More flights, more savings from Chicago to Tel Aviv

El Al has just introduced more flights, and more savings, on its Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Tel Aviv (TLV) route. Now, not only are there a quartet of weekly departures, but El Al is offering a great companion deal on business-class tickets: $3,061 per person, round-trip.

Two passengers flying together in El Al Platinum Business Class can land this discount airfare. They’ll need to make reservations, purchase tickets, and fly together on all flight segments. The deal is good for some time, through March 25, 2007 to be precise. This discount airfare does not include taxes or fees. They’re extra.

El Al is making it easier than ever to fly from the Midwest to Israel. Its direct flights now depart Sundays, Mondays. Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This is not seasonal service. It’s year-round.

Aeromexico adds service to two key U.S. cities

Headed to Mexico City from either Orlando of Houston? Your options are about to open up.

Aeromexico boosts flights from Orlando International (MC) to Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International on November 20. Instead of four weekly departures, service goes daily. December 11 through January 7 the Mexican flag carrier will field a pair of daily MCO – MEX flights, just to accommodate seasonal demand.

The non-seasonal flight departs Orlando at 5pm daily, and pulls up to the gate in Mexico City at 7:40pm. The return circuit leaves MEX at 7:10pm, arriving MCO at 9:50pm.

AirTran’s frightfully delicious deals

No trick, just treat. Discount airline AirTran Airways is putting all of its cities on sale this season with discount airfares as low as $39. To take advantage of Halloween savings, you have to book by Thursday, November 9. That enables you to fly through March 1, 2007.

AirTran’s lowest discount airfares are available for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Somewhat higher discounts can be had Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, but never on Sunday. That’s traditionally the heaviest travel day of the week. Peak period discount deals are hard to come by.

The discount airfares we’re about to quote exclude taxes and fees. They’re extra. There's also a ten-day advance purchase requirement.

Air Canada simplifies fares

The national carrier north of the border, Air Canada, has announced changes to its ticket pricing and booking structure to make the process more transparent.

A redesigned Web site advertising the airline's range of fares - including Tango, Tango Plus, Latitude, and Executive - has been launched in order to make the benefits and price of each offering clearer.

Passengers will also be able to customize their travel (and potentially save money) by choosing to add services for a supplement, such as advance seat booking, or decline benefits included automatically, such as in-flight meals or baggage checking.

Skybus closer to start-up, orders planes

The new low-fare Columbus-based airline Skybus has placed a firm order for 65 Airbus A319 aircraft as it gears up for starting service early next year.

Skybus' order is the largest ever by a U.S. carrier, Airbus says. It is a clear signal of intent from the start-up airline, which hopes to compete with such market giants as Southwest, JetBlue, and US Airways.

"The significantly lower cost base delivered by operating the A319 will enable Skybus to deliver really low fares to our customers at our headquarters in Columbus," said Skybus CEO Bill Diffenderffer.

AirTran searches for new discount ideas

AirTran Airways is asking its customers for ideas for new low-cost routes.

The discount carrier is encouraging passengers to vote at www.airtran.com/nextcity for the destinations they would most like to see added to the schedules.

A pre-selected list of 49 different destination cities from across the United States is featured on the site and voters are asked to select one of the potential new markets.

United forges new links in D.C.

In the past few days, United Airlines has strengthened its international connections from Washington, D.C., with two new direct services to major destinations in Asia and the Middle East.

On October 28, the airline started nonstop service to Kuwait City, the only commercial carrier in the United States to offer such a route. The following day, United also celebrated the launch of a direct service between its Washington Dulles hub and the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

The service to Kuwait City operates daily, leaving Dulles International at 9.51pm, arriving in the Middle East at 4.50pm the following day. The return leg leaves at 12.35am, landing at 6.37am the same day (all times local).

US Airways cuts fares out of Huntingdon, WV

US Airways has announced that it is slashing fares on routes out of Huntingdon, West Virginia, by up to 23 percent.

The low-cost airline is reducing walk-up ticket prices by up to 20 percent and advance purchase fares by up to 23 percent on flights to 131 markets across the country.

Some of the largest savings are available on flights to St Louis, where the new walk-up fare of $121 is a 20 percent saving on the previous listed price and the advance purchase fare of $114 is 21 percent cheaper.

Memphis rearranges airport roadways

Heads up if you’re driving to Memphis International Airport (MEM). Major airport roadway work is underway, and construction will be going on until early 2008.

A spacious new inbound roadway, replete with five lanes, will be built to the west of the present two-lane system. This will eliminate the traffic signal and intersection on the current route, and that should render passenger pick-up and drop-off far more convenient.

That’s the big piece of the project, but work has also begun at Memphis in realigning and widening the roadways to the airport hotel, connections to existing curbside ramps, and roadways to the garage. This roadway effort too is expected to be finished in early 2008.

Air Canada lofts seasonal Calgary-Fort Lauderdale flights

Calgary (YYC) is a perfectly nice place, wide open and wondrous, but it can get, ah, cold this time of year. To that end, Air Canada has launched nonstop service from the Alberta metropolis to warmer climes - specifically, Fort Lauderdale (FLL).

Initially, the service operates just once a week, on Sundays. Come December 17, however, when the Arctic winds really begin to announce themselves, flights go thrice-weekly: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This will afford flyers lots more there-and-back flexibility.

A 120-seat Airbus A319 makes the trip south. It’s fitted with both Executive and Economy seating.