Spirit Airlines (tel. 800/772-7117; www.spiritair.com) has launched a season of sales and is currently on the third sale of the season named "Curly." Many of these fares are the lowest available. Below are some sample round-trip fares, harvested from Travelocity.com, before taxes and fees.
- Atlantic City to Cancun $218 vs. next lowest $383 on Delta
- Boston to Detroit $88 vs. $98 on Northwest
- Detroit to New York $88 with American matching
- Fort Lauderdale to Nassau $98 vs. $103 on American
- Myrtle Beach to Detroit $88 vs. 106 on Northwest
- Orlando to Kingston Jamaica $128 vs. 151 on US Airways
- Providence to Cancun $184 vs. $199 on US Airways
- Tampa to Nassau $118 vs. $123 on American
- Washington DCA to Detroit $88 vs. 98 on Northwest
Some of these fares have been, or may be, matched by other airlines. Travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between August 15 and November 15, 2006. Purchase fares by June 25, 2006 with a 21-day advance purchase.
Summer Sale to Tokyo via San Jose
American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) is offering a sale on travel to Tokyo via San Jose on their Boeing 777 nonstop route. Below are some sample fares including taxes and fees:
Depart July 10, Return July 19
- San Jose to Tokyo $702 vs. next lowest $1,046 on United
Depart August 15, Return September 6
- Las Vegas to Tokyo $716 vs. $1,126 on United
This is a great deal for summer travel to Japan. Depart between July 1, 2006 and August 31, 2006. Return travel must be completed by October 28, 2006. Purchase your tickets by June 28, 2006.
Bermuda Sale
United Airlines (tel. 800/864-8331; www.united.com) has announced a special deal to Bermuda for summer travel. We remember when flying to Bermuda in summer cost a small fortune, but that was before JetBlue started flying there. Below are some sample fares including all taxes and fees:
Depart July 11, Return July 18
- Washington to Bermuda $297 vs. next lowest $385 on Delta
- Columbus to Bermuda $363 vs. $394 on US Airways
Depart July 27, Return August 7
- Manchester NH to Bermuda $787 vs. $392 on US Airways
- Syracuse to Bermuda $430 vs. $393 on Continental
Depart August 19, Return August 26 (Saturday Travel)
- Chicago to Bermuda $401 vs. $491 on US Airways
- Albany to Bermuda $400 vs. $491 on US Airways
Although other carriers have matched their fares and are offering more travel dates, United offers the lowest fares on certain dates, especially on Saturday travel and travel from Washington. So remember to compare fares on several different airlines before purchasing. Travel only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays with departure before or on September 5, 2006. No advance purchase or minimum stay is required.
Sales to Hawaii
This week, two airlines are offering discounted fares to Hawaii. Aloha Airlines (tel. 800/367-5250; www.alohaair.com) is offering www.hawaiianair.com) has special fares departing from San Diego. These fares, as far as we can tell, are only available on these airlinesÂ? own Web sites. Here are some sample fares including all taxes and fees:
Depart September 5, Return September 14
- Oakland to Honolulu $331 on Aloha with ATA matching
- San Diego to Maui $371 on Aloha vs. $367 on Hawaiian, and $543 on USAir/America West via Travelocity.com
Depart October 19, Return October 24
- Orange County to Honolulu $427 on Aloha vs. $467 on Delta
- Sacramento to Kahului $371 on Aloha vs. $492 on United
As you can see, other carriers are matching these fares except for San Diego where the sale by Hawaiian offers the best deal. These fares are valid only on nonstop flights. For Aloha, travel Tuesday to Thursday between August 22, 2006 and November 15, 2006. Purchase by June 27, 2006. For Hawaiian, travel now through October 31, 2006 and purchase by July 2, 2006.
SAS 60th Anniversary Special
Scandinavian Airlines (tel. 800/221-2350; www.flysas.com) is offering special fares in celebration of its 60th Anniversary. Here are some sample fares including all taxes and fees:
Depart September 14, Return September 25
- Newark to Copenhagen $678 with Lufthansa matching
- Chicago to Helsinki $744 vs. $707 on Lufthansa
Depart October 9, Return October 23
- Newark to Helsinki $704 vs. $671 on Lufthansa
- Washington to Oslo $693 vs. $664 on Continenta
As you can see other airlines are matching or beating these sale fares, but in some cases SAS flies nonstop while the other airlines require odious connections. Depart between September 1, 2006 and October 29, 2006 or December 14, 2006 and December 23, 2006. Book by June 30, 2006.
Bangkok and Phuket
Malaysia Airlines (tel. 800/522-9264; www.malaysiaairlinesusa.com) has launched a sale to either Bangkok or Phuket for only $699 round-trip. Depart from either Newark/New York or Los Angeles. Below are some sample fares including all taxes and fees:
Depart September 18, Return September 27
- Newark to Bangkok $953 vs. $978 on Japan Airlines or $1094 on EVA, via Orbitz.com
- Los Angeles to Phuket $953 vs. next lowest $1,783 on Singapore
Depart October 17, Return October 26
- Los Angeles to Bangkok $953 vs. $753 on EVA
- Newark to Phuket $953 vs. next lowest $1,387 on Asiana
As you can see, the fares to Phuket are really good; however, the fares to Bangkok arenÂ?t so much. (Remember, however, that youÂ?ll probably do better by flying into Bangkok, and then switching to a regional low cost carrier such as Bangkok Airways, which offers very cheap email specials between the Thai capital and other Asian destinations including Phuket.) Seats are very easy to find. Travel between August 21, 2006 and November 30, 2006 or between January 16, 2007 and May 31 2007. Book by June 30, 2006.
USA3000 $10 discount
USA3000 (tel. 877/872-3000; www.usa3000.com) is again offering a $10 discount on all its flights for winter travel. This discount is in addition to the already low everyday fares it offers. USA3000 serves the Caribbean from Baltimore, Chicago O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or St. Louis. To receive the discount, use the promo code winter when booking on usa3000.com. Tickets must be purchased by June 26, 2006 for travel between December 10, 2006 and April 30, 2007.
Additional reporting by David Shan.
George Hobica is a syndicated travel journalist and blogger whose website, www.airfarewatchdog.com, tracks unadvertised airfare wars and other fare sales.
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