Rival Virgin Atlantic is gearing up to start its LAX to Boston Service February 12. VA had to quickly discount it’s $149 fare to $105. United and American also offer non stop to Boston have dropped their coast to coast fares as well.

When taxes and fees are added, you can fly from coast to coast for as little as $231 this summer!! (When checking out VA, I actually found a LAX to Washington DC (IAD) for just $99 one way.)

Low Cost Virgin America actually started the fare war when announcing flights between Orange County, CA’s John Wayne Airport (SNA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for $49 one way. Offering low fares to promote new routes and/or to steal passengers away from other airlines is nothing new – and can be costly for the airlines. But in the long run, it is a win/win situation.

You need to be flexible when booking flights this early for June and July (the airline may change their flight schedule), but when you find the $231 fare – don’t wait. BOOK IT!

AND – if you’re adding a hotel to the flight, please contact me (310 823 4233)  so I can get you even greater savings!!

Seat comparisons charts are always important.  There is information on airlinequality. But you can get so much more information at http://www.seatguru.com.  At seat guru you can look up the actual plane you will fly in, and see the configuration of the seats.  The seats are labeled good, mixed, or drawbacks.  The location of the galley and toilets are noted as well as the emergency exits, and which seats have restrictions in reclining, etc.

One of my dreams has been for my entire family (my husband, son and his family and daughter and her family) to vacation at Walt Disney World.  We go to Disneyland about once a month, but there’s nothing like the magic at WDW.  I’m happy to report all nine of us head to Orlando January 1 2009!!

We’ve been planning for a year now – and were able to use our mileage points for the air tickets.  So I dutifully checked seat guru and carefully selected – when the plane was empty six months ago.  Well, three plane changes later, we still have OK seats – but not like what we had originally planned.

Also, when flying as a family – but booking separately – the airline doesn’t know you are flying together.  Even with the same last name.  A year ago we went to WDW with our son and his family and we got one of those calls you hate at 5AM in the morning.  “Sorry, your flight has been cancelled – and check online to learn of your new flight.”  Well, our families were on different planes!!!   I didn’t get to be with my granddaughter Mary on her first airplane ride.  I could see their plane outside my window.  We ended up arriving at the same time, which was good since we had a limo to take us to the our hotel.   But instead of nonstop from Los Angeles to Orlando, we had to go through Chicago.  This turned a 5-6 hour flight into an 8 hour day killer.

You may be wondering why the cancellation.  It had to do with the pilots having a certain number of hours they can fly legally – and safely.  So we had to go to Chicago to pick up a United Airline’s pilot to take us the rest of the way to Orlando.

If your family or traveling companions book flights separately, be sure to let the airline know who is traveling together so identical changes can be made.

Want to see the World … ItCanBeDoneTravel.com.