U.S. Airfare Sale

The Real Deal: One-way domestic flights from $39

When: Sept. 27 - Dec. 14, 2005; Not available Nov. 22 - Nov. 28, 2005

Gateways: Washington D.C. (Dulles)

Details: The lowest fares are not available for travel on Fri. or Sun. Additional taxes of up to $20 per person; no fuel surcharges. All fares require a seven-day advance purchase. Certain flights may sell out before the end of the promotion. NOTE: Tickets purchased over the phone are an additional $5 per person

Book By: Midnight EST, Sept. 22, 2005

Contact: Independence Air, 800-359-3594, flyi.com

Based in Washington D.C., low-cost carrier Independence Air has seen some serious ups and downs since its launch in 2002, but it appears to be on an upswing now. In our October issue, we've deemed the airline worthy of one of our Extra Mile Awards for going beyond the call of duty and granting travelers a free flight if their checked baggage arrives late.

Here are some sample one-way fares. To browse all routes and dates, visit: flyi.com

$39 to/from Raleigh-Durham or Boston
$49 to/from New York City or Hartford
$59 to/from Atlanta or Charlotte
$69 to/from Charleston or Savannah
$89 to/from Las Vegas or Seattle

Flights starting at $79 one-way are also available with a connecting stop-over in Washington, D.C. In many cases, however, the sheer inconvenience of a detour through D.C. outweighs the savings. For example: $79 New York-Boston or Chicago; $99 New York-Las Vegas.

In comparison, a one-way flight from Washington, D.C. is currently pricing at $62 (Continental) for travel to Boston in mid-October, and at $74 (United) for travel to Atlanta and at $99 (Alaska Airlines) for travel to Seattle.