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Want to get away? For $39?

Southwest Airlines said Tuesday it will sell tickets starting at $39 each way on some routes under 500 miles.

But you'll have to take a little road trip. Southwest's closest hub from the Triad is at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Details are lacking regarding how many seats it will offer at sale prices. Friday and Sunday flights aren't included.

Sale ends Thursday and covers travel from March 15 through May 25.

Delta, American, United, Continental and US Airways matched the sale prices on routes where they compete with Southwest, Tom Parsons, CEO of BestFares.com, told The Associated Press.

Fellow discount carriers JetBlue and AirTran matched on some routes, he said.

Something I mentioned in Sunday's Savvy Shopper column that might be worth checking out:

Get discounts, enjoy a free brunch and other goodies while supporting breast cancer research at Smith Beautiful Living (403 Pisgah Church Road, Greensboro; 275-6414).

The event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The brunch features homemade specialties by store co-owner David Messmer including triple chocolate muffins and almond cakes.

You can also register to win free gifts including a Vera Bradley drawstring Emma handbag.

Also receive a Kiss Me Twice lipstick case ($10) with any Vera Bradley purchase of at least $65.

Ten percent of net sales from the event go to breast cancer research.

RSVP by Thursday at 275-6414 or by e-mail to ruth@smithbeautifulliving.com.

Smith Beautiful Living is at the Village at North Elm shopping center.

If you're in the mood to splurge on your sweetheart this Valentine's Day, you might want to consider getting her a new netbook.

Best Buy has an Asus (1005HAB-PIK003S) on sale for $299 through Saturday.

Comes in pink, too.

Consumer Reports recommended the 2.9-pound netbook in its December issue, ranking it as the fifth best on the market, although it described the built-in speakers as "poor."

It noted a robust, 8-1/4-hour battery life as one of the highlights.

Features include 1 GB DDR2 memory, 10.1-inch screen, 160 GB hard drive and built-in web cam.

I came across this video review that might be helpful:

Books including Andrew Young's "The Politician," and Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" are returning to Amazon.com following a feud regarding how much Amazon should charge you for downloading them onto your PC or cell phone.

We were being charged $9.99, which I thought was pretty a good deal.

Not so, publishers complained, saying that price devalues books and needs to be higher.

During the dispute, Amazon stopped offering many Macmillan titles such as "The Politician," allowing purchases only through third-party sellers.

Good news? You'll once again be able to download those books at Amazon.com. Bad news? Prices will be higher, or $12.99 to $14.99.

From The Associated Press:

"Amazon, where new copies of Macmillan books were returning Friday night, had announced last week it expected to 'capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, and we will want to offer them to you even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books.' "

Expect to pay the same if you download books using Apple's new iPad.

"The new revenue sharing system will likely reduce initial profits for publishers, but publishers, authors and agents believe that setting a higher price benefits the industry in the long-term," the AP writes.

Good for the industry. But what about us customers, or do you agree with publishers that paying $12.99 to $14.99 for an e-book is a fair price to pay?

Get free Clinique beauty products when you spend at least $21.50 on Clinique items at Belk.

The free items are a cosmetics bag, moisturizer, makeup remover, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick and a mirror. Limit one.

Deal ends Feb. 21.

Learn about special Valentine's Day gifts, gourmet chocolates, roses, free brunch and more in today's Savvy Shopper column.

Super Bowl ads this year are going to be on the silly side. But they'll also be focusing on the public's hearty appetite for a good deal in tough, albeit improving, economic times.

From The Associated Press:

"Men march across a hillside without pants, toys joyride in Vegas and the miserly Mr. Burns from 'The Simpsons' loses his fortune but finds happiness. It's a sign that people are feeling better - or at least want to feel better - about the economy, experts say."

The ad line-up, according to the AP, includes cheap televisions by Vizio to budget cars from Kia. Denny's pushes its free Grand Slams again, Charles Barkley raps about $5 meal deals at Taco Bell, and the 1985 Chicago Bears' re-do their "Super Bowl Shuffle" for pre-paid cell phone brand Boost Mobile.

"Six months ago if you were optimistic or happy, it was awkward and people looked and said, 'How insensitive can you be?' "Allen Adamson, managing director of a branding firm, told the AP. "Now it's socially acceptable not to be sullen and depressed, but within reason. And I think the Super Bowl provides one of those venues where you can still kick back and have a good time."

It wasn't too long ago that I was praising my new Amazon Kindle app for the iPhone because I could download e-books at the relatively cheap price of $9.99.

Sorry. But that's too cheap, publishers say.

Bottom line?

"Amazon is probably in a losing battle with the publishers, but at the end of the day this will mean more expensive e-books for consumers, who will have to shell out several extra bucks for e-books," a blogger at PC World writes.

Call it the iPad effect.

"The emergence of a (potentially) strong distribution alternative in the form of Apple's iPad has given publishers the much-needed leverage to demand a change in the existing book model," an industry expert quoted by Reuters said.

A sneak peak regarding my Sunday Savvy Shopper column:

If you want everything coming up roses this Valentine’s Day, including how much you spend, here are some pointers on picking the perfect bouquet.

SmartMoney, an online Wall Street Journal publication, has seven money-saving tips on buying flowers.

• Weekday delivery: Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year. That means you’re going to pay a premium for weekend delivery.
• Have them delivered on Friday instead. At the office? Even better.
• Cut the stem length: Longer stems mean more expensive roses.
• Pretty in pink: You can save some money by ordering roses that aren’t red.
• Mix blooms: Try mixing that bouquet with tulips, oriental lilies and carnations to save.
• Check for quality: Do your homework to make sure you’re getting the real deal. Does the bouquet come pre-arranged? Vase included?
• Coupon codes: Check Web sites including RetailMeNot.com and CouponShack.com for coupon codes.
• Order a single stem: You’ll pay just $3 to $5 for a single, long-stemmed rose.

“It’s a romantic and economical gesture that leaves you plenty of room in your budget for a fancy dinner out or more long-lasting gift,” SmartMoney says.

We can only cross our fingers on whether the Super Bowl won't turn into a yawn fest.

But at least you're guaranteed to find some finger-licking good wings in these parts.

Today's News & Record features our annual judging of chicken wings just in time for Sunday's big game.

The winner? Buffalo's Bar & Grill (hot).

You'll also find coupons for Buffalo's in the Attractions Dining and Value Guide for Greensboro and surrounding areas and the Entertainment coupon book.

Other restaurants that were featured in the wing challenge have coupons available, including Shane's Rib Shack (both coupon books) and Nate's Place (both books).

Grand China has a coupon in the attractions book.

Didn't spot any for the other restaurants judged: Ham's (Web site is down, at least as of this writing) and East Coast Wings & Grill, at least in the coupon books. But that's not to say there aren't coupons out there. We got some Ham's coupons in the mail a few months ago.

Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes, one of the judges, says a Hooters waitress taught him how to debone a chicken wing at a law-enforcement event. Here's video of him: