Airfare Expert: Six cheapest summer vacation destinations

— -- Airfare prices are going crazy this summer. Okay, let me amend that: they're not the worst we've ever seen, but there are no steals. And it's likely to get worse for terminal procrastinators, so do not wait to the last minute. If you'll be traveling through early July, start shopping now.

Is any destination cheap this year?

Yes, but not in the conventional sense. Certainly not like some of the deals we saw in the summer of 2009 such as San Francisco to Honolulu for a round-trip total of $284. This year, your goal is to find the best of the not-so-hot deals.

That said, some destinations are cheaper than others and here are six of the less expensive spots:

•Boston

•Denver

•Florida (panhandle and southern beaches)

•Los Angeles area

•Orlando

•Washington, D.C.

What do these destinations have in common?

A lot of competition - but somewhat less demand from business travelers (think New York and Chicago). Washington, D.C., makes my list because Reagan National is expected to see a lot more competition for leisure travel now that several discount carriers have applied for slots to that city-close airport including JetBlue, Southwest and Virgin America. All hope to begin flying there later this summer - and don't forget about the competition from nearby Baltimore (BWI). As for Orlando, thank Mickey and Harry Potter (Disney World and Universal, respectively) for making this an automatic tourism-draw, one that several airlines compete fiercely over.

Flying to the Los Angeles area

There are a bunch of Southern California airports that can be cheap to fly to, depending on your departure city. As a huge hub, Los Angeles International (LAX) will have relatively reasonable fares - often the cheapest - but some of the best deals we've seen recently are in-and-out of Long Beach (LGB) which is just south of LAX and a focus city for discounter JetBlue. We recently saw JetBlue flights in July from San Francisco to Long Beach for just $67 each-way.

And don't forget the looming presence of Southwest Airlines at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank (BUR). John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA), the nearest airport to Disneyland, offers legacy carrier flights plus Frontier, Canada's WestJet and, starting in June, AirTran.

Flying to the Florida panhandle region

The upper northwestern part of the state has about 200 miles of beaches - a lot of them covered in picture-perfect white sand - surrounded by hotels to fit any budget. Fly into Pensacola (PNS) which is served by the legacy carriers and AirTran or Northwest Florida Beaches International (ECP), a fairly new facility called a 'relocation' of the old Panama City Airport manned by Delta and Southwest.

Anything else I should know?

I'll say it again: Don't wait until the last minute to buy airfare this year! You should be shopping early - within three months of departure. We do not expect to see last-minute steals. Could some crop up? Anything's possible - but take that gamble only if you're okay with sitting at home in case those last-minute bargains do not materialize.

FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick ( @rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.