Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 30, 2007)

If you have been dreaming of traveling to Hawaii, now may be the time to do so with new specials for the end of April by Aloha Airlines.

The Deal:
Aloha Airlines is running a special for travel to Hawaii at the end of April. From April 23-30, you can fly from many west coast cities to Hawaii for $149/way. You must book your travel by April 3.

How:
Go to the Hawaii Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 29, 2007)

Starwood has started a new “Starpicks” program, providing discounts for travel for the upcoming weekend.

The Deal:
Save on Starwood hotel reservations for the upcoming weekend with the new Starwood Starpicks program.

How:
Go to the Starpicks Program.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 28, 2007)

Shows in Las Vegas are expensive. Mandalay Bay is running a promotion, however, offering 50% off of all tickets to its premiere show – Mamma Mia.

The Deal:
Get 50% off of tickets to Mamma Mia at Mandalay Bay.

How:
Go to The Mamma Mia Promotion.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 27, 2007)

Four Seasons hotels are very expensive. Hawaii is also expensive. But, there is a Four Seasons hotel in Hawaii that has a promotion for $221/night, which is extremely reasonable for a five star hotel in Hawaii.

The Deal:
Stay three nights at the Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai in Hawaii, get the fourth night free through Dec. 18, 2007. With the first three nights at $295, this promotion works out to be $221 night for the four night stay.

How:
Go to the Lodge at Koele.

The Inside Scoop:
The Lodge at Koele is one of two Four Seasons hotels on Lanai. The Lodge has a wide variety of activities including archery and horseback riding. As a guest at the Lodge, you also have privileges at the Four Seasons Manele Bay which is on the southern coast of Lanai, directly on an incredible beach.

Lanai is much more remote and quiet than the more developed major Hawaiian islands, such as Oahu and Maui. If you are looking for rest and relaxation, Lanai can provide an incredible escape.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 26, 2007)

Are you coming to D.C. for the National Cherry Blossom Festival? In case you are not familiar with the festival, it is a two-week long festival held in Washington, D.C. during the time the cherry blossom trees bloom (March 31-April 15, 2007). It is a great time to visit D.C., but it can be very expensive. Here are some good ways to save some money visiting D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Deals/How:
1) Hotels: Take advantage of the buy two, get one night free Marriott and Starwood promotions which apply to all of those chains hotels, including D.C. hotels. Here are the links: Marriott Promotion and Starwood Promotion. Be sure to look at not only D.C. city-center hotels, but also less expensive hotels in D.C. suburbs such as Arlington, VA, Alexandria, VA, Bethesda, MD, and Rockville, MD.

2) Airfare: Check for last minute airfare specials on www.smartertravel.com. Be sure to check for airfare into all three D.C.-area airports: DCA (Reagan National), IAD (Dulles) and BWI (Baltimore/Washington).

3) Transportation: If you are flying to DC or arriving via train, do not rent a car. D.C.’s public transportation system is incredible. Stay at a hotel near a Metro (train) stop, and commute into the festival area by train. If you fly into Baltimore/Washington Airport, you can take the train (which comes directly to the BWI Airport train station) to Union Station in D.C. If you are driving to D.C., try to use public transportation instead of driving to festival events.

For more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival, see the Official Website.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 23, 2007)

What happens when you miss your flight? Do not panic – in many cases, airlines provide you with free or low fee options when you miss your flight.

The Deal:
If you miss your flight or realize you will miss your flight, contact the airline as soon as you are sure that you will miss the flight. You generally have two options:

1) standby on the next flight (generally free) or

2) get confirmed on the next flight that same day for a fee

The Inside Scoop:
Your chances of being reaccommodated after missing your flight vary based on the agent who reaccommodates you and how late in the day you arrive at the airport. Generally, the free standby option only applies for the same day as your original flight. If you were scheduled on the last flight of the day, then you may have to pay a large fee to be reaccommodated. If you miss an earlier flight, you have a much better chance of standing by for free.

Being kind to the gate agent can often go a long way towards being reaccommodated for a small fee or for no fee. Also, the agents at the airport (as opposed to the ones on the phone) generally have much more discretion to waive fees in these kinds of cases.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 22, 2007)

Hyatt has a current AAA promotion available at many of its hotels. The special rates include a discount off of normal rates and free breakfast.

The Deal:
Obtain discounted hotel rates and free breakfast with Hyatt’s Breakfast Promotion.

How:
To book the deal, enter code “BREAKF” at www.hyatt.com or call Hyatt at (866) 816-3870 and ask for the AAA Breakfast Promotion.

The Inside Scoop:
Be sure to compare the AAA promotional rates with all other available rates to ensure that you find the best deals at Hyatt hotels. See full details regarding the promotion here.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 21, 2007)

Mandalay Bay is offering great deals for spring and summer travel. Unlike so many Vegas hotel deals, this deal is good on various weekend days.

The Deal:
Get rooms at Mandalay Bay from $109 and suites (at both THEhotel and at Mandalay Bay) from $149. This deal includes varies freebees, including 2-for-1 breakfast. This deal also applies during some weekend nights (weekends are usually blacked out for such deals).

How:
Go to The Mandalay Bay Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 20, 2007)

$100 has become the standard fee for changing most domestic tickets. For cheap airfares, you may decide that you cannot justify making a change when it costs $100. Before you get discouraged, inquire with the airline about the actual change fee. In many competitive markets, the change fees have dropped to as low as $25.

The Deal:
Change fees have dropped in competitive markets to as low as $25 (in markets where low fare airlines compete). It pays to check with your airline to verify what change fee applies to a specific fare.

How:
Call your airline to ask what change fee applies to your fare. If you purchased your airfare on a website like expedia.com or travelocity.com, these sites will also be able to provide the fare rules and change fee information.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 19, 2007)

Hotels often quietly ofter discounts on a second room for families traveling with kids. Many families needing two rooms often pay full price for both rooms without realizing that such discounts exist.

The Deal:
Obtain a second room for your kids at a tremendous discount. One of the best programs is the Hyatt Family Plan – obtain a second room for your kids at 50% off. You can even obtain the first room at a discount.

How:
For the Hyatt program, call (800) 55 Hyatt and ask for information about the Hyatt Family Plan.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 16, 2007)

Parking in Manhattan is expensive – but Hertz has a special offer if you are renting a car in New York City and also need to park downtown during your stay.

The Deal:
Obtain parking in New York City (Manhattan) starting at $14/day when renting a Hertz vehicle and parking that rental car at Manhattan Hertz locations. Though $14/day sounds expensive, New York City parking can be triple that price at some hotels and city lots.

How:
To find out more information, contact the following Manhattan locations:

12 East 13th Street
(212) 929-1156

214 West 95th Street
(212) 316-0128

327 East 64th Street
(212) 486-5916

355 East 76th Street
(212) 486-5929

210 West 77th Street
(212) 486-5919

412 East 90th Street
(212) 486-5923

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 15, 2007)

Airfares to Europe are on sale. Spring is a great time to go to Europe since the crowds are much smaller than during summertime and airfares are low. Right now, airfares from major east coast cities to London, Paris and other major European gateways start at $100 each way plus tax and fuel surcharges.

The Deal:
Fly to Europe starting at $100/way (plus tax and fuel surcharges which tend to be around $200) through the middle of spring. Airfares vary by the exact cities you are searching. Fares are generally lower for midweek travel.

How:
Use an aggregator website such as Sidestep.com or Kayak.com to find the best airfares.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 14, 2007)

Marriott is offering a $100 gift certificate (for future use at Marriott Hotels) for staying 2 nights at various Marriott hotels.

The Deal:
Receive a $100 Bonus Buck (gift certificate) for staying at least 2 nights at certain Marriott Hotels. This can be a great deal at hotels with rates eligible for this promotion that are very close to their normal rates. Be sure, however, to check all available rates when booking your stay as you would not want to pay a significant premium just to get a $100 gift certificate that you may not use.

How:
Go to the Marriott Bonus Bucks Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 13, 2007)

Senior citizens often get incredible deals on hotel rates. Usually people associate senior citizen rates with people 62 or 65 and over. But sometimes senior rates are available for people as young as 50.

The Deal:
By joining AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), you can often obtain “senior” rates even if you are not yet 60 or 65, since eligibility for AARP starts at 50 years old. Many hotels will classify a “senior” as someone at least 60-65 or someone that is a member of AARP.

How:
Join AARP for $12.50 at AARP.com. When booking a hotel, ask for the AARP rate.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 12, 2007)

You purchase your ticket and pull up a seat map on an airline website, only to find that all the aisles and windows have been taken. This likely occurs because only a small percentage of seats are available to be booked by ordinary passengers in advance - some seats are reserved for elite frequent flyers (generally 25K, 50K or 100K miles/year) and other seats are reserved for airport assignment only. So, if you book close to the date of departure, you may not get an advance seat assignment or might only find middle seats. But all is not lost -- you still have a great opportunity to get a great seat assignment.

