Do-it-yourself airport gates

Numbers released this week show that the airlines are set to double the fees they earn from passengers this year to nearly $4 billion. The Economist has pointed out this detail: "One airline stands above all the others for collecting the most from its customers to transport luggage and in complaints that those bags have been mishandled. This year Delta Air Lines has taken around $7.60 a passenger and received over five complaints from every 1,000 passengers." Sigh.

A special sale from Direct Air allow you to buy round trip tickets for $149, all taxes and fees included, and you can decide later who is going to use them and when they're going to travel. Direct Air calls this promotion its Family Ties Sale. Beyond the great price, what really stands out is that you don't have to have firm travel dates, and you don't even need to know who exactly is going to be doing the traveling. These options are almost unheard in air travel today. You can purchase up to 20 round-trip ticket vouchers for use between October 15, 2009, and October 31, 2010. After buying, you receive a confirmation number, which later, once you're ready, you can use for booking flights over the phone at 877/432-3473. These vouchers must be purchased by September 27. There are no blackout dates, but the number of Family Ties vouchers accepted on each Direct Air flight is limited. What that means is that it may be difficult, if not impossible, to use these vouchers on peak travel dates. Booking early is a good idea. Direct Air flies primarily from B-list airports in the Northeast and the Midwest such as Worcester, Mass., and Kalamazoo, Mich., to hubs in the Southeast such as Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Orlando-Sanford, Fla. Read more about Direct Air and other upstart airlines at "Flying Under the Radar." For bookings, go to VisitDirectAir.com.