Airfare wars

Got the money blues? The airlines must, too, because there's a new round of cheap fares out there.

Our friends at SmarterTravel and Hotwire have alerted us to fare wars at American Airlines and Southwest, and British Airways has also announced a sale.

The rub: The fares are fine, but fuel surcharges and taxes can really rack up the final price. And the best fares often limited to schedules that aren't always convenient, usually on Saturdays and mid-week. You know the drill: Book asap or you're toast.

Here are a few samples:

AA

American's sale includes a dozen-plus destinations from Fort Lauderdale and about the same from Miami.

The price from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles, for instance, is only $218 roundtrip ... but when you add in taxes, etc., the final cost is $260 (which is still a bargain.)

From Miami, you can fly to New Orleans for a fare of $162 roundtrip -- a total of $175 with taxes and fees.

SOUTHWEST

For this sale, you have to book by April 17 with at least 14-days' advance notice. Lowest fares range from $49 to $99 each way. Locally, Southwest serves Fort Lauderdale.

Sample fare: We were able to find a Lauderdale to Las Vegas fare of $241.50, including all the taxes and fees, but we had to hunt around for days when the cheapest fare was available. Lauderdale to Manchester, N.H. (near Boston) priced out at $183.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Book by April 10 for discounts on travel to Europe through May 25. We aren't talking dirt cheap -- we found a Miami-Madrid fare for May for $860 including taxes -- but BA will throw in a $50 discount if you book car rental or hotel through them with your flight.

Hint: You might do better to buy a cheap flight to New York, then purchase a separate ticket from New York to Europe. Case in point: We found a roundtrip fare from New York to London for $544.61; from Miami the cheapest we could snag was $797. But if you do this, be sure to leave plenty of extra time between your New York and Miami flights; if you miss a leg, you could have to pay full fare.Got the money blues? The airlines must, too, because there's a new round of cheap fares out there.