Marriott’s Spirit of Aloha Tour, a month long traveling road show that will bring the vibrant sights and sounds of Hawaii to a dozen U.S. cities, launched yesterday with a traditional Hawaiian blessing at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix followed by a visit to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Marriott’s Spirit of Aloha TourThe blessing signals the start of a 5,530-mile journey aboard a 45-foot-long tour bus emblazoned with colorful tropical images of Hawaii, that will visit 11 additional cities, traveling across Texas and then to Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, St. Louis, Omaha, Denver and Salt Lake City with a final two-day stop in Los Angeles, February 11-12.

Hawaiian Airlines today introduced a short-term fare promotion giving travelers even more incentive to book a trip this winter.

Starting today, Hawaiian’s “Secret Island” getaway fares promotion offers a special e-certificate discount online at HawaiianAirlines.com that can be applied when booking a round trip in either direction between any of Hawaiian’s 10 gateway cities in the Western U.S. and Kauai, Maui, Hawaii’s Big Island, or Oahu. The special offer will apply to each island on a rotating basis for a limited time, so travelers must check Hawaiian’s website daily to learn which island is being featured.

Don’t miss out on one-way fares as low as $59!

Ready, set, go! It’s On with Southwest Airlines’ newest fare sale! Southwest is offering Customers additional discounts with airfares starting as low as $59 one-way to select destinations nationwide. Fares must be purchased by Sept. 3, 2009, and are available for travel everyday except Fridays and Sundays from Sept. 9, 2009, through Jan. 7, 2010. To get these special fares online, visit www.southwest.com.

American Airlines today announced changes to charges for checking a first or second bag. The charges will increase for domestic-travel tickets that are purchased on or after Aug. 14, 2009. The changes apply for travel within the United States and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The changes also apply to travelers on American’s regional affiliate, American Eagle, as well as AmericanConnection flights.

For tickets purchased on or after the effective date, the first checked bag will be $20 and the charge for a second checked bag will be $30, up from the current charges of $15 and $25 respectively. The current checked bag charges to and from Canada are not changing at this time.