Airfare Deals Too Good to Miss

A good deal on an airline seat always makes passengers happy. To begin with, airlines over the years have come to offer travelers less and to charge more. We must now pay for certain seats, pay for booking these ahead of time, pay for baggage, pay for snacks and often pay for the airline’s horrible meals. So when prices go low, travelers like me are on a high.

After all, great airfares make a difference. Lock down a deal and we end up with more money to spend on the fun part of the trip — sites, adventures, upgraded hotel rooms, shopping and dining.

So check out these deals. As always, be aware of the booking deadlines, the applicable flight dates and any extra service charges. Then, enjoy your deal. It’s always great to start a vacation with extra money in your pocket.

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Airfares

Airberlin: With Airberlin’s February sale, Europe becomes even more affordable. Book by February 12 for economy class travel from March 1 through June 15, or for business class travel from April 1 through August 2017. Among the U.S. cities that serve as Airberlin gateways are Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; New York City, New York; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Orlando, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tucson, Arizona; and Washington, D.C.

Sample roundtrip fares with taxes are from $469 for economy class seats and from $2,599 for business class seats. From New York City’s JFK airport, roundtrip fares are from $513 to Zurich; from $484 to Geneva; from $492 to Helsinki and from $506 to Florence.

American Airlines: In conjunction with partners British Airways, Iberia and Finnair, American Airlines is offering new routes and some deals. The new routes can deliver exceptional savings if frequent flyer miles seats are available because not all potential passengers know about the routes. We once nabbed a business class seat relatively last minute from D.C. to Auckland because we found out about the new route.

In addition, to promote the new service, the airline might offer inaugural discounts. American is offering savings up to 25 percent for flights booked by February 20 from Dallas Forth Worth to Amsterdam, beginning May 2017 with a return by July 15, 2017.

New nonstop routes include: New Orleans to London Heathrow, starting March 27, 2017; Dallas Fort Worth to Amsterdam, starting May 5, 2017; Dallas Fort Worth to Rome, starting May 5, 2017; Chicago to Barcelona, starting May 5, 2017; San Francisco to Helsinki, starting June 1, 2017; Fort Lauderdale to London, Gatwick, starting July 6, 2017; and Oakland to London Gatwick, starting May 28, 2017.

Southwest: To save money on Southwest’s spring flights, book by February 16, 2017 for domestic travel between February 28 through June 14, 2017. Travel to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is valid from April 18 through May 18, 2017. International travel is valid from April 18 through May 19, 2017.

Sample fares: $116 one-way from Newark/NJ to San Juan, Puerto Rico; $156 one-way from Chicago to Cancun, Mexico; $134 one-way from Spokane WA, to Phoenix, AZ.

Happy travels.

Discover more Lifestyle coverage here. Follow Candyce H. Stapen on Twitter: @FamilyiTrips