What's in store for travelers in 2012? As this year draws to a close, let's take a look at what's hot and what's not for the coming year. Also--what's your top travel resolution for 2012? Let's compare notes. 

California Dreamin': I expected the price to Long Beach, California from Anchorage to go up after JetBlue stopped its seasonal service last September. But US Airways has offered cheap fares all season: as low as $336 roundtrip. Right now, US Air offers the rate through April 2012 via its daily nonstop flight to Phoenix. Compare that to Alaska Airlines, more than twice the price at $675 roundtrip to either Long Beach or nearby LAX. JetBlue's nonstop Anchorage-Long Beach service resumes May 25, 2012, so I expect cheap fares will again be available all summer long.

"D" is for Denver: Remember those cheap air fares we had to Denver all last summer? I'm confident they'll return--right around May 17, 2012. That's when Frontier Airlines resumes its seasonal nonstop service to Anchorage (they also fly nonstop Fairbanks-Denver). For most of the summer, you could pick up a ticket with little or no advance purchase as low as $275 roundtrip. Anything under $400 roundtrip is fabulous. 

Over the top to Europe: Condor Airlines is resuming its nonstop service from Anchorage to Frankfurt on May 1. The least-expensive tickets now available are around $800. That's more than last year, but still less than summertime flights via the Lower 48. Actually, for what the other airlines charge you to fly to Frankfurt in the summer, you can fly business class from Anchorage. So, spend 24 hours in coach, or ride in a cushy seat nonstop for about the same money. Hmm...you decide. 

Take a friend to the Pribilofs for $49: PenAir's companion fare still is available--and it's still an awesome deal. Pay the regular rate for the first ticket (more than $900), but  your companion goes for $49. Don't miss this deal, which is valid for travel through 2012. Purchase by Feb. 5, 2012. 

Airfare hide-and-seek: Get used to it. Cheap fares will come and go like the wind. Many of the deeply-discounted rates are not "airfare sales" in the traditional sense. Rather, they are "messages" sent between airlines. For example, if United doesn't like Delta selling cheap tickets to Belize, the carrier will start reducing fares to Delta's hubs. This actually happened earlier in December. That's why, for a brief moment in time, you could fly Anchorage-Atlanta for $384 roundtrip. Watch the twitterfeed for latest results.