FareFinder: Wednesday April 29

Miley Cyrus (aka, Hannah Montana) and Atlantis, Paradise Island are teaming up for the "Miley Cyrus Weekend in Paradise" package, which includes accommodations and tickets to an exclusive Miley Cyrus concert on May 16. Rates start at $499 per person, $209 per child (ages 11 years and under). No word on whether Jaimie Foxx is scheduled to appear.

Princess Cruises' Escape the Economy sale going on now. Offers include 2-for-1 deals on select cruises and free upgrades.

The state of Colorado wants you to visit, so much so that the state's tourism board has launched HOTDEALSCOLORADO.com, providing vacationers easy access to more than 250 great vacation deals from throughout the state.

Your weekly Continental.com last-minute airfare deals include roundtrip airfare from Houston to Acapulco for $159. Combine that with some really great deals on hotels and you've got a cheap vacation all set.

Delta.com's weekly web fares include LA or San Francisco to Kennedy for $99 each way.

FareFinder: Tuesday, April 21

MSC Cruises has rolled out its lineup of Theme Cruises, which include a Baseball Greats cruise, Golf cruises and cooking cruises. Also, the cruise line's Balcony Bonanza promotion for European sailings has been extended through May 31.

Aer Lingus Vacations is offering an Ultimate Affordable Luxury package that includes roundtrip business class airfare to Dublin, six nights in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, full-size rental car for a week with unlimited mileage and GPS Navigation, dinner at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at Powerscourt and more for $2,999 per person.

Your Continental.com last-minute airfare specials for the week, plus some from JetBlue and Delta.com.

Last-minute cruise special from Royal Caribbean: Three-night Bahamas cruise departing Miami on Friday for $249, or a seven-night Caribbean cruise departing San Juan on Saturday (disembark in Norfolk, VA) for $549.

FareFinder: Tuesday, April 14

Walt Disney World offers up The Magical Mother’s Day Weekend Package, starting at $499, and includes three-day/two-night stay at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, a 50-minute Swedish massage for mom and more.

The Buckingham Hotel in NYC offering two art lover's packages, one for the Museum of Modern Art and another for The Museum of Arts and Design. Each include accommodations and tickets to museums and start at $249 a night.

Princess Cruises offering specials on its 12-day Emerald Isles & Russian Splendors May sailings onboard its Tahitian Princess, starting at $799 with promo code UEF. Ask an agent for details.

Your weekly Continental.com airfare specials.

Starting June 28, Southwest Airlines flies from LaGuardia to Chicago for $89 each way and Baltimore/D.C. for $49 each way. And the flights are filling up fast.

FareFinder: Tuesday, March 31

Spring is here, which means golf season is, too. Marriott Vacations and the Faldo Golf Institute are offering “Class Is In” packages starting at $955 for 3-Day Golf Schools and $635 for 2-Day Golf Schools, which includes villa accommodations, personalized instruction and three rounds of championship golf in Orlando or Palm Desert, CA.

In honor of its 50-year celebration, the four-star Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is offering 50% off hotel rates through 2009 when you book your stay online in the month of May.

Your weekly, last-minute airfare specials from Continental.com and Delta.com for the week.

Carnival Cruise Lines' summer sales include $50-$120 in onboard credit for select Caribbean cruises.

Last-minute cruise deals on Royal Caribbean International ships include a five-night western Caribbean sailing for as little as $349.

FareFinder: Tuesday, March 24

VacationMyrtleBeach.com offering Grand Strand resort specials starting at $48 a night.

The four-star Post Hotel Weggis in Switzerland offering a two-night Spring Awakening package that includes accommodations, meals, wellness treatments and mountain bike rentals for $780.

Continental.com last-minute airfare specials this week include Newark Liberty to Bermuda for $149 or Montreal for $128 and Houston to Mexico City for $209. All prices are for roundtrip tickets.

Delta.com partnering with Sandals Resorts to offer a four-night all-inclusive vacation to Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa for $1,149 per person, including airfare.

