Finnair Anniversary Special
Well isn't that sweet? New York and Helsinki are celebrating their 40th Finnair anniversary. Back on May 15, 1969, Finnair (tel. 800/950-5000; www.finnair.com) began their very first New York/Helsinki flight. In the olden days, they'd stop over in Copenhagen or Amsterdam. Nonstop service between the two finally began in 1984. To mark the occasion, Finnair is offering $400 round-trip fares. This deal is good for trips from May 31 through October 31, and even available over the July 4th holiday.
- New York to Helsinki $476, including all taxes
American Airlines International Sale for Summer
American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has a new sale for summer travel to select international destinations. This sale is good for outbound travel through August 27, and should be completed by August 31. Fares must be booked by 11:59pm, central time, on May 26. There is a 2-day minimum stay requirement for Caribbean destinations, 3-day for Asian destinations, and a Saturday night stay for all other destinations. Tickets must be purchased 7 days prior to departure. Got all that? Great. Now lets tackle those fares. Our top picks for this sale include:
- Los Angeles to Moscow $637, including all taxes
- Chicago to Frankfurt $506, including all taxes
- Dallas to Belize City $414, including all taxes
- Miami to Rio de Janeiro $591, including all taxes
American Airlines US & Canada Sale
Also from American Airlines: A U.S. and Canada sale, with fares starting at $76 round-trip before taxes and fees. Fares are good for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday travel through August 31. All fares require a 14-day advance purchase, and include:
- Atlanta to St Louis $136
- Austin to Columbia SC $217
- Dallas to Pittsburgh $176
- Jacksonville FL to Los Angeles $206
- Miami to Santa Ana $217
Travel is not valid on June 27. Going to Hawaii? Travel on Monday through Thursday, and avoid blackout dates July 2 and 6. All fares must be booked by 11:59pm CT, May 24.
Singapore & Bangkok for Fall Travel
There's still time to take advantage of Cathay Pacific's (tel. 800/233-2742; www.cathaypacific.com) Singapore and Bangkok deals for May. This sale is good for departures between September 1 and November 30, and fares must be purchased by 11:59pm PST on May 31. Stopovers in Hong Kong are allowed for an additional fee. Fares include:
- Los Angeles to Bangkok $810, including all taxes
- New York to Bangkok $1,060, including all taxes
- San Francisco to Bangkok $810, including all taxes
- Los Angeles to Singapore $809, including all taxes
- New York to Singapore $1,059, including all taxes
- San Francisco to Singapore $809, including all taxes
Air China After Hours Discounts
Save between $15 and $200 when booking your China Airlines (tel. 800-982-8802; www.china-airlines.com) flight from Los Angeles to Taiwan, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen. Passengers traveling outbound before August 23 in Dynasty Supreme Class can save $200 when booking round-trip tickets on the China Airlines site between the hours of 6pm and 9am Monday through Friday, or all day Saturday and Sunday. One-way travel in this class of service is also eligible for half the discount, at $100.
Economy passengers traveling round-trip, departing before or on June 4, or between August 1 and August 23 can save $30 (or $15 for one-way passengers) by booking between the hours of 6pm and 9am Monday through Friday, or all day Saturday and Sunday.
For valid flight numbers and further details, visit China-Airlines.com.
Trip Insurance for the Potentially Canned
When the water cooler runs dry, and your employer begins lopping off entire departments, it's no wonder you might hesitate to plan some lavish summer getaway. Unemployment is at a 15 year high, or so says the newspaper, which -- by the way -- is also scrambling to stay in business. But before you get spooked and take the advice of some snoozy trend piece on (shudder) staycations, don't forget there are risks involved with any trip you plan. That's why travel insurance exists, and they have policies to protect you should you suddenly find yourself out of a job pre-vacation. More on this at Airfarewatchdog.com.
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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