With the economy in distress, there might be no cheaper time to Las Vegas than this winter as a sharp drop in demand forces airlines, hotels and cruise companies to slash fares, cut rates and lower fees.

In what might be a silver lining during a season of economic angst, travelers are finding some of the best deals in recent memory, from half-priced resorts to rock-bottom airfares.

An off-peak, round-trip ticket from O’hair International Airport to Las Vegass was selling for $244 last week, the lowest it had been in recent memory. No one could recall average fares to Hawaii falling below $300.