Three Great Airlines Offer Three Great Sales

Airlines kick off 2010 with major sales.

If you are looking to plan that 2010 getaway, now might be a good time to check airfare. Virgin America, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue have all announced some pretty good sales this week.

Virgin America is offering discounted seats if you book by January 11 and fly between January 7 – March 10. There are even a few select seats available through June 20. A three day advance purchase is required. Some one-way fares include:

• San Francisco to Las Vegas – $39

• Seattle to San Francisco – $59

• Boston or Washington DC to Los Angeles or San Francisco – $99

• New York or Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles or San Francisco – $109

• For more information and fares, check out Virgin America’s website.

Southwest Airlines is offering “3 Days of Deals” with some pretty decent deals.  Hurry because you only have until  this Thursday January 7, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time to grab a seat on sale. Travel is good through May 14, 2010 and a 14-day advance purchase is required. A few one-way fares that caught my attention include:

• Chicago to Long Island – $80

• New York to Baltimore - $59

• Denver to San Diego – $92

• Milwaukee to Ft. Lauderdale – $101

• For more information and fares, check out Southwest’s website.

Finally, if you are looking to “shake up the new year” and jet for less, check out JetBlue’s first sale of the new year. What is great about this sale is that you can either purchase tickets or use your TrueBlue points. You must book by January 13, 2010, travel by March 24, 2010 and blackout dates do apply. Some of the one-way fares that stood out include:

• New York to New Orleans – $84/$89

• Austin to Orlando - $79/$89

• Fort Lauderdale to Nassau - $29

• Boston to Chicago - $67/$79

• For more information and fares, check out Jetblue’s website.

Tags: boston, chicago, fort lauderdale, jetblue, Las Vegas, los angeles, new orleans, new york, San Diego, san francisco, southwest airlines, virgin america, Washington DC

Airtran, Virgin, & Southwest Offer Scary Good Sales

There have been all sorts of spooky airline deals coming in this week leading up to Halloween. Three airlines in particular have given passengers plenty of reasons to hop a plane and fly like a bat out of hell across the country.

AirTran: The low-cost carrier wants you to skip raking the leaves and get packing. With fares starting as low as $39 one-way, you will have enough cash leftover to pay the neighbor’s kids to finish cleaning the lawn.

You must book by November 10, 2009 and travel is valid through February 10, 2010. Some sample one-way fares include:

• Chicago (Midway)-Cancun: $84 (plus tax)

• Memphis-Atlanta: $69 (plus tax)

• Washington (Dulles)-Tampa: $69 (plus tax)

For more information, additional routes, and prices check out AirTran.com.

Virgin America: Fly across the country for only $62? That is “BOO-tiful” my frightened friends. This sale is so “spooktacular” that it is only good for travel this coming Halloween weekend.

Tickets must be purchased by 11:59pm on October 29 with travel occurring on either Friday October 30 or Saturday October 31. Some sample one-way fares include:

• San Francisco-Las Vegas: $31 (plus tax)

• Seattle-Orange County: $31 (plus tax)

• New York, Boston or Washington (Dulles)-San Francisco or Los Angeles: $62 (plus tax)

For more information, additional routes, and prices check out VirginAmerica.com.

Southwest Airlines: The “LUV” airline is at it again with another great sale. This time some seats are priced lower than many airline’s checked bag fees. Talk about a touchdown. Nothing scary about this deal…so boooooooooo-k now.

Tickets must be purchased by October 29 at 11:59 Pacific Standard Time. Travel is good between December 2-16 and January 5-February 10, 2010. Some sample one-way fares include:

• Los Angeles-LasVegas:$25 (plus taxes)

• Chicago (Midway)-Nashville: $50 (plus taxes)

• New York (LaGuardia)-Orlando: $75 (plus taxes)

For more information, additional routes, and prices check out Southwest.com.

I have officially filled this year’s quota of awful Halloween themed word play with this article.

Tags: airtran, atlanta, boston, cancun, chicago, halloween, Las Vegas, los angeles, memphis, new york, Orange County, san francisco, seattle, southwest airlines, tampa, virgin america, Washington DC

New Routes Coming Soon To An Airport Near You

Overhead view of Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. This November both Virgin America and JetBlue will debut here within a 24-hour span.

Some people get all worked up over the new fall season of television shows premiering, certain individuals get excited about a new motion picture hitting the silver screen, while others might get overstimulated by the combination of baseball playoffs and the return of the NFL football. But yours truly could care less about all of those distractions. Why? Because the announcement of new airline routes tops them all. While my wife (and a few of you) may think I am a loon for caring so much about the debut of new itineraries at airports, I just can not help myself.

