Airfare Deals and News for the Week of Nov. 5, 2010

Mexico beach destinations on sale from Alaska Airlines, an Air Zealand Air Pass, and are travelers protected in the event of bad weather, tarmac delays, or mechanical woes?

By Frommer's Staff

Airfarewatchdog.com

Mexican Beaches on Sale from Alaska Airlines

Save on late fall/winter travel to Mexican beach destinations with the latest sale from Alaska Airlines' (tel. 800/426-0333; www.alaskaair.com). Fares start at $258 round-trip, before taxes. Offer is valid for travel Monday through Thursday, from Dec. 13 to Feb. 14. For travel to/from La Paz, fly Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday only. Sale fares between San Jose and Los Cabos valid Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Sale fares to Mexico not valid Dec. 16 through 27. Sale fares from Mexico not valid Dec. 26 through Jan. 4.

All tickets must be purchased by Nov. 11. Seats are limited. Round-trip fares include:

Los Angeles to La Paz $385 nonstop, incl. all taxes
Los Angeles to Mazatlan $405 nonstop, incl. all taxes
Los Angeles to Manzanillo $463, nonstop, incl. all taxes
San Diego to Puerto Vallarta $404, incl. all taxes
Seattle to Puerto Vallarta $456, nonstop, incl. all taxes
San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta $404, nonstop, incl. all taxes
San Jose to La Paz $479, incl. all taxes
San Jose to Mazatlan $479, incl. all taxes
San Jose to Los Cabos $366, incl. all taxes
San Jose to Manzanillo $507, nonstop, incl. all taxes

For a complete listing of current deals to Mexico, please visit our fare pages for La Paz, Mazatlan, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos.

Red, White & Blue State Sale from Frontier

Frontier's (tel. 800/432-1359; www.frontierairlines.com) Red, White, & Blue State sale is valid for Tuesday and Wednesday travel through Feb. 16. Round-trip fares are about on par with their previous fall sale, starting at $88 before taxes. Tickets require a 10-day advance purchase. Avoid those holiday blackout dates on Nov. 24 and 27-28, 2010; Dec. 23 and 26-27, 2010; and Jan. 2-3,

Sample round-trip fares include:

For more fares featured in this sale, visit FrontierAirlines.com, or search from our homepage.

Web Specials from Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines' (tel. 800/426-0333; www.alaskaair.com) has released their latest round of web specials. Fares start at $89 one-way. Travel periods vary by route, though most are valid from Dec. 1 through Dec. 15.

Seats are limited and may not be available for all dates. Round-trip fares include:

The Kiwi Explorer Pass from Air New Zealand

Save on travel to and within New Zealand with the Kiwi Explorer Pass from Air New Zealand (tel. 800/262-1234; www.airnewzealand.com). Air Passes start at $998 from Los Angeles and San Francisco, and include stops in Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, and Queenstown, as well as stopovers in the Cook Islands.

Offer is valid for travel commencing Feb. 26 through April 30, with a maximum stay of 6 months. Tickets must be booked by Nov. 8.

All air pass travel must be in one continuous direction. No backtracking.

More info at AirNewZealand.com.

Bad Weather & Tarmac Delays: Are Travelers Protected?

There are a number of things that could potentially ruin your flight. Bad weather, mechanical woes, nightmarish tarmac delays! With the exception of the recent three-hour rule aimed at preventing lengthy tarmac waits, it may seem like passengers are offered little protection against all that can go wrong. But read over your airline's fine print, or contract of carriage as it is called, and you may find a little something to help you out of your next travel bind. From the mailbag, here's a recent question about Rule 260 and how you can put it to use. 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.

Talk with fellow Frommer's travelers on our Air Travel Forum today.

Air Travel