The St. Regis Washington, D.C. offering a Weekend Traditions package that includes accommodations, breakfast at the elegant Adour restaurant and complimentary valet parking, starting at $395.

FareFinder: Thursday, March 12

Divi Resorts offering a five-day Girlfriend Getaway Package at its Little Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten starting at $585, which includes a $100 spa treatment, a $50 gift certificate at the resort’s on-site jewelry store and a $100 boat trip to island-hop over to St. Barthelemy for the day.

MSC Cruises extending its Caribbean Spring Sale aboard the MSC Liricia's March 24 and April 13 eastern Caribbean sailings. Interior cabins start at $60 per person, per day for the 10-day itineraries. Plus, kids sail for free when traveling with two adults.

Last-minute airfare deals on Continental and Delta for this weekend.

With March Madness one week away, tickets are still available for 2009 NCAA Tournament games in Greensboro, NC (first and second rounds) and Indianapolis, IN (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight).

FareFinder: Thursday, March 5

Sceptre Tours offering 6-night Ireland getaway at Blarney Golf Resort for as little as $599, including airfare.

Ridiculous Hawaii travel deals from Blue Sky Tours include four nights for two at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa for under $1,200.

Did you miss JetBlue's one-day sale? Here are some alternatives from Continental and Delta.

Speaking of JetBlue, they've just discounted some of their vacation packages with the new "Beachy Keen" promotion.

And while it's not a FareFinder, I pass along this contest: If you're looking for a vacation home on the cheap while helping the non-profit Veterans Retreat, check out this raffle for a 850-sq-ft Miami condo overlooking Star Island.

FareFinder Extra: Summer price wars beginning early

It's no secret that the airline industry is hurting for business. More and more airlines are slashing prices and offering weekly specials and Web fares.

Now, according to the Associated Press, Atlanta-based AirTran Airways is about to jump-start a price war that will give consumers even more of a reason to fly:

In a sign of great uncertainty about demand for air travel this year amid the deep U.S. recession, discount carrier AirTran Airways launched a fare sale to all its destinations Tuesday for flights through the middle of the fall. ... AirTran, a unit of Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran Holdings Inc., said its sale fares, starting as low as $39 one-way, are available for purchase through March 5 for travel through Nov. 4. The biggest discounts are for travel on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

According to the story, American, Continental, United, US Airways and Delta "quickly matched on routes where they compete with AirTran, and JetBlue said it would do the same."

Coupled with deep discounts from hoteliers, cruise lines and other industry services, there might not be a better time to travel.

FareFinder: Tuesday, February 24

47 last-minute airfare deals from Continental hubs in Newark Liberty, Houston and Cleveland

Apple Vacations offering three night, all inclusive values from $599.

Discount airline Southwest to begin Boston flights into Logan this fall

MSC Cruises offering 60% off Transatlantic sailings from Ft. Lauderdale on MSC Orchestra and MSC Lirica

Divi Resorts in the Caribbean offering up to 40% off vacation packages, as well as food & beverage credit

Vantage Travel offering 16-day South American tour, including hotels, meals, airfare and sightseeing, for $3,999

Carnival Cruise Lines' one-day sale is this Thursday

FareFinder: Thursday, February 19

JetBlue celebrates 400 years of Bermuda with $99 fares from JFK

Spring Training special for Minnesota Twins fans on Captiva Island

Mohegan Sun offers its own stimulus package in the form of $5 blackjack 24/7

Delta.com's weekly web fares as low as $59 each way

Continental.com continues to discount roundtrips from Cleveland, Houston and Newark Liberty

Young and Jewish? Free trips to Israel offered through Taglit-Birthright Israel

Consumer Upgrade News: Continental Trades a Star for its ‘Team

Ramsey Qubein is Travelin' Light's on-the-road correspondent.

When Continental Airlines announced months ago that it was planning on a major switch from the SkyTeam alliance to Star Alliance, a breakup date remained unannounced. Well, the light is at the end of the tunnel. Continental will exit the Delta/Northwest-led alliance on October 24 with plans to join the much larger United-led Star Alliance shortly thereafter.

