Southwest adds 49 new flights

Southwest Airlines is adding 49 new flights across the U.S., with half beginning November 12 and the other half February 5, 2006.

The first round includes a number of new flights from New Orleans, including two daily round-trips to Dallas Love Field, Texas, Nashville, Tennessee, Orlando, Florida and Tampa Bay, Florida.

New flights will also be offered from Las Vegas, Nevada, with daily round-trips operating to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Providence, Rhode Island, Spokane, Washington and St. Louis, Missouri.

Special low fares apply to the Las Vegas service, starting from $69 one-way and available for purchase until December 8 for travel from November 12 through December 15.

American starts operations from new Dallas terminal

American Airlines started flights this weekend from the new terminal D at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas.

Officials at the airport are calling the new international terminal the most easy-to-use and efficient in the country, hoping it will benefit passengers.

They have also said that the terminal is already attracting new business and leisure travelers from around the world.

"Terminal D is truly a world-class facility in every respect that will provide our customers with impressive levels of comfort, service and convenience," said Tim Ahern, American's vice president at the airport.

USA 3000 planes sport Angels

Music fans take note: USA 3000 planes have been decorated with members of British rock band The Jones Gang.

The band, notable for their current hit single Angel, are appearing on the jets as a result of collaboration between the record company AAO Music/Reality and the discount airline.

A drawing of the three members Kenney Jones, Rick Wills and Robert Hart by Rolling Stones’ guitarist Ron Wood appears on the fuselage of USA 3000's jets, while their album title and logo is present on the tail.

Delta sings its last Song

Delta has announced it will be discontinuing its low-fare airline Song, which served key tourist destinations in Florida and California.

As of May 2006, Song routes will be incorporated into Delta's own scheduling, the airline said in a statement.

Song has only been in operation for two and a half years, starting its first flights in April 2003. However, Delta has been hard hit by rising costs, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September this year.

Gerald Grinstein, Delta's chief executive, called the Song airline a "great learning experience" for Delta, arguing that the "creativity and innovation" of Song would now be applied to Delta flights.

© Adfero Ltd

Allegiant's new route hailed a success

Allegiant Air's new route between Orlando Sanford and Stewart International Airport, Newburgh has been hailed a success.

Tyri Squyres, Allegiant's director of corporate communications, told the Mid-Hudson News that since the airline announced the new route in August, the advanced bookings had been "tremendous".

"It has exceeded our expectations," she added. The low-fare airline began the new route on October 29 with a sell-out flight.

Flights operate four days a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Prices range from $59 to $179 each way.

Swap your home for a vacation

One of the best ways to get a true feel of a place is to stay away from the tourist traps and head out to places not found in the pages of your guidebook.

I remember a couple of friends from Germany saying they had had a great time staying in the house of an old school pal of mine, he was in the process of selling it and not living there.

My friends loved the fact they had to go off to the shops in the morning to buy a bottle of milk and a newspaper, I think they even had a chat with the neighbors.

I thought of my friends when I saw the Home Base Holidays website that is based in the UK and connects people who are willing to swap houses during vacations.

Vancouver: Canada at its finest

Few people venture out to Canada's west coast, preferring to check out Quebec City, Montreal and Prince Edward Island. This is completely understandable, as each of those has a lot to offer, but those willing to travel to the other side of the country will be greatly rewarded by the city of Vancouver.

The city is surrounded by natural beauty. The Coast Mountain range sits just to its north, while to the West is the Georgia Straight, which gradually becomes the Pacific Ocean.

Inside the city, the nature is just as good. The 1,000 acre Stanley Park, is the city's oldest and is the Canadian answer to New York's Central Park. It sits right along the water and in the heart of Vancouver's downtown. It is the perfect place for a walk or a picnic.

For a taste of the old Mexico head to Baja California

It was only a few years ago that a highway was completed that ran from north to south along the entire peninsula of Baja California.

Before the highway’s completion parts of the 1,200 mile trek from Tijuana to Cabos San Lucas were on dirt roads with nothing but tire tracks to show the way.

Even with the highway, which is just a one-lane road going in both directions, Baja California remains remote and sparsely populated.

The result is a stunning example of a Mexico prior to the tourism boom, where fishing villages still exist and visitors can have miles of golden beaches all to themselves.

Alaska adds another flight to Mexico

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has announced that it is adding another route to Mexico.

Starting October 30, Alaska will offer an additional daily flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City.

The route will also offer one-stop continuing service to both Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

The flight will leave Los Angeles at 10:20 am and arrive in the Mexican capital at 3:55 pm. The return flight will leave Mexico City at 4:55 pm and arrive at 10:43 pm.

New international route from Continental

Continental Airlines has announced that in May it will launch a new international route from its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Starting on May 10, 2006, the airline will fly direct from Newark to Cologne, Germany.

While the route is still subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (D.O.T.) approval, if accepted it would become the first scheduled service between the U.S. and Cologne since 1990.