Living in such a busy area like New York, with major airports like JFK, Newark, and La Guardia, I guess you can say that I have pretty much every city in the world available at my fingertips. But what I look for is an airline adding service to my area. My reaction to the news of Southwest debuting at La Guardia a few months ago was easily comparable to a sports fanatic finding out that his beloved team just acquired the number one draft pick or received a great new pitcher as a result of a multi-team trade. Yeah pretty pathetic, but I admit to being a 100% “Grade A” travel nerd.

But that doesn’t make me a bad person does it? Well I do get some rather odd looks from the wife when all I can talk about over dinner is how JetBlue is now jetting to the Caribbean and Virgin America is possibly thinking of flying in and out of Chicago soon. In any event, here are some new airline routes debuting within the next few months. Enjoy.

JetBlue:

• Barbados (BGI) and New York (JFK) starts October 1, 2009
• Saint Lucia (UVF) and New York (JFK) starts October 26, 2009
• Kingston, Jamaica (KIN) and New York (JFK) starts October 30, 2009
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and San Francisco (SFO) starts November 17, 2009

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Virgin America:

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and San Francisco (SFO) starts November 18, 2009
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Los Angeles (LAX) starts November 18, 2009

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Southwest Airlines:

• Milwaukee (MKE) and Tampa Bay (TPA) starts November 1, 2009
• Milwaukee (MKE) and Phoenix (PHX) starts November 1, 2009
• Milwaukee (MKE) and Orlando (MCO) starts November 1, 2009
• Milwaukee (MKE) and Kansas City (KCI) starts November 1, 2009
• Milwaukee (MKE) and Baltimore (BWI) starts November 1, 2009
• Denver (DEN) and Reno/Lake Tahoe (RNO) starts January 10, 2010
• Denver (DEN) and Spokane (GEG) starts January 10, 2010
• Denver (DEN) and Boston (BOS) starts January 10, 2010

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United Airlines:

• San Francisco (SFO) and Kansas City (KCI) starts October 25, 2009
• Chicago (ORD) and Duluth (DLH) starts December 17, 2009
• Chicago (ORD) and Asheville (AVL) starts December 17, 2009
• Denver (DEN) and Midland/Odessa (MAF) starts December 17, 2009
• Denver (DEN) and Louisville (SDF) starts December 17, 2009

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American Airlines:

• Miami (MIA) and Charleston (CHS) starts November 19, 2009
• Miami (MIA) and Knoxville (TYS) starts November 19, 2009
• Miami (MIA) and Treasure Cay, Bahamas (TCB) starts November 19, 2009
• Miami (MIA) and Governors Harbour, Bahamas (GHB) starts November 19, 2009
• Miami (MIA) and Eleuthers, Bahamas (ELH) starts November 19, 2009
• Los Angeles (LAX) and Santa Fe (SAF) starts November 19, 2009

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Continental Airlines:

• Houston (IAH) and Edmonton, AB Canada (YEG) starts November 1, 2009
• Houston (IAH) and Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) starts November 1, 2009
• Houston (IAH) and Washington DC (IAD) starts November 1, 2009
• Cleveland (CLE) and Washington DC (IAD) starts November 1, 2009
• Honolulu (HNL) and Guam (GUM) to Nadi, Fiji (NAN) starts November 1, 2009

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Delta Airlines:

• Memphis (MEM) and West Palm Beach (PBI) starts December 17, 2009
• Philadelphia (PHL) and Paris, France (CDG) starts October 5, 2009
• Atlanta (ATL) and Brasilia (BSB) starts December 17, 2009
• Atlanta (ATL) and Fortaleza (FOR) starts December 21, 2009
• New York (JFK) and Kingston, Jamaica (KIN) starts December 12, 2009
• New York (JFK) and Freeport, Bahamas (FPO) starts December 18, 2009
• New York (JFK) and Puerto Plata, DR (POP) starts December 19, 2009
• Detroit (DTW) and Punta Cana, DR (PUJ) starts November 21, 2009
• Minneapolis (MSP) and Punta Cana, DR (PUJ) starts December 19, 2009
• Cincinnati (CVG) and Punta Canada, DR (PUJ) starts December 19, 2009

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AirTran Airways:

