Plane BARGAINS.

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Author: O'Neill, SeanKountze, Elizabeth

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LOW-FARE airlines used to be like school buses with wings. But now discounted trips often include live TV and radio, leather-upholstered seats and plenty of legroom (but you may pay a premium for food). And you don't have to look very hard for a low fare: Discounters originate one-third of domestic flights. This year, travelers to Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., saw average fares drop by at least a third because of competition from bargain airlines.

What follows is the skinny on low-fare airlines. Ticketing tip: JetBlue and Southwest post fares on their own sites and not with Web travel agencies, such as Expedia and Travelocity.

AirTran Airways (www.airtran.com). The airline reaches 45 cities, most east of the Mississippi. Almost all service goes through its Atlanta hub, so expect a two-part trip if that city isn't on your itinerary. AirTran has bedeviled Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines with newer planes, coach seats with legroom that equals its full-freight rival and, on most routes, upgrades to even roomier seats for $35 one-way on the day of travel. When the 11-year-old AirTran initiated nonstop flights between Atlanta and Los Angeles last year, it priced the route from $218 round-trip (if you buy your ticket 14 days or more before departure) to $638 round-trip for a refundable business-class seat. Delta then slashed its average fare on the same route by half, to about $340 round-trip. (Delta's recent low fare was $224, versus AirTran's $218.) Later this year, AirTran says it will replace its commuter-jet service, Jet-Connect, with new AirTran planes. No meals are served.

America West Airlines (www.americawest.tom). Founded in 1983, America West joined the bargain ranks when it trimmed its coach and first-class fares two years ago. America West draws business travelers with its frequent-flier program, which Inside Flyer magazine rates as the best "elite level" program offered by a North American airline. Almost all service goes through either Las Vegas or Phoenix, to 49 U.S. cities (and 30 more through its commuter service, America West Express). Again, connections are the rule. Among the exceptions: a nonstop Boston-San Francisco round-trip flight that recently cost $262 (if you bought tickets two weeks before takeoff), versus $302 on American and United airlines. On flights longer than three hours, sandwiches and omelets are sold for $5 to $7. America West's fares are generally not the lowest of the discounters, with the exception of those nonstop flights on its ever-increasing coast-to-coast routes.

ATA Airlines (www.ata.com). Chicagoans must love 18-year-old ATA because virtually every flight it offers begins or ends at Midway airport. From there, ATA reaches 26 U.S. cities, plus Cancun and Guadalajara, in Mexico, and the Caribbean island of Aruba. (And ATA reaches 13 more cities with its ATA Connection commuter jets.) For the best fares, travelers should look at the airline's Web site on Thursdays for sale prices on flights departing typically two weeks later on selected routes. For example, a recent reduced fare for a nonstop flight between Chicago and Orlando was $149 round-trip---versus ATA's usual $175 fare, which in turn is usually the lowest nonstop price. ATA serves food for $5 on many long flights. This fall, the airline adds business class to all of its planes.

Frontier Airlines (www.frontierairlines.com). Last year, decade-old Frontier took on United Airlines in Denver, where Frontier is based and which had long been dominated by United. Result: Travelers heading to Denver or willing to fly through the city on their way elsewhere saw sharply lower fares. Recently, an advance-purchase, round-trip ticket between Washington's Dulles airport and Denver cost $258, whereas US Airways was charging $376. Frontier offers its best fares on its routes out of Los Angeles to Minneapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo. Overall, it cobwebs states west of the Mississippi, connecting 48 cities in the U.S. and Mexico. Frontier's latest addition: Philadelphia to Denver. Bagels or wraps are offered on flights longer than 90 minutes.

JetBlue Airways (www.jetblue.com). This four-year-old start-up has focused on becoming the market leader in connecting Boston, New York City and Washington with Florida and California. The airline serves 25 U.S. cities in all (the most recent addition is Sacramento). It is particularly pleasant if you prefer to avoid the congestion of Los Angeles International (JetBlue goes south to funky Long Beach) and San Francisco International (it flies into nearby Oakland). Boston to Long Beach, for example, costs as little as $215 round-trip, if you book two weeks in advance. On that route, even fellow discounter America West recently expected $257 to fly to LAX, and United, $246. Snarf all you want from the snack basket, but that's it for JetBlue's menu. Most competitive fares are for coast-to-coast flights. A tip when booking: Seats in rows one through ten have only 32 inches of legroom, but seats in rows 11 and higher offer at least 34 inches.

Song (www.flysong.com). Delta Air Lines' year-old offspring primarily connects the Northeast and Florida, with some flights to Las Vegas and Los Angeles thrown in--altogether, a dozen cities. Song replaces Delta's service on some of these routes. Look to Song for the best in-flight entertainment systems, but not for rock-bottom prices. Between New York City's highly competitive LaGuardia Airport and Orlando, a ticket on Song recently went for as little as $155 round-trip two weeks in advance of departure. American Airlines and fellow discounter Spirit Airlines, however, largely matched Song's rates on nonstop flights. Salads and sandwiches sell for between $5 and $8. Song's expansion is on hold while the company plots strategy.

Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com). The low-fare king goes to 59 cities (service to Philadelphia was added in May) and, unlike most major airlines, it doesn't have a hub. These two factors increase your chances for a direct flight. Southwest has also enjoyed the lowest complaint rate among all airlines for 13 years. Aside from leather seats on some of its planes, amenities are few, and seats are not assigned. (Visit www.southwest.com early the day you take off, however, and you could be among the first on board if you're flying solo.) Pricing, with up to six tiers, is clearly stated when you shop. Fares for flights of less than 900 miles typically range from $49 ("promotional") to $99 ("refundable anytime") each way, and fares for long flights from $89 to $299 each way.

Spirit Airlines (www.spiritair.com). Spirit is light on perks but right on price for cold-weather travelers--from Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Atlantic City and Washington, D.C.--to Florida destinations, plus Cancun and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The airline also serves Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Denver. Best fares are on the Cancun and Florida routes. Between Detroit and Cancun, Spirit recently boasted a $390 round-trip fare, versus $469 on Continental. Spirit may add service to 11 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. Bring your own eats.

Ted (www.flyted.com). This spinoff from United (Get it? Uni-Ted) was launched this past February. Ted offers flights to 13 cities and specializes in links to leisure destinations. Its busiest flight schedules are out of Denver and (since May) Chicago. Fares roughly match those of other low-cost airlines. Between Chicago and Las Vegas, for example, Ted's $227 round-trip price is the same as Spirit's. Salads and sandwiches cost $7 to $10. Ted plans to expand its routes from Chicago to the coasts later this year.

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By Sean O'Neill and Elizabeth Kountze, Reporter