Frommers.com Airfare Deals and News for the Week of July 3, 2009

July & August Sales on Midwest

The latest sale from Midwest Airlines (tel. 800/452-2022; www.midwestairlines.com) is good for Tuesday/Wednesday travel from July 10 through August 19. All fares must be booked by July 6 and require a 10-day advance purchase. Round-trip fares include:

• Boston to Grand Rapids: $224
• Cleveland to Omaha: $238
• New York to Omaha: $258
• Milwaukee to Grand Rapids: $188
• Minneapolis to Louisville: $198

Mexican Beach Sale from American Airlines

Will you be so easily wooed back to Mexico? Between shoot-outs and viral epidemics, it can seem a bit off putting. Still, at least the fares are good! American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has a sale to Mexican beach destinations, good for outbound travel through October 31. All fares must be purchased by July 7, and a 2-day minimum stay is required. All travel must be complete by November 30.

Fares (round-trip, with all taxes) include:

• Denver to Cancun: $260
• Dallas to Leon: $370
• Fresno to Puerto Vallarta: $352
• Chicago to Puerto Vallarta: $272
• Chicago to Cabo San Lucas: $353
• Chicago to San Luis Potosi: $378
• San Francisco to Cancun: $260
• San Jose to Cabo San Lucas: $268

South Florida Sale to the Caribbean

For those looking to hit the beach but aren't too keen on the idea of Mexico just yet, American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) also has some great sale fares from south Florida to the Caribbean and Central/South America. This sale is good for outbound travel Monday through Thursday, from June 30 to August 31. All purchases must be made by July 13, and fares (round-trip, including all taxes) include:

• Miami to Aruba: $234
• Miami to Bogota, Colombia: $347
• Miami to Grand Cayman: $341
• Miami to Kingston, Jamaica: $348
• Miami to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: $410
• Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica: $235
• Miami to St. Kitts: $374
• Miami to St. Maarten: $423

Alaska Airlines adds Texas routes

Alaska Airlines (tel. 800/426-0333; www.alaskaair.com) is souping up their service to Texas this summer, with two new non-stops to Austin. Service between Seattle and Austin will begin on August 3, and service between San Jose and Austin will begin September 2. Book your fare by July 16 to take advantage of their special introductory sale for these routes and flights connecting onward, with fares for as little as$89 each way and double miles earned. Round-trip sale fares are valid for travel between August 3 (or September 2 for San Jose) and November 17, and include:

• Austin to Cordova: $498
• Austin to Fairbanks: $618
• Austin to Juneau: $418
• Austin to Ketchikan: $338
• Austin to Petersburg: $418

Oakland to Maui & Kona, on Alaska Airlines

More news from Alaska Airlines: They'll soon begin flying nonstop from Oakland to Maui and Kona. Service starts November 9, and introductory fares begin at $169 each way. Those who frequently fly Alaska Airlines from Oakland can register to receive a 10% off discount code. Fly four flights or more from Northern California by September 30 and receive an additional 40% off discount code in mid-October. Roundtrip fares are:

• Oakland to Kona: $359
• Oakland to Maui: $359

LA to London on Sale, from Air New Zealand

Los Angelenos in search of a comfy ride to London should check out Air New Zealand's (tel. 800/262-1234; www.airnewzealand.com) latest sale. Discounted fares are available for travel on Mondays -- Wednesdays, from September 3 through October 25. Sale ends July 15.

• Los Angeles to London, England: $780 round-trip, including all taxes

Inheriting Frequent Flyer Miles? Can You Really Do That?

As with any other asset you've accumulated in life, you can't bring frequent flier miles with you when you take that final flight to the great beyond. But can your loved ones profit from them after you're gone? Airfarewatchdog began pondering that question when asked by a reader if there are uniform policies covering the "inheritance" of these assets. Our reader, who recently lost her husband, wrote that, "I have just been pretending that he was still alive because I was afraid that I would either lose his miles or pay a big transfer fee."

The answer, Airfarewatchdog found, is that each airline issues a slightly different printed policy in the program rules sections of their Web sites, and that these rules often conflict with what you'll hear if you call the airlines' frequent flyer desks. Read on . . .

Additional Reporting by Tracy W. Stewart

George Hobica is a syndicated travel journalist and blogger whose website, www.airfarewatchdog.com, tracks unadvertised airfare wars and fare sales, including the most helpful and always updated Top 50 Airfares.

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