• Atlanta (ATL) and Aruba (AUA) starts December 19, 2009
• Orlando (MCO) and Aruba (AUA) starts February 13, 2010
• Orlando (MCO) and Key West (EYW) starts December 17, 2009
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Harrisburg (MDT) starts November 5, 2009
• Milwaukee (MKE) and Pittsburgh (PIT) starts October 6, 2009
• Milwaukee (MKE) and Indianapolis (IND) starts October 6, 2009
• Baltimore (BWI) and Indianapolis (IND) starts October 6, 2009
• Baltimore (BWI) and New Orleans (MSY) starts October 6, 2009
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Flint (FNT) starts November 4, 2009

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US Airways:

• Phoenix (PHX) and Montego Bay (MBJ) December 17, 2009
• Philadelphia (PHL) and Barbados (BGI) starts October 1, 2009
• Charlotte (CLT) and Honolulu (HNL) starts December 17, 2009
• Charlotte (CLT) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) starts December 15, 2009

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Alaska Airlines:

• Atlanta (ATL) and Seattle (SEA) starts October 23, 2009
• Oakland (OAK) and Kahului (OGG) starts November 9, 2009
• Oakland (OAK) and Kona (KOA) starts November 10, 2009
• Portland (PDX) and Chicago (ORD) starts November 16, 2009

Tags: airtran airways, american airlines, aruba, atlanta, baltimore, brazil, california, colorado, continental airlines, delta, Denver, detroit, dominican republic, florida, fort lauderdale, georgia, indianapolis, jamaica, jetblue, jfk airport, key west, kingston, los angeles, maryland, memphis, michigan, milwaukee, minneapolis, minnesota, new york, orlando, san francisco, southwest airlines, spokane, tennessee, united airlines, virgin america, washington, west palm beach, wisconsin

3-Day Southwest Sale & Virgin Is Headed To Florida…But So Is JetBlue

Another Southwest sale is upon us my friends. I feel like I am writing about a SWA sale every other week around here. Well this one is good for travel through November 1, 2009 and tickets must be purchased by Thursday at 11:59pm Pacific Time. Some cities Southwest flies to include New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Denver, and starting this Sunday Boston. Click here for more information on this 72-hour sale.

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, maybe not exactly what you would hear people screaming in late Fall around Fort Lauderdale (FLL), but starting November 18, 2009 you can fly to this popular Florida city from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) for $99 one-way (with taxes and fees that comes to $109.60). That is one hell of a sweet deal. So maybe when you arrive Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, you can walk off the plane and scream FALL BREAK!!!!!!!!!

Or maybe not. In any event, click here for full details on Virgin’s latest offering.

UPDATE (4pm): Just got word from the good people at Gadling.com that JetBlue, upon hearing the VA Florida news, has announced that they too will start service in November between San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale. Announcing this news on the same day as your competitor is both brilliant and devilish…well played JB, well played indeed. You will even be able to “jet” between the “City by the Bay” and the “Venice of America” one day sooner. Yup that’s right, JetBlue will begin their new route on November 17, 2009. Meow JetBlue!

Tags: boston, chicago, Denver, florida, fort lauderdale, Las Vegas, los angeles, new york, san francisco, southwest airlines, virgin america

10 Twitter Accounts That Will Save You Cash On Travel

When I am not updating this site or browsing the “interwebz” for the latest in travel deals and news, I can often be found on the insanely popular micro-blogging website Twitter. What, you never heard of Twitter? Really? Well if that truly is the case, then first let me help you get out from underneath that rock and second let me provide you with a link to sign up right now.

Twitter has easily become one of the best spots online to score exclusive deals on airfare, hotels, and other travel perks. Why on earth would anybody that loves to travel AND save money in the process not want access to this goody-bag of secret links, promo codes, and helpful tips.

Well as I approach 2,000 followers on Twitter (not exactly Oprah numbers, but hey I’m happy) here is a Top 10 list of airlines, experts, and other travel “tweeps” you should be following right now. It still amazes me at how many big travel companies are currently dropping the ball by not taking full advantage of these free forms of advertising and marketing via social media sites. For example, if you are a hotel, you should be interacting with possible future customers. Is it too much to ask someone on the hotel staff to update a Twitter page every few hours with some sort of “exclusive” deal that will lure in new travelers?

Oh and the airlines…you know those same companies that are mostly going bankrupt and are struggling to fill seats on their fleet. Well there is no excuse for any of these companies not to be active on sites like Twitter either. Some airlines “get it” and many others just do not. Finally, to opaque travel websites that sell airline tickets, hotels, and other items that are needed when traveling, where in the hell are you? All of these sites should be clobbering followers over the head with updates and pushing their deals on an hourly basis. I mean you are a damn travel WEBSITE…use the web properly to promote!

