,000 and three quarters at or below 94,500.
Most of these fares connected. Only 7 of the 59 economy finds and 3 of the 194 business finds were nonstop. The Los Angeles economy and premium economy figures rest on fewer than 10 finds, so read them as a range.
| Recorded | Route | Cabin | Program | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 2026 | JFK → LIS | Economy | Delta SkyMiles | 20,000 |
| 17 Oct 2026 | JFK → LIS | Business | Alaska Atmos | 55,000 |
| 10 Oct 2026 | LAX → LIS | Economy | Virgin Atlantic | 15,000 |
| 14 Oct 2026 | LAX → LIS | Business | American Airlines AAdvantage | 57,500 |
| 26 Oct 2026 | LAX → LIS | Premium economy | Virgin Atlantic | 39,000 |
| 2 Oct 2026 | ORD → LIS | Economy | Flying Blue | 18,750 |
| 14 Oct 2026 | MIA → LIS | Business | American Airlines AAdvantage | 57,500 |
| 16 Oct 2026 | MIA → LIS | Economy | Flying Blue | 18,750 |
| 26 Oct 2026 | SFO → LIS | Business | American Airlines AAdvantage | 57,500 |
Which programs priced these fares
Each search shows a board of fares from several programs. Of the 288 Lisbon finds, Flying Blue was on the board for 188, followed by United MileagePlus (118), Air Canada Aeroplan (107) and Delta SkyMiles (62). Flying Blue also priced the find itself most often (96 of 288), ahead of United (46), Aeroplan (41), AAdvantage (31) and Delta (24).
These are the card points that reach each program, from the transfer grid PointsGPT uses:
- Flying Blue: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Points, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Points, all at 1:1.
- United MileagePlus: Bilt and Chase at 1:1.
- Aeroplan: Amex, Bilt, Capital One and Chase at 1:1.
- AAdvantage: Citi at 1:1.
- Delta SkyMiles: Amex at 1:1.
- Virgin Atlantic: Amex, Bilt, Chase and Citi at 1:1.
- Alaska Atmos: Bilt at 1:1.
You can check each of the programs PointsGPT searches before you pick one. Partner lists and ratios change, so check your card's current partner list before you transfer. A transfer cannot be undone.
Watch the cash part on transatlantic fares
Every award fare carries taxes and fees paid in cash, and some programs add carrier surcharges on routes to Europe. In economy, all 7 Delta finds carried single-figure cash charges and all 7 Virgin Atlantic finds three-figure ones. Flying Blue economy finds carried three-figure cash charges on 29 of 30, and every one of the 56 Flying Blue business finds carried a three-figure cash part.
The same points price can hide very different totals. Of the 11 Alaska Atmos business finds, six carried four-figure cash charges and five two-figure ones, and the JFK finds at 55,000 points fell on both sides. AAdvantage business finds split 14 three-figure, 9 two-figure and 5 single-figure, while United business finds stayed at two figures (22) or one (13). All 6 Qantas business finds carried four-figure cash charges. See the surcharge trap for why programs charge so differently for the same flight.
Plan your search
- Flexible dates: search a few days either side of your target. The cheapest prices repeated often.
- Two or more travelers: search for everyone at once. One award fare on a flight does not mean the same price is open for your whole party.
- Nonstop or one stop: most cheap finds connected, so decide how much a nonstop is worth to you before you compare.
- Other Iberian cities: if Lisbon prices high on your dates, our guide to points needed for Madrid covers the recorded fares there.
Points or cash?
Before you transfer, compare the award fare's full cost, the points plus the cash part, with the cash fare for the same flight. When the cash fare is already low, paying cash can keep your points for a trip where they cover more. Our guide to points versus cash covers the questions to ask.
How to search it in PointsGPT
When you start a search, type the trip the way you would say it, for example:
Economy from New York to Lisbon, any week in March, 2 travelers
- Tell PointsGPT which card points you hold, so it can mark the fares those points reach.
- Compare the points and the cash part on each fare, nonstop and connecting.
- Confirm the fare with the airline program before you transfer, because the transfer cannot be reversed.