Happy Independence Day!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend.

Rick Seaney

and the team at FareCompare.com

Yes, the number of air travelers is expected to rise this coming Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to the venerable American Automobile Association (AAA) - which is especially interesting since car travel is expected to take a dip.

But as far as the air travel numbers are concerned, it’s a no brainer - the price of airfare has been so cheap for so long, as airlines desperately try to lure travelers into their planes.

Apparently, it’s working. And this, along with the two recent airfare price hikes we’ve seen, is just one more sign that the bottom is near, at least for U.S. domestic flights.

ADVICE: If you’re making vacation plans to fly in the U.S. this summer, BUY NOW. If you plan to go to Europe or have other international flight times, you still have some wiggle-room, but don’t delay for long.

Every now and then I come across a “destination nugget” that intrigues me, which I will pass along to you - like the cool Manta ride or the free National Parks weekends. Here’s the latest:

This Fourth of July, you could be watching the skies of Southern California light up with fireworks - from a zeppelin. How cool is that?

Airship Ventures is offering what they call “flightseeing tours” above the Los Angeles area from July 3 through the 7 - and the highlight is a special 2 hour Independence Day flight along the LA area coastline.

This is a special promotion by the Northern-California based company, and you have your choice of one or two hour flights while they’re in Southern California. Please note: if you book the Fourth of July extravaganza, it’ll cost you $1,200 per person.

The company is also offering a 8 hour long flight along the coast between LA and San Francisco, which I imagine is just spectacular. See more details here.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

We hope this is the start of a terrific summer for you.

Safe travels, always.

From your friends at Farecompare

Well, the first one isn’t all that weird…

Los Angeles is quite the bargain these days for travelers - that’s according to USA Today.

Certainly there are plenty of cheap flights there this summer: it took me all of two seconds to find this cheap flight from New York to Los Angeles and this cheap flight from Dallas to LA using FareCompare’s Deal Finder - both flights are priced at under $250 roundtrip.

Once you’re done exploring the splendors of LA, why not drive up the coast to the town of Gilroy - home of the famous Garlic Festival. I’ve heard this annual July event is a lot of fun - and where else will you get a chance to sample garlic ice cream?

Since I’m in a festival frame of mind, anyone for the Road Kill Cook-Off? That’s in Marlington, West Virginia - and no, the food does not contain actual road-kill - the recipes just call for the kind of creature one might find…uh, in the road. Fly into Charleston, WV - I found this cheap flight from Atlanta to Charleston, again for under $250.

A final thought - Australia is on sale this summer - a terrific country filled with terrific people.

Travel is down this Memorial Day weekend - despite all the cheap airfare. I know, because we keep tabs on all this kind of data, and my data tells me — there are fewer flights.

For example, on the Friday before Memorial Day, there will be more than 25,000 flights taking off - which sounds like a lot, until you compare it to the Friday before Memorial Day 2008, when there were nearly 28,000 flights.

As you know, the airlines really want your business - that’s why our Deals Blog is jumping with specials (and has been, all year long). And I’m surprised and flattered to see the numbers following me on Twitter — but I understand it, since it’s a great way to learn about super deals ASAP (and if you’d like to follow me on Twitter, the more the merrier - just click here).

Remember, Memorial Day Weekend is a great time for a family reunion. And if you’re flexible, you can still find some really great deals.

Here’s one you don’t hear everyday:

A Southwest flight from Orlando to Austin had to make an emergency landing yesterday - a sensor indicated a possible problem in the cargo hold - and the pilot prudently opted to interrupt the flight.

Turns out there wasn’t a problem - but again, the flight was interrupted - landing at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida. Not good timing, since it was Easter Sunday - but the men and women at the base made the best of it for the passengers, graciously inviting them to dine with them at the Officers Club.

They did - and before long, another plane was brought in from Dallas, and the passengers were on their way again.

Southwest Airlines has another new sale.

Late last night, the airline quietly released an Easter Sale - this is in addition to its current system-wide sale which continues through April 6th. This current sale - which many other airlines joined in, requires a 14 day advance-purchase - leaving Easter procrastinators out of luck.

Until now.

Southwest’s new Easter sale requires just a 3 day advance-purchase - for fares departing from 50 cities. Prices are from as little as $49 to $149 each-way. Perfect for those last minute holiday fence-sitters. Like the other sale, you must purchase by Monday, April 6^th.

Hard to say if other airlines will match later today, but given the current demand environment (with Continental recently reporting revenues down close to 20%) I think we could see matching activity, just as we saw at Christmas time.

Full details on the Easter Sale and easy booking is just a click away.

Memorial Day - May 25^th this year - used to be an extra-pricy weekend for flying. Not anymore.

There are plenty of low-priced airfares for the holiday - to some of the most popular destinations. So unless your heart is set on a picnic in the backyard, here’s your chance to jump-start your vacation!

