A new season of deals on airfare and packages

It may seem as though we’ve entered the summer doldrums, but many travel companies remain feverishly active, searching for last-minute summer customers and trying to get a head start on fall and early-winter programs.

No matter how closely you studied earlier travel offers for August through November, you should check out several recently announced deals:

* Round-trip air to Hawaii for less than $300: In contrast with generally high fare levels to Hawaii, hungry Hawaiian Airlines, www.hawaiianairlines.com, plans to charge as little as $278 for the Los Angeles-to-Honolulu round-trip flight on at least one flight a day, midweek days from mid-August to mid-December.

* Buenos Aires for less: Throughout September, air-and-land packages from LAX to the Argentine capital will sell for $799 per person from Traveland, (800) 321-6336, www.traveland.com. The package includes Marriott hotel, breakfast, three half-day sightseeing tours and other features. Because of currency devaluations, Buenos Aires is one of this year’s hotter destinations.

* Down Under marked down: Though the sales have an “on-again, off-again” tendency -- and they sometimes disappear altogether for a few days -- many of the airlines serving Australia and New Zealand are charging as little as $699 for round-trip airfare this summer between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, or Auckland, New Zealand.

* Transatlantic for less: From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, (800) FLYEUROPE (359-3876), www.1800flyeurope.com, will offer round-trip transatlantic airfares as low as $459 from L.A. to London. It will fly you to Paris and other European capitals for only slightly more. Though the company offered even lower rates several weeks ago, those were part of a time-limited sale; the current prices are subject to availability.

* Madrid for a pittance: Starting Nov. 1 and running through early winter, Virgin Vacations, www.virgin-vacations.com, will sell you a package to Madrid (airfare, hotel for six nights with breakfast, hotel taxes and service charges) for $599 from Los Angeles. You must book by the end of the month.

* Those accessible Olympics: Bookings have been slow for this year’s Olympic Games, so it may still be possible to get a hotel room. The Games are scheduled to begin Aug. 13. Check with the long-established Greek specialist Homeric Tours, (212) 753-1100 or (800) 223-5570, www.homerictours.com. It has four-night hotel packages (including breakfast daily and tickets to four Olympic events) for about $4,000. Also check out www.filoxenia.com, a lower-priced source for private homes in addition to hotels. Locally, check with Cartan Tours, (310) 546-9662 or www.cartan.com.