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

Springtime is wedding season. If you are going to a wedding, beware of the “wedding rate” when booking a hotel room at the wedding.

The Deal:
When a hotel blocks rooms for a wedding, they often create a group rate for people staying at the hotel for a wedding. This rate often (but not always) is higher than the lowest available (discounted) rate for guests not involved with the wedding. This is either because the hotel is giving a free room away to the wedding couple and must recoup the cost of that room (by raising the wedding rate), or the hotel figures wedding guests will not shop around for the lowest rates. So, as a savvy consumer, when booking a hotel for a wedding, find out the wedding rate and the discounted rates otherwise available. Also, check into rates at neighboring hotels.

How:
When booking a hotel for a wedding:
1) Find out the wedding rate;
2) Find out the discounted rates at the hotel for non-wedding guests;
3) Find out rates at neighboring hotels (as noted in the Nov. 24, 2006 post, if you are willing to be in the “area” of the wedding, but possibly not be at the exact hotel, you can save big).

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

If you are booking at any of the budget-oriented Choice Hotels (such as Comfort Inn or Comfort Suites), you can save 20% off of normal rates (which is usually a greater discount than most membership organizations such as AAA) by using a link from smarterliving.com.

The Deal:
Save 20% off of Choice Hotels (which are usally among the most discounted hotels in any area) by using a link from smarterliving.com.

How:
1) Go to smarterliving.com and click on the “click here” discount link.
2) From the “select rate program” menu, select “Significant Organization Savings Rate” from the list of discount options.

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

Marriott is offering a new promotion for its Hawaii hotels – free breakfast and a free night.

The Deal:
Get your fourth or fifth night free and free breakfast at various Hawaii Marriott hotels for stays until December 22, 2007.

How:
Go to the Marriott Sand Dollar Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
Whether this is a good deal depends on the other rates available on the days you are traveling. Before you book this rate, be sure to compare standard rates and then add in the value of the free night and free breakfast.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 25, 2007)

Coast-to-coast fares have been dropping to extremely low levels, especially given the price of oil. Here is an example of a great fare.

The Deal:
Fares from Birmingham to Phoenix are now at $49/way on most major air carriers for travel through August 24, 2007.

How:
Find available dates on kayak.com.

The Inside Scoop:
If you anticipate flying between Georgia/Alabama and New Mexico/Arizona, this fare is about as cheap as you will find for late spring travel. Even with $3/gallon gas prices, it may be worth it to drive from Atlanta to Birmingham, for instance, to obtain this fare into Phoenix.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 24, 2007)

Walt Disney World is currently offering a terrific special for late summer travel to Orlando.

The Deal:
Buy 3 consecutive hotel nights at a WDW (on-property) resort as well as a 1 (or more) day theme park ticket, and you will get a free dining package (one counter service meal, one table service meal and one snack, per person, per day). This package is valid for trips from August 26, 2007 until September 22, 2007 and must be booked by June 24, 2007.

How:
Call Disney at 407-WDISNEY to book this package. Ask for the “Free Dining Promotion.”

The Inside Scoop:
This package applies to on-property resorts within the gates of Disney World. Staying at an on-property resort at Disney is more expensive than staying just outside the gates of Disney. You are paying for the convenience of being transported everywhere by Disney and the proximity to the theme parks. That being said, if you are a first time visitor to Disney or you want to be very close to Disney (and do not mind spending a little more to be closer or for extra convenience), this is a great special for staying at an on-property resort.

The reason this deal is being offered is that late August and early September is hurricane season in Orlando (and most children are back in school during this time of year). Given the risk of hurricanes, you want to verify what the package (and any airfare) cancellation policies are for such a trip and investigate trip insurance in case of a hurricane.

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

This is the time of year that Las Vegas hotels begin their summer specials – first up, the Bellagio.

The Deal:
Rooms at the Bellagio begin at $159/night for travel from May 23, 2007 through September 13, 2007.

How:
Go to the Bellagio Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
This deal is not quite as good as the $149/night rate available a year or two ago, and this year the rate does not include a free upgrade to a lakeview room (which was available a year or two ago). But, if Las Vegas rates overall are up this summer (still too early to tell), then this rate would be a good rate to book (since it is cancellable). If you are looking for a deal at the Bellagio, Venetian or the Wynn, it might be best to book this cancellable rate and compare this rate with rates available later this summer.

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

Are you going to Hawaii? If so, consider flying to more than one Hawaiian island. Because of intense competition among carriers flying in between the Hawaiian islands, fares have dropped to $19/way.

The Deal:
Airfares between the Hawaiian islands have dropped to $19/way as noted in the Jan. 5, 2007 post. In fact, at least two airlines in Hawaii are now offering $19 fares through the end of the year at this website as well as this website. Each of the major Hawaiian carriers will likely offer these rock-bottom airfares, making travel between Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island incredibly inexpensive.

How:
The best way to book fares is to use an aggregator website such as kayak.com.

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

Airfares to Puerto Rico are on sale. This is a great time of year to visit the Caribbean - in the late spring before the start of hurricane season.

The Deal:
Airfares from various east coast and Midwest cities to Puerto Rico are now $99/way or less. Airfares have been dropping to Puerto Rico. Demand for trips to Puerto Rico has been rising - partially due to these low prices and partially due to the fact that you do not need a passport to travel by air to Puerto Rico, in contrast to most other Caribbean destinations. Some example airfares to San Juan, Puerto Rico (not including tax):

New York City $99/way (various airlines)
Washington $99/way (various airlines)
Cleveland $89/way (various airlines)
Detroit $89/way (various airlines)

How:
Go to an aggregator website such as Kayak.com to book.

The Inside Scoop:
Another great reason to visit Puerto Rico is that you do not have to pay the taxes that apply when traveling to other Caribbean destinations that are not a part of the United States. You also do not have to deal with the currency exchange issues that apply in most other Caribbean destinations.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 18, 2007)

Here is a unique opportunity for your upcoming trips – get free admission (for 2 people) to various US museums during May 2007 when presenting a Bank of America or MBNA credit card.

The Deal:
When you travel to the Northeast or California, you may be able to get into various museums for free. Present your Bank of America or MBNA credit card at the check-in desk, and you and a companion can get into various museums for free.

How:
When you present your card, you get 2 free admissions. For details about specific museums, see this link.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 17, 2007)

There are some extremely good car rental coupons for Spring travel that allow you to get your membership discount for whatever club you are associated with (AAA, AARP, Entertainment, CostCo, Sam’s Club) and an additional discount.

The Deal/How:
Take advantage of one of the following car rental discounts for Spring Travel:

1) Get $40 off of a weekly (min. 5 days) rental from National Car Rental for rentals by June 25, 2007. To use this discount, call (800) CAR-RENT and refer to coupon ND1833JJF.

2) Receive $20 off a weekend (min. 2 day) rental from Hertz Car Rental for economy through premium cars for rentals through June 30, 2007– see this link. Since many economy cars rent for under $20/day, this is essentially 50% off of a 2 day rental.

3) Receive $30 off of a weekly (min. 5 days) rental from Avis Car Rental for almost all car types for rentals by June 27, 2007 – see this link. This deal includes the most inexpensive car type (subcompact) and some very high-end car types (SUVs, minivans, luxury cars).

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

When you rent a car, it is always helpful to bypass the car rental counter by joining a car rental company's membership club. National’s Emerald Club, which previously cost $50/year, is now offering free membership.

The Deal:
Obtain free membership in National Car Rental’s Emerald Club, allowing you to bypass the car rental counter and frequently obtain free upgrades. In addition to the time savings, you can also earn credits towards free car rentals.

How:
Go to the Emerald Club Fee-Waiver Program.

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

Are you traveling to Las Vegas this summer? If so, the hotels are starting to advertise summer specials, which may catch your attention. But do not fall into the trap of booking one of these deals and ignoring how the rates fluctuate throughout the summer – it is likely that the best rates have not yet been released.

The Deal:
Hotels such as the MGM Grand are starting to release summer specials. If you are on these hotels’ mailing lists or are checking their websites, you see that the MGM Grand is offering a deal for rates starting at $89/night. But when you look at the rates for most days of the special, the rates so far are not yet at the point where you would call them a “deal.” So, if you are interested in going to Las Vegas, book something refundable and changeable but keep checking rates – the rates will likely decrease closer to the summer.

How:
To check out the MGM Deal, go to this page.

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

The Ritz Carlton Palm Beach is offering a free night on five-night stays starting June 4,2007 throughout the summer. Early June is a great time to visit Florida, especially at a newly remodeled five-star resort such as the Ritz Carlton.

The Deal:
The Ritz Carlton Palm Beach is offering Resort View rooms starting at $156/night (before tax and surcharges) for five-night stays during the summer, starting on or after June 4, 2007. (The $156 rate is based on a five-night stay with the fifth night free under a promotion offered via various web travel providers.)

How:
Various travel providers offer the rate; search for "fifth night free" and Ritz Palm Beach on www.google.com. Here is one example of a provider offering the deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 11, 2007)

For the last few years, Enterprise has offered steep discounts for three-day rentals that begin on Friday and end on Monday to increase utilization on its cars that otherwise go unused over the weekend. Enterprise has a new promotion offering 50% off of its standard rates for these three-day weekend rentals.

The Deal:
Get 50% off of Enterprise car rental rates by picking up a car on Friday and returning the car on Monday. This deal applies to all cars up to fullsize cars and applies at non-airport locations only.

How:
Go to the Enterprise Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
When you are renting a car, especially in a city with high rates, it always pays to check out the rates at car rental locations inside and outside of the airport complex. You can sometimes save a tremendous amount of money by renting outside the airport complex, even if you have to pay for the cost of transportation to and from the off-airport car rental location. Some off-airport locations will actually reimburse your transportation cost to and from the car rental facility (or will provide complementary transportation). As with any deal, it pays to check all available rates.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 10, 2007)

Services such as Priceline.com and Hotwire.com (where you bid for your air, hotel or car reservations without knowing the exact airline/hotel/car rental company) advertise that their rates are extraordinarily low but that all reservations are non-refundable. Sometimes “non-refundable” travel services such as Priceline.com and Hotwire.com are not actually non-refundable.

