My friend Alan Swensen had a saying: "Air fare wars are like buses. One comes along every few minutes."

It's true, of course. But finding the best air fares is a combination of standing at the bus stop and playing an endless game of "Whack-a-Mole."

You seldom know where the cheap fares will appear, for how long, or what days will be available. To try and plan a trip within these parameters -- well, it's frustrating.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have the "Silver Bullet" offering cheap fares to the places we love. Well, OK, maybe a bronze bullet: Just when you were getting cynical about those Club 49 fares on Alaska Airlines to Yakutat and Kotzebue, they've come out with some real winners:

• Anchorage-Honolulu $435 roundtrip. Nonstop on Alaska Airlines. Travel between April 9 and April 30 on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Purchase no later than Thursday, Feb. 23. 

• Fairbanks-Honolulu $515 roundtrip (same restrictions).

• Juneau-Honolulu $551 roundtrip (same restrictions).

• Kodiak-Honolulu $543 roundtrip (same restrictions).

It's easy to get all sentimental about traveling to Hawaii (I do). But there are some other great destinations and great prices. Let's take a look:

1) Anchorage-Philadelphia. Let's keep an eye on this market, since Alaska Airlines is launching service from Seattle in June. Right now, Delta has a great fare of $455 roundtrip between March 5 and May 29. Philadelphia also is a hub city for USAir -- and Delta is mad at them. Remember, when airlines are mad at each other, the traveler wins.

2) Anchorage-Charlotte. Here we go again: Charlotte is another USAir hub and Delta is cutting the fare to $455 roundtrip between March 5 and May 16. Remember, when you travel on Delta, you earn Alaska Airlines miles.

3) Anchorage-Atlanta. There's no telling why American Airlines is offering a good fare from Anchorage to Atlanta. But why ask why? Just take it: $475 roundtrip between March 19 and May 31. Fly Alaska Airlines to Seattle, Portland or Chicago, then pick up American from there. When you're flying on American Airlines, you also earn Alaska Airlines miles.

4) Anchorage-Dallas. This is a short little sale on Continental for travel May 13-27 for $455 roundtrip.

5) Anchorage-Phoenix. This is the Mother Hub for USAir -- and both Alaska Airlines and Delta are piling on the discounts: from $456 roundtrip between March 5 and June 17. Here's the backstory: USAir is offering a low-ball fare from Anchorage to Long Beach for $337 roundtrip. And Alaska and Delta are mad. That's good for travelers.

6) Anchorage-Long Beach. Tickets to Long Beach are the least-expensive tickets leaving Alaska to the Lower 48. Right now, from March 5, tickets are available on Delta for as little as $309 roundtrip. Those prices are good through May 22. After that, the price goes down to $295 roundtrip, when jetBlue starts flying nonstop to Anchorage.

7) Anchorage-L.A. area airports. The best deals kick in on May 25, when Alaska Airlines drops the fares to $327-$369 roundtrip to Burbank, Orange County, Ontario and LAX. USAir actually has some lower-priced fares, but I couldn't find seats to match.

8) Anchorage-Las Vegas. This is a winner on Jetblue: $395 roundtrip between May 25 and June 13. The prices go up a little bit later in June.

9) Fairbanks-Denver. Count on Frontier Airlines for a good deal on their nonstop flight between Fairbanks and Denver, as little as $454 roundtrip. This year, United also is flying Fairbanks-Denver, so fares should stay low.

With the exception of the Club 49 fares from Alaska Airlines, you won't see splashy airline ads for these low fares. They do not want to sell them. Rather, they are designed as messages to other airlines to get them to raise prices. So, carriers drop fares -- and drop them again, until the offending airline brings prices back up.

Watch for more special fares from Anchorage to Chicago, Denver, Frankfurt, San Francisco and other cities in the Lower 48. Between now and June will be very busy in the Whack-a-Mole air fare hunting grounds.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant who has lived in Alaska for three decades, spending much of that time traveling the far-flung corners of the state. Visit his website at www.alaskatravelgram.com. And follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/alaskatravelgrm for breaking updates.