The Deal:
Obtain a great seat assignment on what appears to be a full seat map by selecting your seat exactly 72, 48 or 24 hours in advance of flight departure. Why are these times key times for finding a seat? Because these are the times that elite level frequent flyer members obtain free upgrades to first class. Since those frequent flyer members often have the best coach seats, this is a great time to obtain a coach seat, especially if you have previously been unable to obtain anything other than a middle seat in cach.

How:
Go to the seat map on an airline’s website exactly 72, 48 and 24 hours in advance.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar 9, 2007)

Spring is a time for hotel deals – yesterday was a Starwood deal, today Omni is offering a 50% off promotion with the purchase of one night at full price.

The Deal:
Omni is offering a 50% off one night promotion (with the purchase of one night at full price) which includes a $25 dining credit. This promtion has the potential to save you a lot of money since it is not limited to the weekends. The rate is valid for stays through June 30, 2007.

How:
Go to the Omni Promotion.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 8, 2007)

If you are booking a Starwood hotel (Sheraton, Westin, W, St. Regis, Four Points), a promotion from last year (see Dec. 6, 2006 post) has been extended. This offer provides discounts for stays of 2 to 6 nights at Starwood hotels and resorts.

The Deal:
Get discounts at Starwood hotels (both hotels and resorts):
2 night stays: 20% off of 2 nights
3 night stays: stay 2 nights, get 1 free
4 night stays: stay 3 nights, get 1 free
5 night stays: 25% off of 5 nights
6 night stays: buy 4 nights, get 2 nights free

How:
Go to the Starwood Hotel Deal or the Starwood Resort Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
Before booking a Starwood hotel, use these links to see if this offer provides the best rate. Note that these promotional rates are non-refundable.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 7, 2007)

Car rental pricing is very unpredictable. Rates go up and down all the time without reason. There are often car rental promotions and coupons that are listed on car rental websites, membership club websites and this website. It is important to note then when you use a rental car coupon such as a buy three days, get one free coupon, the daily rates using the free day coupon are not always the same rates that apply without the coupon.

The Deal:
When checking rates using a coupon or promotion, be sure to check the rates without the coupon as well. Sometimes free day coupons are attached to higher rate plans – so it may actually be cheaper to not use a coupon.

How:
When checking rates, include the details associated with a coupon. Then logout of the website and check rates using a discount plan (such as AAA or AARP) but not using the coupon.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 6, 2007)

Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is having a sale – rooms are available for as little as $89/night.

The Deal:
Mandalay Bay is having a sale for rooms starting at $89 throughout March and April. Suites at THEhotel (separate all-suite hotel attached to Mandalay Bay) are available for $129, which is an extraordinary rate at theHotel during Spring in Las Vegas.

How:
Go to the Mandalay Bay Sale or THEhotel Sale.

The Inside Scoop:
Spring is a great time to go to Las Vegas. Mandalay Bay is a great hotel – though the location is less convenient than some of the other 4 or 5 star center-strip hotels, the hotel itself is very nice and a tremendous amount of fun. For $89, it is a great deal. $129 for THEhotel is also an extraordinary deal, especially for a suite.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 5, 2007)

Site 59, a website offering last minute travel deals (see Feb. 9, 2007 post), is offering $59 off its packages.

The Deal:
Save $59 on last minute packages at site59.com.

How:
Go to Site 59. After booking your package, on the payment information page, enter “HOLIDAY59” in the box labeled "promotion code."

The Inside Scoop:
Site 59 offers deals to those people that book inside of 14 or 21 days of their trip. The packages can be incredibly cheap when compared with what it would have cost to book the package in advance. This can be a great opportunity to save even more money off a cheap package price. As with any deal, check an aggregator website like Kayak.com to verify whether Site59 is offering a good deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 2, 2007)

You used to be able to obtain a bonus for signing up for an airline frequent flyer account. But such bonuses are pretty infrequent now. However, Omni Hotels is providing you a 1,000 mile bonus for joining the Delta SkyMiles program.

The Deal:
Get 1,000 Delta Skymiles for joining the Delta SkyMiles program if you are an Omni Select Guest.

How:
1) Join the Omni Select Guest program (if you are not already a member) here. Membership is free and provides great benefits when staying at Omni Hotels (see Dec. 4, 2006 post).

2) Join the Delta Skymiles program via the Delta/Omni Promotion Page.

Travel Deal of the Day (Mar. 1, 2007)

A suite in Las Vegas for $109. Unless you are a large gambler, suites are usually not nearly that cheap. But the MGM Grand has a new sale offering Bungalow Suites for $109/night for the next five months.

The Deal:
Get a Bungalow Suite at MGM Grand for $109/night. Standard rooms are available for $79/night. Rooms are available until July 31, 2007, but rooms must be booked by March 13, 2007.

How:
Go to the MGM Grand Deal.