June 15, 2004 -- Airlines move in throngs: if one lowers prices, others are sure to follow. That sort of mob mentality makes prices very good right now for folks traveling to or from Chicago, Indianapolis, Boston, Washington or New York, thanks to sales from ATA and US Airways that have been matched by most other airlines. Southwest, meanwhile, has a stunning $66 sale that stands alone.
Southwest Takes Route $66
Celebrating their 33rd birthday, Southwest has unleashed some amazing $66 (plus tax) roundtrip fares on various domestic routes. Many more routes, including cross-country routes, are $198. You must act fast, though: buy these tickets by tomorrow, June 17, for travel July 6 through October 29. Check out the fares online at www.southwest.com/hotfares/hotfares_air.html. Routes for $66 include:
- Most routes within Texas and Florida
- Albuquerque to/from Odessa
- Baltimore to/from Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Hartford, Islip, Manchester, Norfolk, and Raleigh
- Birmingham to/from Nashville or New Orleans
- Boise to/from Salt Lake City or Seattle
- Chicago to/from Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville, or Omaha
- Dallas to/from Tulsa
- Houston to/from Jackson, MS
- Kansas City to/from Oklahoma City or St. Louis
- Las Vegas to/from Ontario; Burbank, CA is $58
- LA to/from Phoenix
- Portland. OR to/from Sacramento
- Reno to/from Oakland and San Jose
- San Diego to/from Tucson
ATA, US Airways and Everyone Else
ATA leads the way if you're flying to Chicago or Indy. Their current "Fare Better Sale" marries a pretty relaxed sell-by date of July 22 with fares of $158 or below from Chicago or Indy to many domestic cities. Fly by November 17 on any days except Fridays and Sundays to get these fares.
The $158 fares are pretty standard for Chicagoans feeling spoiled by Southwest, so we'll focus on ATA's even lower fares (and their fares to cities not served by Southwest.) Thanks to the airline mob mentality, all of these fares have been matched by other airlines, usually United and/or American. That's great, because it means lots of seats are available:
To/from Chicago:
- Pittsburgh, Toledo: $98
- Boston, Flint, Ft. Wayne: $138
- Charlotte, Denver, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, New York, Washington, D.C.: $158
To/from Indianapolis:
Las Vegas, Phoenix: $158
Los Angeles: $178
Interested? You can book ATA's fares at www.ata.com/sales/specialty/040612_indmdw.html, but we really suggest you go to a big online travel agent like Expedia or Orbitz and compare ATA's schedules with those of other airlines.
US Airways is pushing down weekend fares to and from Boston, Washington and New York. Yes, these sale fares are good for outbound travel on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and return travel Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Finding sale fares available Fridays and Sundays is pretty rare. Still, make sure to compare these fares to other major airlines and (for the DC area) both Southwest (www.southwest.com) and Independence (www.flyi.com) for your specific travel dates.
To/From Boston:
To/From New York:
Raleigh: $158
Jacksonville, Miami: $178
To/From Washington:
Birmingham, Hilton Head, Portland ME: $158
Washington-Birmingham, AL: $158
Many other city pairs are available (all roundtrip to Boston, Washington or NYC.) You must buy these tickets by tomorrow, June 17, and fly by Sept. 28 to get these fares. Check them out online at www.usairways.com/pro/specials/bos_nyc_was_sale.htm or through your favorite online travel agency.