I’ve listed some of the great deals I’ve seen just today - and these are on a variety of airlines - with departures on May 23 and returns on the 26^th. Check out FareCompare.com for more dates and prices.

Prices below are roundtrip and include all taxes and fees:

• Chicago to D.C., $205
• NYC to Orlando, $219
• LA to Orlando, $229
• Dallas to Las Vegas, $230

Yes, you can still have the romantic weekend of your dreams, but hurry. And here’s what you do:

• Step 1 - check out our Deals blog.
• Step 2 - book it fast and easy on FareCompare.

What’s out there? Southwest, for example, has a sale that ends midnight tonight — it covers destinations across the U.S., including Tampa, Jacksonville, and Ft. Lauderdale - and there are special Valentine-Weekend hotel deals in these areas.

Maybe you’d like to fly to Jacksonville, then head down to the Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine where they have a package that includes champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, breakfast for two at rates ranging from $154 to $214 per night.

Or fly to Tampa, and enjoy the “Classic Romance Package” at the TradeWinds Island Resorts in St. Pete where you get two nights of luxury with all the goodies, starting at $318.

The Tampa Tribune has kindly put together a list of hotel packages - and for more information on the Southwest sale, just click here.

UPDATE: And what about Valentine hotel deals in New York City? Just click here.

We all know Times Square is home to the great “ball drop” on New Year’s Eve — but if you have a taste for something different, you might want to check out these weird and wonderful “drops” (courtesy Reuters, via TripAdvisor).

In Port Clinton, Ohio, you can watch a giant fiberglass fish get dropped; or go to Mt. Olive, North Carolina to watch the descent of a 3-foot tall glowing pickle.

In Elmore, Ohio, an 18-foot sausage will be dropped; in Plymouth, Wisconsin, look out for an enormous hunk of cheese.

And in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a 25-pound “illuminated” Peep will be dropped. You know, a Peep — one of those marshmallow confections that used to crop up only at Easter time but are now a year-round staple.

Read about all these “drops” and more, right here.

And of course, if you decide to travel to any of these festivities, head to FareCompare.com first, for the very best airfare available. There are still plenty of deals out there.

Getting carried away with my alliteration I guess, but I just wanted to grab your attention.

You see, this weekend could be bad weather-wise, and a lot of people will be traveling. Forecasters are talking about snow in the Rockies and Plains states and thunderstorms in the South this weekend, and snow and freezing rain in the Midwest today.

If you’re heading to the airport, have contact information for your airlines with you (yes, you may find that while you’re standing in line the talk to a gate agent, you’ll get through on the phone a little faster). Some more tips here.

And don’t forget — be prepared for possible delays: bring snacks, and amusements (and if your amusements are electronic, make sure all batteries are charged).

Oh, one more thing — pack some patience.

The very best of the season to you!

From all of us at

FareCompare.com

Those of you FareCompare fans who were around last year will no doubt remember “Grumpy Santa” – a member of my staff who hoped to break a record by visiting the 48-contiguous states in 12 days.

Well, Grumpy didn’t break the record — but he did have some uh, interesting adventures — he endured bumpy rides, inhaled delicious cookies, and was serenaded by a stellar stew (okay, a fascinating flight attendant, if you prefer).

Now — he’s baaaaaack!

Southwest Airlines has resurrected video — showing Santa getting stuffed and learning the art of peanut passing. See it now on the Southwest blog.

Regarding the “stuffed” part of the video: Santa (assisted by a Southwest employee) gets padded with numerous airline pillows. Which got me to thinking: had this been on a jetBlue flight — where you pay for pillows — imagine the bill I would have been stuck with!

It’s getting really bad out there, but we do have a couple of “survival tips” to help in case your flight is cancelled or delayed.

GOOD NEWS: Many airlines are offering customers the option of rescheduling their flights over the next few days — flights that go through storm-affected airports — without paying a fee (and some may offer you a refund). That may sound like a no-brainer, but it could save you a good chunk of change.

BAD NEWS: Flights are full, so finding an available seat to switch to, will be tricky.

WHAT TO DO: Contact your airline immediately.

• If you’re already at the airport head for a gate agent — for some reason they can often be more accommodating than the reps at the ticket counters, but head there if you can’t reach anyone at the gate.
• If you have to wait in line at all, get on your phone and call the airline while you wait. It will be first-come, first-served so make sure you’re among those served.
• If a storm makes you late to the airport, and you miss your flight, some airlines (like Alaska) will offer stand-by at no extra charge — but if you know you’re going to be late, call ahead and ask to be put on the stand-by list. The sooner you get on it, the better your chances.
• If you know you’ll be late for your connection, work out an alternative with the gate agent before you fly there. If there’s not enough time for that, again — call the airline.

BOTTOM LINE: Make contact with your airline or airlines as soon as humanly possible.

