Airfare

The free stopover in Tahiti is back. Each year Air Tahiti Nui offers a free three-night stay in Tahiti for travelers who book a trip to New Zealand or Australia. It's a great way to break up the trip and explore a bit of French Polynesia, too. The deal: The airline, the official carrier of Tahiti and the islands, offers three nights at Le Meridien Tahiti or Manava Suite Resort Tahiti . The add-on is good for those who book round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand, or Sydney and other cities in Australia.

Average domestic airfares rose 1.8% to $367 in the third quarter of 2012, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported this week. Huntsville, Ala., had the highest average fare, $522, while Atlantic City, N.J., had the lowest, $133. The average fare at LAX was $398, up 1.7% over the year before . . . . Not able to make it to New Orleans for the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, or Mardi Gras a week later? Get a feel for the streets with EarthCam's live webcams in the heart of New Orleans.

Domestic airfares have been climbing steadily since 2009, and there was no letup last year. But the uptick in ticket prices was not as steep as in the last few years. Domestic airfares increased 4.2% in 2012 compared with the previous year to an average of $427 per ticket, according to Airlines Reporting Corp., an Arlington, Va., company that completes the financial transactions between 16,000 travel agents and 187 airlines. The good news is that the fare increases have been shrinking.

Now that the obligatory holiday trips to see family are in the books, consumers hoping for a more leisurely getaway may want to keep their suitcases handy. Experts say the travel deals available in January are often some of the best all year. That's important because travelers can expect to pay more for airfare and hotel stays this year. Average daily rates for U.S. hotels increased 4.2% in 2012, to an average $106.23 in November, according to Smith Travel Research. Domestic airfare increased 4.5%.

After fuel prices sent airfares skyrocketing last summer, you may have sworn off travel to Europe. We can't predict whether summer 2013 fares will shoot up; looking at a sample now tells us they're not cheap - at least, not in comparison with winter fares. The rule of thumb holds true: If you want to stuff a few extra dollars in your stocking, go in the off-season. Because the weather isn't optimal and there are few school holidays, winter is typically the cheapest time to head to Europe, excluding the holidays.

Flying for the holidays has gotten a bit more expensive this year. The average airline ticket price for domestic flights departing in the last two weeks of December was recently $469, a 4% increase over the same period last year, according to ticket sales on Priceline.com, one of the world's largest travel websites. The increase is in line with airfare hikes earlier in the year of about 4%, according to Airlines for America, the trade group for the nation's airlines. A spokeswoman for the trade group said airline prices have not risen as fast as inflation over the last few years.

Emirates has expanded service to a dozen cities this year and plans to add four more by year's end. The airline, which flies nonstop from L.A. and San Francisco to Dubai, is offering a discount on travel this winter and spring on long-haul routes to the Middle East and beyond.  The deal: Early Bird bookings , as the sale is called, discounts round-trip airfares from Los Angeles starting at $1,436 to Dubai, $1,327 to the Indian subcontinent, $1,193...

If you're thinking about traveling out of the country next year, this Cyber Monday sale might provide early inspiration. Friendly Planet Travel features destinations from Dubai to Peru during its 24-hour sale with $100 to $400 off all tours. The deal: Use the code "Cybermonday" when booking online, and the discount will be applied. Some examples of savings: $200 off a nine-day trip to Thailand with airfare for $1,439 per person and $200 off a 13-day trip to South Africa with airfare for $3,199.

If your grim financial situation means you have to choose between flying for either Thanksgiving or the December holidays, you may get a better deal flying for Turkey Day. The national average price for a round-trip domestic flight for Thanksgiving is $420, about the same as a year ago, according to airline ticket data analyzed by the travel booking website Priceline.com. But the national average airfare for the span that includes Christmas and New Year's Eve is up 3%, to $444. If you had booked Thanksgiving reservations in early October, you would have paid an average airfare of $393, while the average December holiday airfare, if booked at that time, was $430, according to Priceline.

If you're spending a lot of money on a trip, consider buying travel insurance to protect yourself against the unexpected. Key things to know: • Typically, travel insurance reimburses you for such things as nonrefundable cruise deposits or airfares - and for the cost of rescheduling flights - when weather, illness, natural disaster or terrorism cause your trip to be canceled or delayed. Plans differ slightly from one another, so be sure to read the fine print. • Some policies cover medical expenses incurred outside the United States, and may pay for emergency evacuation in case of a serious injury or health problem.