This is great news for bargain-hunting travelers but signals growing desperation among U.S. airlines that have seen revenues drop 21 percent in July versus the same month last year, according to the Air Transport Association of America, the industry trade group that represents most passenger airlines. 'Everybody is fighting for your buck,' said Tom Parsons, chief executive and founder of Bestfares.com, an Internet discount travel Web site. 'It's definitely a flier's market.' But Parsons takes exception with the tactics of one airline that has joined the discount fare war: Southwest Airlines. When Southwest unveiled its 'Fall Savings' deals -- offering one-way fares from $59 to $109 for flights between Sept. 9 and Jan. 7 -- it included some small-print exceptions that Parsons insist should have been made clear in bold lettering. The deals included blackout dates from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 4. That's 26 blackout days clustered around all the major autumn and winter holidays. In his Web site, Parsons called it a 'Bah Humbug air fare sale' because, he said, the blackout dates make it nearly impossible for families with school-age children to take advantage of the deals. A spokeswoman for Southwest, however, insisted that bargain fares can be found during those blackout periods, depending on availability. But because the airline cannot promise those deals across the board, she said Southwest decided to list only the specific dates where the bargain fares are more certain. 'We are trying to be as honest and straight forward as possible with our customers,' spokeswoman Brandy King said. So, how do travelers know if the discount rates are available during the holiday season? King suggests travelers visit the airline Web site, punch in the date they want to fly and see what rates pop up. 'In other words, we should just poke around,' Parsons said sarcastically. As revenue continues to drop, British Airways has opted to sell advertising space where passengers are sure to see it: the boarding pass. Beginning Oct. 1, British Airways hopes to sell ads on all online boarding passes that passengers print from their home computers, said spokeswoman Michelle Kropf. If all goes as planned, she said the ads would promote businesses along the route the passenger is taking. For example, if you are flying to London on British Airways, the boarding pass you print may display an ad for the Four Seasons Hotel or Harrington's restaurant in London. Such ads have become common among U.S. airlines including Delta, American and Continental airlines, among others. But the announcement last week makes British Airways among the first major European airlines to sell ad space on its boarding passes. Over the past year, the airline industry has enjoyed a steep drop in jet fuel prices. As a result, many domestic and international airlines have reduced or eliminated fuel surcharges that typically are added to the price of airline tickets. But recently U.S. jet fuel prices have begun to creep back up, from about $1.50 a gallon in January to $1.75 a gallon this week. In response, Japan Airlines has requested approval from the Japanese government to reinstate a fuel surcharge on international flights that the airline had canceled in May. The charge, which will be added to tickets issued between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, will range from $3 to $69 per ticket, depending on the flight, according to the airline. Can we expect other airlines to follow suite? Rick Seaney, a travel expert and co-founder of farecompare.com, said more surcharges for international flights are likely if oil prices continue to climb. But he said he doubts that airlines would increase the charges for domestic flights, considering the sharp drop in demand. And here's a hotel campaign that could cause some marital strife: The travel Web site Cheapostay.com is promoting two New York hotels featured in the p AMC drama 'Mad Men.' The Sherry Netherlands Hotel and The Pierre were depicted in the TV series as the sites where the show's womanizing characters, Don Draper and Roger Sterling, had some of their extra-marital trysts. The Web site encourages visitors to 'travel like a Mad Man,' adding that a stay at one of these five-star hotels 'will certainly be an affair to remember...' Rates at the two hotels start at $368 per night -- marital counseling not included. 