May 12, 2004 -- The summer travel season is coming up, but that doesn't seem to be affecting the low domestic fares we're seeing every week. Right now, four sales of note are keeping prices down: from Delta, US Airways, JetBlue and Southwest.
Delta's Atlanta and NYC Sales
Delta frequently puts airfares to and from its hometown of Atlanta on sale, to fend off low-fare competitor AirTran (www.airtran.com). This week, though, they're also promoting a sale to and from the Big Apple -- presumably to fend off low-fare competitor JetBlue.
Delta's Atlanta sale is on through May 19 and is good for tickets all the way through October 6. You can't fly Fridays or Sundays, though, and you have to buy your ticket at least a week before traveling. Very good fares include (all roundtrip, before tax):
- Biloxi, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Raleigh, Savannah, Tallahassee: $110
- Memphis, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh: $130
- Akron, Chicago, Dayton, Wichita, Kansas City, Moline, Minneapolis, Newport News: $140
- Boston, Baltimore, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Flint, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Tampa, DC: $150
- Dallas, Houston, New York, Philadelphia: $160
- Denver, Las Vegas, LA, SF: $198
For more information or to buy online, go to www.delta.com/travel/plan/special_offers/atl_051004/index.jsp.
Delta's New York sale is less impressive, but features the kinds of $198 cross-country fares we've all grown addicted to. You must buy by May 19 and travel by July 31, and you must buy your tickets two weeks before traveling. Fares we liked included:
- Greensboro, Norfolk, Raleigh: $158
- Charleston, Cincinnati, Detroit: $178
- Denver, Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle: $198
Buy online at www.delta.com/travel/plan/special_offers/jfk_051004/index.jsp to get these fares.
US Airways Keeps Things Cheap
As US Airways struggles, passengers benefit. The financially failing carrier has become one of the best places to look for low fares, and their current sale is no exception to the rule. These fares are available for travel all the way through October 6, as long as you don't fly on Fridays, Sundays or immediately around a holiday. Most of the cheap fares this time around appear to be to Florida, but we found some other routes as well.
Folks traveling to or from Philly, remember: US Airways and Southwest are currently duking it out for your business with fares as low as $29 to nearby cities.
Everybody else, enjoy these fares:
- Boston-Orlando: $124
- Milwaukee-Orlando: $158
- Greensboro-Orlando: $168
- Buffalo-Miami: $180
- Boston-Ft. Myers: $198
- Harrisburg-New Orleans: $208
To book these fares or check out other fares from your city, see www.usairways.com/pro/specials/summer_sale.htm.
Southwest and JetBlue: Old Reliables
JetBlue's current sale ends on May 14 and is good for tickets through June 16, so try to snap up whatever's left if you're heading out on one of their routes. Depending on the route, either a 7-day or 14-day advance purchase is required, and we'd be surprised if these low fares were available on Fridays or Sundays. Their best fares include:
- NYC-Denver: $178
- Boston-Denver: $158
- NYC-Florida or New Orleans: $138
- Upstate New York or Burlington, VT to Florida or New Orleans: $158
- NYC-Las Vegas, California or Seattle: $198
For these fares and many, many more, check out www.jetblue.com/specialoffers/superfly.asp.
Southwest features cheap fares to and from Sacramento, CA through Thursday. They demand a 21-day advance purchase, so you'll have to plan well in advance. But you can travel all the way through to October 29, and fares are $198 or less roundtrip to almost all of Southwest's cities. Check out the fares and buy online at www.southwest.com/hotfares/fd_air.html.