Airfare Deals: Aer Lingus, Frontier, AirTran, SAS, Direct Air

Save on airfare by booking these deals from Aer Lingus, Frontier, AirTran, SAS, and Direct Air.

By George Hobica

Winter Clearance Sale from Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus (tel. 800/223-6537; www.aerlingus.com) is offering discounted fares to Europe as part of their Winter Clearance Sale, departing from New York, Boston, and Chicago. Travel periods will vary by destination. From New York, travel is valid from Jan. 15 through March 31; from Boston between Jan. 11 and March 28; and from Chicago between Jan. 15 and March 7.

Travel is valid in economy class, Mondays through Thursdays. Add an additional $20 for weekend travel.

All tickets must be purchased by 7pm ET, Jan. 12. Round-trip fares include:

New York to Rome $610, including all taxes
New York to Amsterdam $672, including all taxes
New York to Dusseldorf $717, including all taxes
New York to Geneva $664, including all taxes
New York to Krakow $652, including all taxes
New York to Milan $611, including all taxes
New York to Warsaw $673, including all taxes
Boston to Amsterdam $632, including all taxes
Boston to Brussels $623, including all taxes
Boston to Dusseldorf $677, including all taxes
Boston to Geneva $632, including all taxes

50% Off Promo Code from Direct Air

Take 50% off fall flights on Direct Air (tel. 877/432-3473; www.visitdirectair.com) with their latest promo deal. All bookings must be made by 11:59pm, Jan. 7. Just enter promo code HALFOFF at time of purchase, and don't forget to use their flexible date search to get the lowest fare!

Direct Air cities include Springfield IL, Rockford, Kalamazoo, Toledo, Columbus OH, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Niagara Falls, Plattsburgh, Worcester, Newark, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Melbourne, Lakeland, and Ft Myers/Punta Gorda.

SAS Europe Sale for Winter, Spring, & Summer

SAS (tel. 800-221/2350; www.flysas.com) has discounted fares to Europe from select U.S. cities for winter, spring, and summer travel. You'll find the lowest fares available for winter and spring travel. For winter fares, travel is valid from Feb. 1 through March 28; for spring, March 29 through May 31; for summer, June 1 through Aug. 25.

Seats are limited and may not be available on every flight, on all dates.

All bookings must be made by Jan. 17. Round-trip fares include:

Newark to Gothenburg $733, including all taxes
Newark to Aarhus $733, including all taxes
Newark to Copenhagen $699, including all taxes
Newark to Oslo $705, including all taxes
Newark to Stockholm $700, including all taxes
Washington, D.C. to Copenhagen $699, including all taxes
Washington, D.C. to Oslo $698, including all taxes
Newark to Bergen $735, including all taxes

New Year's Sale from Frontier

The New Year's sale from Frontier (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com) is valid for travel Mondays through Saturdays, through March 7.

Tickets require a 7-day advance purchase, and must be booked by 11:59 pm ET, Jan. 12.

Round-trip fares include:

AirTran Sale to/from Atlanta

From AirTran (tel. 800/AIR-TRAN; www.airtran.com), save on travel to/from Atlanta with their current sale. This offer is valid for Tuesday/Wednesday travel from Jan. 17 through May 9. Tickets require a 10-day advance purchase.

All tickets must be booked by 11:59pm PT, Jan. 9.

Round-trip fares are reversible and include:

From the Mailbag: Open-Ended Tickets

Q: I want to fly out to San Diego in early September to visit with my daughter and new grandbabies, but I'm not sure how long I'll be staying. Is there still such a thing as an open-ended return date, or is there a more cost effective way to do this?

A: 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.