The Cheap Flights Weekly Roundup

As we enter the New Year, thoughts are starting to turn towards the summer vacation season, but there are still some great deals for those eager to take to the skies in the coming weeks. United Airlines has unveiled a host of post-holiday deals, including cheap flights between Chicago O'Hare and Las Vegas. Those hoping to head to the Sunshine State may well be tempted by AirTran's flights through March 6, 2007.

There have also been a number of positive announcements about airlines and airports in the US, as the aviation industry gears up for another busy year.

Airline Sales and Deals

Air Canada has launched a seasonal Saturday-only service from Toronto to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo.

Australian flag carrier Qantas unveiled a welcome sale on a number of popular Business-Class routes, including San Francisco to Sydney for $9,998.

Denver airport hammered, but not as badly as last time

Here's the good news: the massive snowstorm that hit the Rockies yesterday wreaked less havoc on Denver International Airport (DEN) than the one which pummeled the place just before Christmas, when 4,700 travelers were left stranded. The bad news is that this latest storm is bad enough that United Airlines and Frontier, Denver's largest carriers, cancelled hundreds of flights to and from the Rocky Mountain megaport. Other carriers cut schedules too.

Blowing snow and accumulations up to 28 inches in the Denver area will do that to you.

A check with FlightStats finds that today's forecast calls for heavy snow at times. Despite the forecast, United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski says the carrier hopes to operate a full schedule out of Denver this afternoon, conditions permitting. UA (the airline's code) axed 120 arrivals and departures yesterday (Thursday, December 28). Urbanski says, so far, 75 departures out of Denver have been cancelled today.

Wyoming airport gets busier but quieter

Wyoming's Jackson Hole Airport has seen noise levels fall in recent years, despite steadily rising passenger numbers, officials have revealed.

Guidelines set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have helped the airport - located within Grand Teton National Park - keep aircraft engines quiet, according to its annual noise report. And progress at this airport is indicative of the diminishing impact of commercial flights on the environment, which is "good news for everybody", argues Ray Bishop, Director of Jackson Hole Airport.

"All of the noise at the airport is well below our established goal and the enplanements have gone up dramatically," he continued. "There are more people on quieter and less frequent airplanes."

Mesa details latest Chicago links

Mesa Airlines has announced schedules and prices for the three Illinois services, due to start on February 1, 2007.

The flights will be operated by the carrier's subsidiary Air Midwest and will connect the cities of Decatur, Marion, and Quincy with Chicago Midway.

One-way journeys between the Windy City and Decatur start at $84, or from $108 round-trip, and tickets from Marion or Quincy cost from $99, or upwards of $138 round-trip. Taxes and charges are extra.

Comair strike action averted

Passengers booked to fly with Comair this weekend need no longer fear the prospect of travel disruption, as the airline's pilots have agreed to postpone strike action and extend talks.

Union leaders had authorization from the Air Lines Pilots Association to call a strike should Comair push ahead with its proposed wage cuts, though a compromise is still a possibility.

The carrier is struggling to emerge from bankruptcy protection and insists that it needs the concessions to stay afloat. The decision deadline has been pushed back to February 2, 2007.

New perks: Akron-Canton just keeps getting better

Already one of the nation's leading low-fare airports, Akron-Canton (CAK) has just added a slew of amenities designed to make flying less stressful.

The Ohio aerodrome, a key city for discount airline AirTran Airways, now offers passengers in the greeting area a Step2® Play Port for wiggly kids, a 52" plasma television for bored meeters and greeters, and comfy leather seats to nestle into.

The airport also sports a pair of breast-feeding stations, one prior to security, the other after. To take the edge off the travel experience, CAK is now fitted with First Class Seating® massage chairs ($1 per three minutes), and new bistro seating near the java Coast Coffee bar.

Air China boosts Beijing departures

Seems as if the whole world wants to fly to China these days; not just business types, leisure travelers too. To accommodate the demand, airlines are increasing service at a rapid rate. The latest case-in-point is Air China.

The Chinese flag carrier, based in the country's capital, will make the San Francisco (SFO) to Beijing (PEK) run a daily deal come April 1, 2007. Air China flies nonstop to Beijing from a quartet of North American airports: San Francisco International, Los Angeles International (LAX), New York Kennedy (JFK), and Vancouver International (YVR).

In our book, the name Air China ascribes to its First-Class section - "Forbidden Pavilion" - beats them all. In that pavilion, up front in the pointy end of the airplane, there are lie-flat sleeper seats. The carrier calls its Business Class "Capital Pavilion". It too features lie-flat seats.

Down Under deals, with a free Auckland layover

If you're headed to Australia, you may as well make the most of your trip to the far side of the planet and savor what the deep Pacific has to offer, and that means New Zealand. Air New Zealand is offering discount airfares Down Under - with a free Auckland (AKL) layover - starting at $944.

Not only are the places you'll visit wondrous, the window is wide open on this sale. You have until September 21, 2007, to take advantage of the discount airfares we're about to quote.

AirTran's audacious Florida deals

Florida in high season, for a low fare? That's what discount airline AirTran Airways is offering to folks who act fast, and take advantage of a quick-hit sale to the Sunshine State. Discount airfares start as low as $49.

Here are the pertinent dates: book and buy by 11:59pm (Eastern Time) today (Friday, December 29). Then, travel through March 6, 2007. You'll need to purchase ten days in advance, and fly Monday through Saturday. There are some blackout dates built in between now and March 6, virtually all of them scattered in February.

All the discount airfares we're about to quote are one-way. They are not, however, predicated on a round-trip purchase. Neither taxes nor fees are included.

Malaysia Airlines goes daily on transpacific route

Classy Malaysia Airlines is set to go daily on the Los Angeles (LAX) to Taipei (TPE) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) run. What's now six-times-per-week service becomes a seven-day-a-week affair on January 16, 2007. All of Malaysia Airlines' LAX - TPE - KUL flights are via four-engine 747-400s.

Those big Boeings are fitted for three classes of service: First, Business, and Economy. While the up-front cabins naturally shine, the back of the airplane is the best in the business. So says Skytrax , the independent firm that rates such things.

Skytrax ranks Malaysia's economy class best in the world when it comes to service, comfort, and cuisine. All those things make a marked difference when you're flying long, seemingly interminable transpacific routes.