Sample one-way fares include:

•    New York–Chicago: $49
•    Denver–Boston: $89
•    Long Beach–Las Vegas: $29
•    Washington, D.C. –Fort Lauderdale: $59
•    Orlando–Nassau: $39
•    New York–Bermuda: $89
•    And more!

For more information, visit www.jetblue.com.

                   

      ROUTE                                 AIRLINE                         STARTS

Toronto to Boston                              Porter                   9-14
Boston to Montego Bay, Jamaica       JetBlue                  9-23
Dublin to Canary Islands                    Ryanair                 10-27
London to Tel Aviv                              easyJet                 11-2
Rome to Lisbon                                 easyJet                 11-2
San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale        JetBlue                 11-17
Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale           Virgin America       11-18
Atlanta to Barbados                            Delta                   12-8
Orlando to Key West, Florida              AirTran                 12-17
Phoenix to Montego Bay, Jamaica       US Airways           12-17
New York to Freeport, Bahamas           Delta                   12-18
Atlanta to Aruba                                  AirTran                12-19
Minneapolis to Punta Cana, D.R.          Delta                   12-19

From the Smart Luxury Awards issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

Today, AirTran pledged to push the remaining frontier of in-flight advertising to seat-backs, while ensuring coverage is subtle, tasteful, and “unobtrusive.” Over the next few weeks, the airline will outfit all of its 138 jets with seat-back ads that offer not just sales pitches, but exclusive deals found nowhere else – like the chance to win a 7-night cruise onboard the Oasis of the Seas, the world’s newest and largest cruise ship – at least one cool campaign that we’re willing to let fly.

The TSA has responded, pledging to crack down on luggage theft by amping up surveillance at airports around the country. Officials in Atlanta, one of the country’s main hubs of air transport and where multiple theft arrests were made this year involving Delta employees, say new technology, like TV systems monitoring carousels (as well as security personnel) and handling networks limiting human interaction with bags has and will continue to help stave off cases of thievery and make sure criminals are caught. In October, the Department of Transportation mandated an increase in lost luggage reimbursements of up to $3,300 per passenger on domestic flights, and required airlines (most of whose “contracts of carriage” allow them to deny liability for valuables) to drop arbitrary limits on reimbursement claims for missing items (like only picking up the tab on outbound flights).

Statistically speaking, when considering the hundreds of millions of individual bags handled by airlines annually, cases where suitcases completely disappear still remain rare (even declining in 2008), and doesn’t justify the need for airports nationwide to revert back to the practice of enforcing claim check matching at carousels…yet. Still, since the handling process isn’t perfect and no international standards for luggage security exist, theft proves a “sticky” issue for all parties involved, no matter how it occurs. It’s impossible to completely avoid, but there are ways to protect your belongings from becoming castaways:

Only carry on – or at least your most valuable items The #1 defense, TSA and airlines say, is making sure what you can’t live without sticks with you at all times during flight. Not checking bags at all? The best possible route.

Have your suitcase shrink-wrapped Some airports will seal your luggage, for a small fee, in tamper-resistant plastic, and some will even wrap bags before passing them through security.

Make sure your bag stands out – but not for the wrong reasons A black bag that looks just like everyone else’s is tempting to thieves, but so is an expensive Louis Vuitton that advertises the likelihood of expensive contents inside

Get insurance Common options will pay you 5 to 10 percent of the trip price if your luggage goes missing. If worse comes to worse, always file claims right away. 

Readers: Do you have any of your own tips on luggage theft prevention? Please share!

To book this fare use ShermansTravel’s QuickSearch. This fare is unadvertised, so book soon before it goes up.

Though you may travel whenever you wish, some blackout dates do apply and tickets must be purchased no later than December 15. However, for those planning a Christmas or New Year’s getaway, you’re in luck – this offer is surprisingly still valid throughout the holiday season.

For more information, visit www.aeromexico.com.

Thanks to Lexus (the automobile company is sponsoring the deal), American Airlines is in the midst of a brief free service stint on all flights until November 11 (code: 2010LEXUSLS).  AirTran is likewise providing multiple service deals now through December 31, 2009, including free WiFi on all flights between Boston and Baltimore’s BWI (code: BOSBWI); free service for first time log-ins on any flight (code: AIRTRANTRYGOGO); and a tit-for-tat deal that includes a free session for each purchased at full-price (session costs vary according to the length of your flight and device you’ll be using; freebies must be redeemed by January 31, 2010). Plus, 30-day passes (normally hocked at $49.95) are selling for half-price until the year is out.

Virgin America passengers, meanwhile, can hop on the web for free between November 10 and January 15, 2010. As of November 15, United will be providing comped WiFi on select flights between New York’s JFK and Cali’s SFO or LAX. Delta is teaming up with eBay to offer a free taste of service on its domestic flights for the week of Thanksgiving, beginning November 24th; the popular GoGo service is, like with AirTran, free for first timers.

Even airports are getting in on the action: from November 10, 2009 through January 15, 2010, Google is offering free access to networks at 47 U.S. airports (32 of which normally charge for the privilege), including biggies like Miami, Boston, Houston (Bush-Intercontinental), Houston (Hobby), Austin, Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, Baltimore, Seattle, Oklahoma City, and more.

The catch? So far, Virgin America and AirTran are the only major airlines with their entire fleets WiFi-equipped, so just because the others are offering free service doesn’t mean it will be available on every flight.

Here’s to hoping this trend turns into a gift that keeps on giving, with eventually all airlines (and airports) offering free WiFi as a perk, not an added price, well into the New Year.

Here’s a sample of current round-trip fares (taxes and fees not included):

New York City to Quito from $397
New York City to Lima from $478
Los Angeles to Lima from $718
Los Angeles to Buenos Aires from $869
Miami to Punta Cana from $209
Miami to Bogota from $218
Miami to Quito from $399
Miami to Buenos Aires from $819

Travel- and book-by dates vary by destination, so be sure to read the fine print under the “special offers” tab on www.lan.com.

Click here for our list of Essential iPhone Travel Apps.

Which is why Air France’s new Premium Voyageur cabins, which debuted service from New York’s JFK to Paris’s CDG on October 25, are today’s golden ticket to affordable premium seating. The starting price point of $1,303 round-trip for the NYC to Paris route (which, including taxes, is only about twice the price of a regular seat), gives passengers double the space, a seat that reclines inside its own “shell,” and worthwhile perks like private widescreens, feather pillows, noise-reducing headphones, and wool blankets. Air France will progressively implement the new 24-seat cabins on all of its long-haul routes to/from Paris (excepting service to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean) over the coming months – including all U.S. gateways by 2010’s end. A second daily flight touting the configuration will be added to the NYC–Paris route on December 9.