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American Airlines and other Oneworld carriers are offering discounted flights to Porto, Portugal, from Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Porto sits about three hours north of Lisbon and is known for its colorful riverfront houses, historic churches, quirky neighborhoods and, of course, its port wine. Not to mention, it’s a bit less expensive and not as touristy as Lisbon.

Deal basics

Airlines: American, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia

Routes: From Chicago and Washington, D.C., to Porto

How to book: Browse Google Flights or book directly with the airline

Travel dates: November 2023 through March 2024

Book by: As soon as possible

Blackout dates: Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Thanks to Going, formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights, for scouting these deals. For $49 a year, the site’s Premium membership offers discounts of up to 90% and comes with a 14-day free trial. The Elite membership also finds premium economy, business-class and first-class deals.

Sample flights

You can travel from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Porto Airport (OPO) in November for just $425. The cheap price comes with a catch, though: You’ll have two layovers. Below, you can see the departing flight stops in Chicago and then Madrid.

On the return flight, you would connect in Madrid and New York City.

You can book these flights through British Airways. The price reflects the airline’s basic economy class.

If you’re traveling from O’Hare International Airport (ORD), you can manage to reach Porto with just one layover each way, but you’ll pay a bit more. For example, both the departing and returning flights below stop in Madrid.

All these Oneworld tickets include a personal item and carry-on bag. If you want to check a bag, it’ll cost $55 to $90 each way, depending on the airline.

Maximize your purchase

Use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases. If you book an American flight, use the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® to earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, or the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) to earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.

The information for the Citi AAdantage Platinum Select Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. 

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 2 points per dollar on travel
• American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year
• Citi Premier® Card: (see rates and fees) 3 points per dollar on airfare
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: 3 points per dollar on airfare

Bottom line

If you don’t mind having one or more layovers, you can experience the beauty of Porto for less than $500 from Chicago or Washington, D.C.

Related reading:

• The best websites for searching Oneworld award availability
• Go here, not there: Overlooked European cities you need to visit
• Traveling to Portugal: 7 things to know before you go
• Portugal could end its popular Golden Visa program — here’s how to get it before it’s gone