Sherman's Travel

JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines have announced a partnership that’s primed to make travel to the Aloha State easier than ever before, particularly for East Coast travelers. The newly inked arrangement will allow for seamless daily connections between flights out of New York City (via JetBlue’s JFK hub) and into Honolulu (on Hawaiian Airlines), allowing customers to book single tickets that combine travel on the two carriers.

The new partnership will be featured on Hawaiian Airlines’ soon-to-launch flights (on June 5, precisely) between New York City and Honolulu (where continuing connections are additionally available to Kauai, Maui, or Hawaii Island), on what will be the only nonstop offering on that particular itinerary (advertised rates start at $431 each way). Or, customers can book travel immediately via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where JetBlue operates, and Hawaiian Airlines currently offers multiple daily departures to Hawaii (rates start at $339 each way). Plus, the airlines have agreed to allow for reciprocal frequent flyer benefits between the two carriers. Read more

The Washington, D.C., area will be getting a lot more air traffic this year. Following U.S. Airways’ announcement that they will be increasing frequency of flights to D.C., Porter Airlines – also one of our Top 10 Budget Airlines – will begin operating daily roundtrip flights between Washington Dulles International Airport and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

This route is now the Canadian airline’s sixth U.S. destination (Porter also flies to New York, Chicago, and Boston, and has seasonal flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Burlington, Vt.). Flights will begin operating on April 16, with up to three roundtrip flights daily.

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For frequent flyers to Washington D.C., good news: US Airways is adding flight service to eleven new locations, mostly in the Southeast and Midwest, eight of which currently have no direct service to the downtown D.C. Reagan National Airport. Daily flights are also to be added to three locations, and Hartford, Connecticut is getting increased daily nonstop frequency.  The expansion comes with the reduction of US Airways flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport, although US Airways will continue to be the airport’s third largest carrier. (For a full list of the changes to take place on March 25, click here.)

Why the increase in D.C. and the decrease in New York? It comes as part of a slot-swap deal with Delta; the two airlines traded takeoff and landing slots so that Delta could cement its hold on NYC and US Airways could become even stronger in the Washington market, where they also note there will be a job increase. With increased holds at their hubs, the airlines can easily expect an increased percentage of the hub’s passengers (and their money).

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The rapidly expanding network of Scandinavian-based Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (branded simply as “Norwegian”) is about to get a major boost, with the announcement of 34 soon-to-launch routes set to roll out throughout the Nordic region. The new offerings are scheduled to kick off in March 2012, and will feature flights between cities in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland and the rest of Europe, bringing the tally of the airline’s robust network to nearly 300 routes, which spans North Africa and the Middle East, as well.

Some highlights from the new service will include: Bergen–Edinburgh; Oslo–Reykjavik; Stockholm–Corfu; Stockholm–Amsterdam; Copenhagen–Milan; Helsinki–Paris; and more. In addition to the service debuts, Norwegian will be adding capacity to 40 of its most frequented flight routes, with a particular emphasis on Mediterranean destinations. Starting rates are advertised from €27 ($37) one-way. Read more

On November 17, JetBlue threw two parties. The first was at JFK’s Terminal 5, just before 9am, with cupcakes, coffee, smoothies, and a three-man steel band. The second was six hours later in Liberia, Costa Rica, marking the airline’s inaugural flight to the capital of the Guanacaste province, JetBlue’s second Costa Rican destination and 68th overall. That party was co-hosted by the Costa Rican minister of tourism, and started with water cannons over the A320’s fuselage, followed by three men on a marimba, a woman feistily playing a donkey jaw, and six youthful dancers in national dress, featuring lots of flouncy skirts and sashes. To promote the new four-times-weekly flight, the only non-stop to Costa Rica from JFK, one-way fares through February 15 are $119 for tickets bought by November 30, and surfboard surcharges are waived through December 17. (Catching wind of JetBlue’s plans, Continental launched its own daily directs from Newark one week before, but without the donkey-jaw, dancing, or promotions.)

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Traveling to the Aloha State from the East Coast is set to get a lot easier next year with the launch of non-stop flights from New York’s JFK to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines. Though the new route won’t debut until June 4, 2012, the announcement has already got us thinking about palm trees and golden-sand beaches. Maybe that’s because Hawaiian has put the new flights on sale – but only through November 20. Book now for travel from June 4 to June 30 and one-way fares are just $212 in economy or $808 in first class. (See what they did there? 212 is NYC’s main area code, and 808 is the area code for Hawaii.) Travel on Hawaiian is a bit more civilized than some other airlines, with hot meal service on all flights to the islands and a range of seatback entertainment options. Visit HawaiianAirlines.com for details and booking.

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Budget airline darling JetBlue has noticed those temps dropping, and they’re not leaving us out in the cold. The airline – currently the largest carrier in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic – is rolling out a bevy of new flights this week from New York City-area hubs that will have travelers lifting off to the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica all winter long (and beyond). Plus, they’ll launch their inaugural flight between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten, providing a wallet-friendly new Caribbean island-hopping option in the region. Read on for the latest, and claim a sun, surf, and sand vacation from just $39 one-way, plus enter for a chance to win a JetBlue Getaways vacation, or nab a promotion to have your surfboard tag along on your next vacation fee-free. Read more

Access to Grand Bahama Island’s crystal waters gets even easier (and cheaper!) this November, when budget carrier Vision Airlines launches direct flights to Freeport from five U.S. cities:

• Baltimore Washington, MD: Monday, Thursday, from $99 each way (about $319 round-trip after taxes)
• Fort Lauderdale, FL: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, from $39 each way (about $199 round-trip after taxes)
• Louisville, KY: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, from $99 each way (about $319 round-trip after taxes)
• Raleigh/Durham, NC: Monday, Friday, from $99 each way (about $319 round-trip after taxes)
• Richmond, VA: Monday, Friday, from $99 each way (about $319 round-trip after taxes)

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London’s edgy Tate Modern exhibits and swanky Bond Street shops are once again just a flight away for San Diego residents. Yesterday British Airways launched its third attempt since 1988 at daily nonstop flights between San Diego and Heathrow, the city’s only direct flight to Europe.

British Airways last flew from San Diego to Heathrow in late 2003, but discontinued service when 9/11, mile-high fuel costs, and penny-pinching business travelers created a perfect storm for the airline industry.

Today, the route is decidedly more promising. Oneworld membership now links British Airways to American Airlines, and business travelers are finally returning to the front of the plane. For San Diego travelers, the appeal is obvious: A nonstop flight to Heathrow lets Southern Californians reach almost any major city in Europe with only one connection.

Starting rates for round-trip tickets are $895 in June.

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Richard Branson’s fashionable Virgin America has long been a Savvy Flyer favorite for its seatback on-demand TVs, comfy leather chairs, and premium drink selections (think Ghiradelli hot chocolate, Blue Moon, and Honest Tea). Our only complaint: The California-based airline should service more airports.

The airline took one step to remedy that today when it launched service from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. For now, the routes head west daily from ORD to San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX), though we have our fingers crossed for East Coast connections in the future.

To celebrate, Virgin is slashing fares from Chicago to five cities, plus offering triple mileage points on Windy City flights. Travel is valid between June 1 and June 30 or August 24 and November 16, and you must book by May 31.

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