Now just to make things clear, this is NOT a list of my favorite travel friends online or people I want to share a drink with at the next travel writer’s convention. It is simply a short list of the websites that will save you some moolah while tweeting and re-tweeting with your internet pals. Oh and one last thing, this list is in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. @VirginAmerica: Yes Sir Richard Branson and company not only have one of the coolest and innovative airlines going today, but their “twittering” is always fresh, informative, and at times will save you some serious cash by promoting their online sales. You will often times find Virgin America’s twitter page answering customers questions, comments, or complaints. They are one of the few airlines out there that truly understands today’s internet savvy market.

2. @SouthWestAir: Speaking of airlines that get their audience, at over 427,000 followers (you see my 2,000 is nothing) the people at Southwest Airlines are probably some of the most interactive and coolest travel companies on Twitter. The air carrier with LUV has even done contests with their “tweeple” and handed over free trips to destinations like Las Vegas. Nice!

3. @JetBlue: Rounding out my airline picks would be the low-cost carrier that receives high points from yours truly when it comes to using social media sites like Twitter to their advantage. JetBlue Airways continues to outdo themselves online by holding exclusive sales, selling last minute seats at insanely low prices, and also finding time to reply to customers via the internet.  Some of the “JB”  goodness has included an exclusive one-day only 20% off sale to its 1 million (and counting) followers and setting up a sister Twitter account (@JetBlueCheeps) that sells tickets for as low as $9 one-way for upcoming last-minute weekend travel.

4. @Travelzoo: There are many travel booking websites online today that make life much easier by placing all of the best airline, hotel, cruise, car rental, and vacation deals under one URL umbrella, but few do it as well as Travelzoo.com. Gabe Saglie, the senior editor, and his merry travel men and women scour the internet and negotiate with travel companies to find you the lowest and best deals online. They also use Twitter to get the word out there and to promote their website in the process (wow what a concept). The page is constantly updated with links to offers currently running on the site and TZ is known to interact with its followers. Plus it is usually the first place online that updates me that their weekly Top 20 is ready to check out.

5. @CheapOair: Yet another travel booking website that understands by updating consistently and interacting with their followers, that you can create new traffic to your website. The nice people at CheapOair even have a cool blog that provides readers with travel ideas. Hey they even were kind enough to ask yours truly once to write up a piece for them. So they have to be cool.

6. @AirfareWatchdog: Browser and the gang are always staring at a computer screen, trying to figure out the lowest and best airfare online…and they do one hell of a job at it. Checking out their website is an air traveler’s dream. I have personally come across some insanely low fares thanks to the hardworking staff at AirfareWatchdog.com. But with so many websites online, one can get lost in the mess of URLs, favorites, and bookmarks. So while hanging on Twitter, it is always nice to see an update from AFWD. They not only share with their readers some of the amazing fares that they happen to come across online, but they also occasionally chat it up with their loyal followers.

7. @FareCompareLabs: Another airfare hunting website that scours the internet for the latest and lowest deals. The page updates constantly on Twitter with breaking news on sales, lower prices on certain routes, and other information you need to know when trying to save cash on air travel. The people behind FareCompare.com, including CEO @RickSeaney, have even branched out to create local Twitter pages for you to follow specific city deals. For instance, I also follow @flyfromNYC to get the latest fare prices out of JFK, LGA and EWR.

8. @PeterSGreenBerg: The travel guru and one of my personal favorite people to read and listen to about the subject of travel is definitely someone that needs to be on your Twitter list. While not an airline with an exclusive sale or a hotel with a last minute special rate, Mr. Greenberg is a wealth of travel information. His updates range anywhere from plugging his latest radio show to informing you of a great deal to somewhere far away.

9. @AAirwaves: If you were to ask me six months ago to make this list, American Airlines would have not been on it. But I have to admit that one of the larger carriers woke up and is finally onboard with this whole using the internet to gain new customers and to assist with current ones as well. Their Twitter page is constantly updated with news, tells you which planes will be offering Wi-Fi, and even goes back and forth with followers. Good job AA, glad to see you arrived fashionably late.

10. @Yapta: One of the more unique travel websites today is definitely also one of the most engaging and informative with its Twitter followers. The people at Yapta.com are always updating their tweets with tips on how to save cash when booking airfare, links interesting travel articles, and answers any customer questions, comments, or complaints. Oh and if you are wondering what “YAPTA” means, it stands for “Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant.”

Well there you have it, 10 websites you need to be following on Twitter. If you want to add to this list, feel free to comment below.

Tags: airfarewatchdog, cheapoair, fare compare, hotel max, jetblue, roosevelt hotel new york, southwest, travelzoo, virgin america