Was it discussed here that UR portal price is often higher than airline direct? (If so, please link me to that discussion)
Family member of mine booked 7 flights (United EWR-TLV) at a ~$90 premium per ticket a couple months ago, and I'm having the same problem now.
Can it be matched beforehand? After? Never? (If never, the whole "1.5x redemption value" is a bit of a sham)