Happy 4th of July for those who are celebrating this weekend. I often find the beginning of July to be a bit of a wasteland for air specials. Many times the good ones start getting cranked out in mid-August or so. However, I did manage to find a few good specials, so here we go for this week's airfare deals...

JohnnyJet found two airfare specials worth mentioning this week, both for travel to Europe in the fall. The best of the 2 sales is United/Lufthansa joint Europe sale from $422 roundtrip. Book by July 8 for dates both in the fall and into the spring of 2009!

JohnnyJet also found this nice airfare special for travel to Europe, which also must be booked by July 8 - Air France autumn sale offers Europe fares from $480 roundtrip. Travel dates run from the beginning of September to the end of October.

Kayak found an airfare special from now through the end of September for travel between the US and Canada on United Airlines. Sample one way airfare includes - Denver - Toronto $190. 14 day advance required.

Don't forget to check the Air Travel Forum - lots of airfare specials/airline promotions are listed, as are plenty of opinions!

image by Arlene Fleming

When you hear numbers like $130 or $140 a barrel for crude oil, it's kind of hard to imagine what that translates into for actual fuel prices.

I thought it would be good to find some resources that made it easier to see the real cost to airlines when fuel prices essentially double in a year.

I found a simple chart that shows the cost of fueling a 777 and other aircraft a year ago and today (well, at about $130 a barrel - it's now around $140). The simple chart from Air Canada shows the refuelling costs from mid-2007 and mid-2008. A very quick and informative read!

Many airlines have spoken out about the costs to the bottom line. American Airlines gave some numbers, and a pretty good explanation at how skyrocketing costs are adding fuel to the fire. The Soaring Cost of Fuel, and its Impact - American Airlines Explains...

...And Happy Canada Day to our Canadian readers.

image courtesy of Arlene Fleming