The holidays are shaping up to be a bit more merry and bright for flyers this year, now that a number of major airlines have announced free in-flight WiFi deals. While 2009 has seen all the usual suspects (Delta, Virgin America, JetBlue, etc.) rolling out en-route service on most or all flights, the cost of upwards of $10 a pop on longer trips (half the price of my monthly at-home bill) has left only the most email-addicted passengers biting the bait. Thankfully, just in time for air travel’s busiest time of year, discounts seem to literally be falling from the skies, with many airlines offering Internet passes completely free of charge. Read the rest of this post »

Yesterday, the FAA proposed a staggering $9.2 million in total fines against United and US Airways for skirting its (not to mention their own) safety procedures – doling out pecuniary penalties of $3.8 million to United (for flying a Boeing 737 hundreds of times with towels covering engine oil sumps, instead of protective caps) and $5.4 million to US Airways (which operated over a thousand flights during the past year on aircraft that violated official maintenance procedures). Read the rest of this post »

In mid-2008, when airlines across the country began tacking on extraneous fees to compensate for lower ticket sales and spikes in fuel prices (like charging upwards of $25 each way for the first checked bag on domestic flights), they created an uproar among flyers who felt like they were being flown for all they’re worth. Since then, said fees have been evolving exponentially, leaving the days of the all-inclusive ticket price to memory – with no proverbial “ceiling” in sight. Now, the revolution in luggage rates can no longer be contained by borders: late last month, overseas operators American, US Airways, and Continental announced they’ll be applying the checked-bag charges to all transatlantic flights (Delta was the first in July) – with the only straggler, United, finally joining the ranks last week. Read the rest of this post »

With the heat and humidity being replaced by cooler temperatures, autumn is a great time to visit New York City. American Airlines and NYC & Company have joined forces to offer special airfare deals that will make you want to play hooky from work and catch a flight to the Big Apple. One hot deal featured in this offer is a $69 one-way ticket to New York from Miami (based on round-trip purchase). Just be sure to book quickly – although travel is valid from September 15 through December 12, this offer expires on August 22.

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Delta, US Airways, Continental, American, United, and even budget airline Southwest have all jumped on the fare-hike bandwagon over the course of the past several weeks, bringing about a $10 fare increase (each way) for their domestic routes. Delta has also announced a $10 to $40 rate increase (each way) for select international flights. While consumers had been enjoying significantly reduced fares compared to the highs seen in 2008, airlines’ battle with rising jet fuel prices and drops in business travel have led to this response.

What would you suggest airlines do to cut costs without raising fares?

ROUTE                  AIRLINE      STARTS
Denver to Mexico City                                  AeroMexico                    2-1-09
San Francisco to Mexico City                       AeroMexico                    2-2-09
Los Angeles to Boston                                 Virgin America                2-12-09
San Francisco to Boston                              Virgin America                2-12-09
Toronto to Mexico City                                 AeroMexico                    3-2-09
Dallas/Fort Worth to Madrid                          American                       5-1-09
Atlanta to Tokyo-Narita                                 Delta                             5-4-09
San Francisco to Orange County, CA            Southwest                      5-9-09
Atlanta to Johannesburg                               Delta                             6-1-09
Tokyo-Narita to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam    Delta                              6-1-09
Salt Lake City to Tokyo-Narita                      Delta                              6-3-09
Detroit to Rome                                           Delta                             6-4-09
New York to Valencia, Spain                        Delta                              6-5-09

From the February/March issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine. 

Sure, the temps outside may be downright frigid, but that doesn’t mean your travel calendar has to freeze up. In fact, this brief post-holiday period – when most people have just dished out for expensive holiday airfares and aren’t necessarily looking to travel anytime soon – is one of the best times of year to take advantage of gargantuan travel savings, especially when it comes to flights. We’ve dug up some exceptional fare sales – featuring rates from just $45 each-way – to help you kick off your 2009 travels to Florida beaches, US ski slopes, European cities, and beyond. Read the rest of this post »