The Deal:
Services such as Priceline.com state that all bookings are non-refundable regardless of the circumstances. Such restrictions are understandable given the tremendous discounts. However, there are extremely limited circumstances where services such as Priceline will let you refund or change your booking. Some examples include:

(1) During a major weather event such as a hurricane or blizzard, Priceline will often let you cancel your reservation without penalty, if you provide proof that you were unable to complete your trip due to the weather event. I have recently been involved in two major winter weather events - in both circumstances, Priceline refunded the reservation without penalty (after I provided proof of flight cancellation).

(2) If you make a mistake when booking your reservation (wrong city, wrong date), Priceline will sometimes let you change your reservation with a small penalty (often you are required to rebid using Priceline for the correct city or dates).

(3) In the event of a death or major illness of a close relative or a traveler booked in the same reservation, Priceline may (on a case by case basis) allow you to change or refund your reservation.

How:
Call Priceline.com at (800) 774-2354.
Call Hotwire.com at (866) 468-9473.

The Inside Scoop:
In a majority of situations, Priceline and Hotwire reservations are non-refundable. However, exceptions sometimes apply. Non-refundable travel services will not advertise that these limited exceptions apply. Most people assume that non-refundable means non-refundable, regardless of the circumstance. While these exceptions are not the general rule and apply only in limited circumstances, there is very little to lose by attempting to obtain some kind of exception when extraordinary circumstances occur.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 9, 2007)

Various Fairmont Hotels are offering sale rates for travel throughout the spring. Some locations offer especially attractive rates for Spring travel.

The Deal:
Get very reasonable rates at various Fairmont Hotels for stays through the end of May 2007. Sample rates include Scottsdale for $129, Banff for $129, Washington, DC for $129 and San Francisco for $149. Rates are non-refundable and must be booked by April 12, 2007.

How:
Go to The Fairmont Sale. To be eligible for these rates, you must be a Fairmont President's Club Member - if you are not a member, sign up here.

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

If you or someone you know is graduating from school this Spring, this is the perfect time for that person to earn 10,000 frequent flyer miles for graduating.

The Deal:
As mentioned in the Nov. 28, 2006 post, earn 10,000 United Mileage Plus miles for graduating from a University as long as you sign up for the United College Plus program while you are a college (undergraduate or graduate) student.

How:
1) Sign up for the United College Plus program (free of charge). You must join United's Mileage Plus program (also free) before joining College Plus.

2) Send in your college (undergraduate or graduate) transcript to the address listed here.

The Inside Scoop:
Without question, this is the best frequent flyer bonus available to graduating college students. This deal is truly hassle-free, and it would be a shame not to claim 10,000 free miles. Be sure to qualify by signing up for the program while you are still a student.

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

Are you traveling to Europe this summer? If so, consider flying between European cities rather than taking a train. Why? - European low cost carriers have fares that are extraordinarily cheap.

The Deal:
Check out fares between European cities on easyJet and Ryanair. Fares start at under .01 Euros (NOT a typo) each way plus tax.

How:
Go to easyJet.com or Ryanair.com.

The Inside Scoop:
So, how can an airline make money when charging less than a Euro for airfare? By charging for everything other than the seat. Expect to pay extra for any checked luggage, any drinks or snacks, or any changes to your itinerary.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 4, 2007)

If you are extraordinarily flexible, now is an excellent time to travel to Asia.

The Deal:
A variety of airlines are running specials to Asia over the next few weeks with roundtrip ticket prices from cities such as Chicago to Tokyo and Shanghai for as low as $199.50/way plus taxes and surcharges.

How:
The best way to find these fares is by searching an airline website using the “flexible search” option (sometimes labeled “my dates are flexible”). In this kind of search, you do not enter any dates, but rather you see all fares available in a market and then you select your dates after finding the fare you would like to use. In addition to using a flexible search on an airline’s own website, you can also search a travel aggregator website such as kayak.com.

Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 3, 2007)

Wyndham Hotels recently acquired an investment stake in the Rio Mar Resort in Puerto Rico (formerly the Westin Rio Mar). Wyndham also obtained the right to manage and market the Rio Mar. Because of this new acquisition, Wyndham is offering promotions to attract new visitors to the resort.

The Deal:
Buy 2 nights, get 2 nights free at the Wyndham Rio Mar Resort in Puerto Rico for stays from May 10, 2007 until December, 21, 2007.

How:
Go to the Wyndham Rio Mar Promotion.

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

Starwood Hotels is offering 50% off Hawaiian hotels through June 3, 2007.

The Deal:
Get 50% off of full, undiscounted (“rack”) rates at various Hawaiian Starwood Hotels.

How:
Go to the Starwood 50% Off Hawaii Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
Full (“rack”) rates are very high, and 50% off of those rates can sometimes be higher than rates you could otherwise find using various promotions. So, compare these discounted rates with other rates available using other discounts. These rates have the potential to be very competitive when other promotions are not available.