The importance of this announcement to travelers is larger than it seems. Delta and Northwest frequent fliers looking to redeem miles on Continental’s large international network (and its elite set of partners, which includes Emirates and Virgin Atlantic) should make award reservations before the Oct. 24 deadline. And Continental fliers should redeem their miles on Delta/Northwest’s combined international network (including flights on the legendary Singapore Airlines and newer Kingfisher Airlines) should also arrange their reservations soon.

Domestic fliers should know that reciprocal upgrades between Continental and Northwest will cease at that time as well. However, now that Delta and Northwest elite members can receive complimentary upgrades on each airline’s aircraft, upgrades for Continental fliers are farther and fewer between.

Awards will be honored for travel past the exit date, but new reservations will no longer be allowed. If you’re saving up for the trip of a lifetime, Oct. 24, 2009 should be marked in red on the calendar!

Q400 Bombardier Plane Crashes Near Buffalo

A Q400 Bombardier Plane crashed in Clarence Center, a suburb of Buffalo, New York, on Thursday night. The flight, Continental Connection Flight 3407, was bound for Buffalo and originated in Newark. All 48 people on board were killed. The plane crash also destroyed a house killing one Clarence Center resident and injuring two others.

"At this point there is no information whatsoever as to what the cause may be," Collins said on Friday morning. There was no sign of a terrorist connection
to the crash at about 10:20 p.m. on Thursday (0320 GMT on Friday), said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Recordings played on U.S. television networks showed the control tower in Buffalo lost contact with the plane as it was set to start its approach. There was no distress signal.

At this point the cause of the crash is still unknown. Although the weather conditions were common in New York this time of year (snowing, 32 degrees Fahrenheit), experts say it only takes a small amount of ice buildup to impact aerodynamics.

One of the passengers aboard the flight, Beverly Eckhart, 54, was a 9/11 widow on the way to celebrate her late husband's birthday with his family in Buffalo. Although Colgan Air, the line operating the flight, has not confirmed any of the names of those on board, Eckhart's sister told the Buffalo News... "We know she was on that plane, and now she's with him."

FareFinder: Ushering in 2009

After a holiday hiatus, we're back to offer the best travel deals that come across the PTG desk each day. So, off we go:

Free Meals at Caribbean Resort: Guests who book four nights or more in one of Amanyara's Pavilions or Villas between January 4 and October 31, 2009 (excluding Presidents' Week, February 12-16, and Easter, April 3-17) will enjoy complimentary meals throughout their stay.

"Balcony Bonanza": Princess Cruises is offering couples free upgrades and $1,200 in savings on hundreds of cruises through 2009. Must be booked by the end of February.

More cruise deals: Travel to Europe on Oceania Cruises and you'll be rewarded with a $2,000 price reduction off two-for-one cruise fares, plus free airfare per stateroom on 18 of the company's 2009 European Collection sailings.

Continental.com weekly specials: A FareFinder favorite, the big last minute specials this week include roundtrips from Newark Liberty to Bermuda and Houston to Monterrey, Mexico for under $200. Book by Friday.

Delta.com Web fares: Delta is also offering some good deals online, including one-ways starting at $69 on routes such as LaGuardia to Orlando or Tampa, Salt Lake City to Las Vegas and Washington-Reagan to Reno. Book by Saturday.

FareFinder: Continental.com discounts make Weekend Warriors happy

Continental.com offers special eDeals on its Web site for weekend travelers, and depending on your preferred destination, there are some good airfares to be had directly from the airline.

Continental offers Saturday through Monday/Tuesday tickets on the cheap roundtrips for selected cities each week, mostly traveling out of the their main hub in Newark, which also serves the New York City region and Houston, with a majority of these fares falling in the $119 to $179 range.

This week's specials include:

Houston to West Palm for $179
Newark, NJ to Montreal for $128
Houston to New Orleans for $119
Newark, NJ to Greensboro for $119

There are about two dozen deals this week, which change on a weekly basis, so keep an eye out, but as always, Farefinder will keep you updated when more hot deals come down the pipeline.