Now could be the best time in years for travelers to fly, at least to some destinations.

Across the country, airlines are dropping fares — just a year after many airlines cut capacity and drove up fares in the face of soaring fuel costs.

But in the midst of the current recession, demand appears to have fallen faster than the available seats.

Even out of small airports such as Redmond, there are plenty of good deals to be had.

“Even with airlines having cut back on their capacity, still with the economic downturn, fewer people are traveling, or they’re coming up with ways to get around flying,” says Doreen Loofburrow, the director of travel for AAA in Oregon and Idaho. “If you are willing to be flexible on when you go, the great news is you can travel for a lot less than you did a year ago.”

Airlines tend to discount travel in late spring, either late April or May, more than peak times during the summer. Add a recession and in some cases that discounting can be deep.

Loofburrow says destinations that stand out include warm-weather locales such as Las Vegas, Hawaii and Mexico.

Indeed, there is no more inexpensive place to fly from Redmond Airport than Las Vegas.

Allegiant Air, which offers nonstop service two days a week from Redmond to Las Vegas and the Phoenix area, is currently offering one-way fares as low as $29 to both destinations.

“Any really hot resort destinations in the last five years — Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas — that have added a lot of hotel capacity, now they’re really reducing rates to fill those hotel rooms,” Loofburrow says. “There’s a lot of space to fill.”

Bernie Reumann, who owns Bend travel agency Golf Getaways, agrees.

He has seen particularly good rates on travel from Portland or San Francisco to Hawaii. But, he says, the discounts are limited to specific routes.

“The reduction in airfares is only in certain markets, so it is quite regional,” Reumann says. “San Francisco to Honolulu or Maui is very low, but not to Kona, as an example. It costs $400 more to fly to Kona. Go figure.”

So what are some of those deals?

Travelers can book a roundtrip flight in March from Portland to Honolulu on Northwest Airlines, through its Web site www.nwa.com, for as low as $293.20, including taxes and fees.

Even international destinations can be a steal.

British Airways is advertising late-spring fares from Seattle to London for $295 each way, as well as two nights free in a London hotel.

But Central Oregonians need not necessarily make the drive to Portland, Seattle or San Francisco to find a deal.

A check on www.alaska airlines.com showed that a roundtrip base fare on Horizon/Alaska Airlines to resort town Los Cabos, Mexico, was identical, at $332.20, from both Redmond and Portland. The fares were for the same days, midweek, in May.

Of course, Redmond’s exposure to the deals is limited in comparison with Portland because only four airlines operate out of Redmond Airport, and most flights use smaller, regional aircraft.

“The regional carriers are a little different, and a tough thing for an airport like Redmond is that you’ve lost a little capacity,” Loofburrow says. “But it all trickles down. So I would venture to guess that even Redmond flights are probably a little bit less for the same destinations.

“But definitely flying out of a bigger airport, if (travelers) are willing to drive to Portland, there might be more specials available.”

How long the deals last is uncertain.

And to grab the best deals, travelers must be flexible with both their schedules and the airports they use.

For instance, midweek travel is often less expensive than flights on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Flight aggregating Web sites such as kayak.com and sidestep .com, or a travel agent, can help would-be travelers find the best deals.

Even for professionals, finding the best deal can be a challenge.

Says Reumann: “Airline pricing is a mysterious science and one that does not always make a lot of sense.”

Where to find deals

Looking to get away? Here are some handy Web sites that can help you find the best deal.

www.kayak.com

www.sidestep.com

www.travelzoo.com

Some low-cost airfares

Airfares as of Thursday at noon, which may not still be available. Prices are the roundtrip base fare and do not include taxes and fees, which can vary dramatically from flight to flight.

Sources: sidestep.com,

allegiantair.com

Redmond-Las Vegas

Air carrier: Allegiant

Departs: April 5

Returns: April 9

Cost: $58

Portland-Kahului, Maui

Air carrier: Hawaiian

Departs: May 28

Returns: June 5

Cost: $258.24

Portland-Honolulu

Air carrier: Northwest

Departs: March 9

Returns: March 17

Cost: $255.43

Redmond-Cancun, Mexico

Air carrier: Alaska/Horizon

Departs: April 7

Returns: April 15

Cost: $288

Portland-Miami

Air carrier: Continental

Departs: May 13

Returns: May 20

Cost: $198

Redmond- Phoenix-Mesa

Air carrier: Allegiant

Departs: April 7

Returns: April 10

Cost: $58

Seattle-London

Air carrier: American

Departs: April 27

Returns: May 12

Cost: $355

Seattle-Paris

Air carrier: Northwest

Departs: May 4

Returns: May 26

Cost: $487

San Francisco-Rome

Air carrier: Continental

Departs: April 25

Returns: May 2

Cost: $530