This morning at 10am, Southwest fired off a brand new “Big Year-End Sale“, with prices beginning at $49 one-way.? Book by Dec. 29^th.? Click here for more details.

But Southwest is not alone — we have seen drops in the cheapest airfare prices by American, Continental, Northwest, United and US Airways, yesterday and today.

If you decided to forgo travel during the holidays — you might want to consider a New Year’s getaway.? But I’d hurry — many of these airfares are limited in quantity and may go quickly.

We all know it’s getting harder to redeem those frequent flier miles, and according to an article in the New York Times, some have found a solution by “spending” their airline and hotel miles on holiday gifts.

What can you get?

Well, over at Delta, you can find anything from magazine subscriptions to digital cameras, or “experiences” like white water rafting or driving a Nascar racer.

Some of these gifts cost a lot of miles (the NY Times cites a pair of tickets to “Saturday Night Live” for 4-million Hilton points), and some analysts say this may not be the most economical use of your miles or points.

But really, YOU are the only one who can say what’s “economical” or not, for yourself anyway.

And if cash is in short supply this holiday season, why not?

Here’s something I never dreamed we’d have to worry about: the government is warning airlines that there could be flight disruptions and/or delays because of a “severe shortage” of potash.

Yes, potash. It’s a form of potassium, and as USA Today reports, it’s a key ingredient in de-icing fluid sprayed on runways (however, there is no shortage of the de-icing fluid used on planes which involves different chemicals).

Blame the shortage on a 3 month long strike by Canadian potash mine workers, which forced companies to halt production of runway de-icing fluid. According to a rep with one such company, last winter they produced 9 million gallons, but this winter it’ll just be 2 or 3 million gallons.

Airports say they will find substitute chemicals — but it’ll cost more, and be less environmentally attractive.

I wonder who will pick up the tab for that?

Airlines have been reporting their latest traffic and passenger revenue stats, and the results are not so hot.

A few examples: traffic at American Airlines fell more than 14% last month; Continental’s traffic was down more than 10%; and Southwest reported a drop of more than 8%.

One analyst called this, “disappointing — but not a disaster”. It does tend to explain all the holiday sales…

NOTE: Tips ahead

A friend of mine in Los Angeles was startled out of her lingering turkey-induced coma Sunday by the sound of two sonic booms — loud enough she said, to shake her house.

Then she realized that was just the sound of the space shuttle returning for a landing at Edward’s AFB just north of LA — normally it would have landed in Florida, but the weather there wasn’t cooperating. And Accuweather says snow in the Midwest and rain and sleet along the Eastern Seaboard could mean some travel delays for other Thanksgiving travelers today.

Not much you can do about weather, but here are a couple of tips that can make a difference:

1. Fly early in the day — weather-related delays only seem to worsen as the day progresses due to scheduling backups — even after storms move on.
2. Look for warm-weather connections in winter — if you have a choice of connecting in Minneapolis or Phoenix, you know your chances of snow delays in Phoenix are, uh, pretty slim.

Sometimes, it pays to be a turkey.

Like, the White House Turkey (actually, it’s turkeys — there are always two of them). After the President pardons them — they get to fly to Disneyland on United — in first class.

In fact, the birds and their entourage will take over the entire first class cabin — we should be so lucky.? So what are the birds going to do in Disneyland? Reporter Terry Maxon speculates that “The turkeys will be on display at Disneyland until, I presume, they pass away of excessive weight.”

Congratulations to United — yes, I suppose some honors are more, uh, dignified than others, but you take what you can get.

Yes, it probably will be a little less congested in the nation’s airports this year - but face it, a crowd is still a crowd - and Thanksgiving is always the busiest air travel time of the year, so it will be mobbed.

And you have to plan accordingly.

I’ve listed five “do’s and don’ts” that will make your airport experience as smooth as possible. And yes, some of these are golden-oldies - you’ve heard them before - but this time, follow the advice. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

Five DO’S and DON’TS for Thanksgiving Airport SURVIVAL

1. DO - Get to the Airport Early. This is especially important if you’re flying out the Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving - or the Sunday after.

• SURVIVAL TACTIC: Arrive 2 hours before domestic flights, and 3 hours before international flights during “peak travel times”: 6am to 9 am, 11am to 2pm, and 7pm to 10pm.

2. DON’T - Drive Yourself to the Airport. It’s not about saving gas, it’s about finding a parking space - don’t waste valuable time looking for one in that huge long-term lot.

• SURVIVAL TACTIC: Take mass transit, carpool, taxi, or bribe a neighbor to drive you.

3. DO - Bring the Fun Stuff. If you arrive in plenty of time or run into delays, you (and especially the kids) will need a diversion; think movies on laptops, electronic games, and best of all - a good book.

• SURVIVAL TACTIC: Be sure to charge all batteries completely the night before (and that goes for your cell phone battery, too).

