AirTran mega-sale runs through midnight Thursday

The airlines are throwing us a big hint. Don’t expect any summertime blow-out airfare sales.

Instead, focus on getting the biggest bang for your travel bucks when you plan a trip from late August through mid-December.

AirTran’s latest mega-sale runs through midnight, Thursday (6/13) with some of the lowest one-way rates seen so far this year:

• $49 Columbus or Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, *Pensacola or Tampa, Fla.; *Memphis, Tn.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va. and St. Louis, Mo.

• $99 Akron/Canton, Ohio; Austin, Houston or San Antonio, Texas; Baltimore or Washington DC, My.; Boston; Buffalo or New York City-LaGuardia, N.Y.; Chicago; Denver; Detroit; Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando or W. Palm Beach, Fla.; Hartford, Ct.; Kansas City, Mo.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; New Orleans; Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, Pa.

• $149 Los Angeles or San Francisco

Sale rates are valid on Aug. 26-Dec. 18, excluding blackout dates of Sept. 2 and Nov. 26-Dec. 1. Rates are not valid Fridays or Sundays.

* Service to Memphis and Pensacola will be discontinued after Nov. 2.

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Delta Air Lines and other carriers match the AirTran sale, but extend the savings to nearby destinations. Check out these round-trip savings:

• $140 Cincinnati, Ohio
• $180 Daytona Beach, Fla.
• $189 Fort Myers or Newburgh, N.Y.
• $198 Miami
• $238 Grand Rapids, Mich.
• $258 Las Vegas, Phoenix or Rochester, N.Y.
• $260 Colorado Springs, Colo.
• $278 Syracuse, N.Y.
• $298 Oakland or Ontario, Calif.; Reno-Tahoe, Nev. or Spokane, Wash.
• $328 Palm Springs, Calif.
• $338 Des Moines, Iowa or San Jose, Calif.
• $368 Sacramento, Calif.

To qualify, follow the AirTran rules above. Buy tickets through midnight, Thursday.