Who knows if there will be another major airline merger in 2010? In general, mergers lead to higher fares and less competition, so I guess we should all breathe a sigh of relief. Continental seems to be uninterested in the whole merger game, even though the airline just announced it lost $146 million in the first quarter. That's even worse than its performance in the first quarter of 2009, when it lost $136 million. So even with all those despised new fees, less capacity, and higher fares, airlines are still losing gobs of money. Some valuable further insight for those interested in this article by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Linda Lloyd.

Los Angeles to Panama City, Panama $278 round-trip, incl. all taxes

This fare is available for travel on select weekends through late May. Some itineraries call for an overnight stay in Miami, but we can think of worse places to spend a night. Wanna book it? You might have better luck with availability by searching American's site.

Alaska Airlines' most recent web fares start at $59 one-way. Fare restrictions vary according to route, though most are valid for travel from May 10 through May 30, and require a 14-day advance purchase.

Fares are available one-way, and include:

Anchorage to Dallas $476 round-trip

Boise to Los Angeles $178 round-trip

Fresno to Seattle $218 round-trip

Spokane to Portland $99 round-trip

Helena to Seattle $258 round-trip

Las Vegas to Seattle $198 round-trip

Mammoth Lakes to Portland $258 round-trip

Seattle to Redmond $158 round-trip

San Francisco to Bogota, Colombia $334 round-trip, incl. all taxes

This fare is available on select days through June 30. Some itineraries include two connections.

Washington DC to San Juan, Puerto Rico $164 round-trip, incl. all taxes

This fare was available earlier today as part of United's featured TWARE offers (Twitter Fares...TWARE...get it?). 

Not "Best Travel Expert," thankfully, because that would really be over the top. But Airfarewatchdog's founder was named "Best Online Travel Expert" in the 2010 "Money 100" list, which is an annual roundup of the "100 best money moves you can make." We are very grateful for the recognition.

"Really and truly, I am very honored," AFWD creator George Hobica gushed, "but this honor belongs equally to our incredible team. This web site is first and foremost a team effort, and our fare analysts and other colleagues work amazingly hard."

Houston to Moscow, Russia $643 round-trip, incl. all taxes

This fare is available for Tuesday/Thursday departures through June 6, only on Singapore Airlines. 

By George Hobica

Airfarewatchdog.com

All indications are that many European airports will be opening, sometimes with restrictions, tomorrow. Of course, the situation is fluid, and if the volcano starts sending ash Europe-wards in the next few days or weeks, then we could have a replay. (Update: A new ash cloud is heading toward the UK, according to SkyNews)

The bad news is that literally thousands of people have been stranded outside their home countries, and these folks will get priority from the airlines  for whatever seats are available. So if you're merely starting a vacation or business trip, you may not get where you're going anytime soon. The good news is that airlines have provided full refunds, even on non-refundable fares, and many people have simply decided to cancel their trips or postpone them, which will free up seats. If you do not wish to travel, do not cancel your reservation on your own; wait for the airline to cancel your flight. Otherwise you may incur a change penalty. Most airlines are allowing passengers to make one schedule change for free.

The bad news is that airlines have slashed capacity between Europe and North America, and there are few seats to play around with.

Most British airports will open tomorrow (Tuesday) as will most French airports (Air France calls this a "partial opening"). Virgin Atlantic is still cancelling all flights out of London Gatwick tomorrow, and is not accepting any new bookings for travel up to and including April 30, 2010. It's likely that other airlines will also not be accepting new bookings for the next few days or weeks. KLM operated several flights today, and plans to fly eight more tomorrow.

British Airways and other carriers are requesting financial aid from their governments and the EU.

When the same Iceland volcano erupted in the early 1800s, it was active off and on for 14 months. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Orlando to Knoxville $55 round-trip, incl. all taxes

This fare is available on select days in May, from Allegiant Air. Remember to remove their pre-checked seat selection to avoid additional fees.

It is bound to be a chaotic weekend for international air travel as many major Western European airports are currently closed to all air traffic due to the eruption of Mt. Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland. This has already led to the the most flight cancellations there have been since 9/11!  No matter what happens in the next 24-48 hours, it is going to be very tough re-accommodating people. A friend of ours was supposed go to London tomorrow. British Airways is telling him it looks like Tuesday at the earliest. The airlines have to re-accommodate thousands and thousands of passengers but they only have a few empty seats. We're supposed to be headed for London on Sunday, but we're not holding out too much hope! If you are booked for Europe within the next couple days, you probably won’t be going anywhere fast.

For your convenience, we have provided a list of links to travel waivers, statements, and other pertinent information that has been issued for travel to and from Europe.

Aer Lingus

AlItalia

Air Berlin

Air Canada.

Air France/ Updated Cancellation Page

Air New Zealand

American Airlines

Austrian

BMI

British Airways

Continental

Delta

Finnair

Iberia

KLM

Lufthansa

Qatar Airways

Singapore Airlines

Turkish Airways

United Airlines

US Airways

Virgin Atlantic