4. DON’T - Break the TSA Rules. You know all this - no liquids or gels larger than 3oz - don’t delay yourself and others by forgetting at such a crucial time.

• SURVIVAL TACTIC: Use the new “family lanes” at security checkpoints if you’re traveling with your tribe.

5. DO - Set Airline Alerts Before You Leave. Go on your airline’s website and sign up for “alerts” so you’ll be notified of any delays. NOTE: Even if you’ve been notified of a 3 hour delay, get to the airport at the scheduled departure time anyway; if the delay only lasts an hour, that plane will take off - with you or without you. And if there is a long delay, at least you’ll be psychologically prepared for it.

• SURVIVAL TACTIC: Be sure the person picking you up is also signed up for these alerts; no sense having Grandpa waiting around the airport for hours.

President Bush will speak to employees of the Dept. of Transportation tomorrow, and announce new measures to ease air travel during the holidays, along with some consumer protection measures.

You’ll remember last year, the president opened up some of the unused military airspace from Maine to Florida - one benefit of that is it gives airlines more leeway, i.e., more room to maneuver, if they need to skirt bad weather.

I suspect we’ll see something similar this Thanksgiving.

Procrastinators, this is truly your lucky day.

This is a REAL Thanksgiving airfare sale from Southwest - for one thing, there are no…

No Blackout Dates!

And, only a 3-day advance purchase is required.

You must purchase by Nov. 29, and travel anytime from Nov. 22 through Dec. 2, and again, this travel is valid for all the days of the week.

See our post on our deals page for more information and sample airfares.

I got a comment on the blog yesterday from Marilyn - who is rightly upset that I recommended buying holiday airline tickets early this year - she followed that advice, and then watched as prices plummeted in the past 2 weeks.

In hindsight, I have to admit I blew the call - although I did follow my own advice, and bought my Thanksgiving tickets back in June, firm in my belief it was the right call. And back then, it was the right call - but things changed - did they ever!

I don’t think anyone anticipated all the late summer/fall drama on the economic front. But let me go back, and review for you what led me to my “buy now” recommendation:

• Attempted airfare hikes: There were 21 attempted airfare hikes - almost one a week in the first half of the year - corresponding to the run-up in fuel prices to nearly $150 a barrel. And remember, major financial institutions were predicting $200 a barrel oil by the end of the year. At that point I expect to see at least 5-8 more airfare hikes before the end of the year
• Seat cutbacks: airlines announced massive seat cutbacks for holiday travel - cuts of 200,000 seats daily which are now in place. Full Planes = Higher Airfares
• Airline losses: airlines had lost billions of dollars and were very unlikely to be in the holiday spirit this year as they struggled, not so much for profits - they struggled to survive
• Checked bag fees: fees for bags (and other services) - which were not all completely in force at the time - would have tacked on as much as $130 roundtrip to a ticket

I wish I had known that oil was going to drop in 4 months from $150 to $60 a barrel - and not increase to $200 as energy experts predicted. Although that in itself wasn’t going to drive down prices as the cutbacks in seats were already in place.

I wish had known that there would be an epic global meltdown sending us into financial crisis that may take years to climb out of - a crisis that no one seemed to anticipate (and if they did, they sure didn’t raise the alarm). This caused millions of potential travelers to re-evaluate - and forget about flying.

Believe me, had I known about the financial crisis, I sure would have taken steps on behalf of my 401K - which I guess today should be more properly referred to as a 201K.

So what can Marilyn do now?

• Rebook to the New Lower Price for Free: Some airlines don’t charge a fee to rebook for the same flight at a new lower price, up to the date of departure - these airlines include Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest and United
• Rebook to the New Lower Price at Discount: As long as you are staying on the same flight most other airlines have a lower “rebooking same flight fee” rather than the normal (and steep) $150 domestic change fee (change = different flights); these airlines include AirTran - $15; Northwest - $50; Delta - $100; Midwest up to $100; and Hawaiian (note that the fee is $150 on American and US Airways for any changes).
• Rebook for the $150 Change Fee if Savings are Greater — If the price has dropped more than $150, for the same days or even other days, Marilyn should change her ticket and pocket the difference in a voucher - almost all non-refundable domestic tickets now have a $150 change fee (up from $100 in the past year); note that Southwest doesn’t have any change fees - while Virgin America charges just $75 and JetBlue charges $100

We spend countless hours each month working on technology to help people make better buying decisions and we will continue to do so and make recommendations that we feel are in the best interest of every air traveler.

In the new generation of flying, procrastinators will generally not be rewarded - outside of unforeseen external events.

Marilyn, I apologize for being off on my call, but I promise to work even harder for you and your fellow air travelers to make sure they make the best purchasing decisions year in and year out - with a combination of both technology and educational information - on FareCompare.com.