Travel Deal of the Day (July 30, 2008)
If you are on the road and like cheesecake, here is a deal for you.
The Deal:
Get a piece of a super-expensive Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for $1.50 all day today. The deal is valid all day on July 30. More details are available at this Press Release.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 29, 2008)
Did you know that many airlines still allow a 24-hour hold? Did you know that some airlines offer a free cancellation within 24 hours of purchase? There are two great features that can save you money.
The Deal:
Some airlines offer a 24-hour hold to your reservations – this can be a great feature if you need to solidify your plans. The 24-hour hold may require you to call the airline (and incur a booking fee), but some airline websites allow for holding reservations. It is important to inquire whether the 24-hour hold reserves the fare in addition to your space on the plane. If the fare is guaranteed, even if the fares in the market you are traveling go up, your fare will not change. If there is no fare guarantee, you are only reserving a seat on the plane, but not guaranteeing a fare. One other important caveat – be sure to note if you are purchasing a fare with advance purchase rules that require you to purchase on the same day you booked the ticket. For instance, if you are booking a 14 day in advance fare exactly 14 days in advance, even if the airline has a 24-hour hold policy, the airline will not normally allow you to hold that fare (to allow you to purchase with only 13 days advance purchase).
The 24 cancellation policy allows you to cancel within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund. You should inquire with your airline whether such a policy exists and, if so, what are the restrictions. Some policies require you to use the airline’s website. Some policies require you to be a frequent flyer with the airline. Be sure to know the rules, since it may save you a lot of money.
Did you know that many airlines still allow a 24-hour hold? Did you know that some airlines offer a free cancellation within 24 hours of purchase? There are two great features that can save you money.
The Deal:
Some airlines offer a 24-hour hold to your reservations – this can be a great feature if you need to solidify your plans. The 24-hour hold may require you to call the airline (and incur a booking fee), but some airline websites allow for holding reservations. It is important to inquire whether the 24-hour hold reserves the fare in addition to your space on the plane. If the fare is guaranteed, even if the fares in the market you are traveling go up, your fare will not change. If there is no fare guarantee, you are only reserving a seat on the plane, but not guaranteeing a fare. One other important caveat – be sure to note if you are purchasing a fare with advance purchase rules that require you to purchase on the same day you booked the ticket. For instance, if you are booking a 14 day in advance fare exactly 14 days in advance, even if the airline has a 24-hour hold policy, the airline will not normally allow you to hold that fare (to allow you to purchase with only 13 days advance purchase).
The 24 cancellation policy allows you to cancel within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund. You should inquire with your airline whether such a policy exists and, if so, what are the restrictions. Some policies require you to use the airline’s website. Some policies require you to be a frequent flyer with the airline. Be sure to know the rules, since it may save you a lot of money.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 25, 2008)
A slow economy leads to creative marketing – here is a hotel promotion related to your year of birth.
The Deal:
Starwood is offering a promotion in the Mid-Atlantic where the second or third night of your stay is priced at the last two digits of your year of birth (so, $50/night for a person born in 1950). This promotion may or may not be a good deal, depending on how competitive the rates are using the promotion (as compared with other rates available at the hotel). Be sure to check other rates before using this promotion. However, in some expensive cities such as Washington, DC, getting a room under this promotion may be quite a deal.
How:
Go to the Starwood Promotion to read the list of participating hotels and the rules of the promotion.
A slow economy leads to creative marketing – here is a hotel promotion related to your year of birth.
The Deal:
Starwood is offering a promotion in the Mid-Atlantic where the second or third night of your stay is priced at the last two digits of your year of birth (so, $50/night for a person born in 1950). This promotion may or may not be a good deal, depending on how competitive the rates are using the promotion (as compared with other rates available at the hotel). Be sure to check other rates before using this promotion. However, in some expensive cities such as Washington, DC, getting a room under this promotion may be quite a deal.
How:
Go to the Starwood Promotion to read the list of participating hotels and the rules of the promotion.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 24, 2008)
When you are booking a reservation for multiple people, there are various reasons to consider booking each person in the party in separate reservations if you want to save money.
The Deal:
When you are booking a reservation for multiple people, always consider booking each person separately. Here are some reasons why:
(1) When a website or an airline reservation phone agent quotes a price for a group of people, the website/agent usually looks for a fare available for all of the people in the party. If the flight you request has only 2 seats at the lowest fare available, you will be quoted a higher price if your group has 3 or more people in it. But if you book each person separately, 2 of the people in the group will obtain the lowest fare. (If you are not going to book each person separately, at least check the price for 1, 2, 3…people when booking so you know if there are only a few seats left at the lowest fare.)
(2) Some airlines offer some sort of mileage bonus for booking on their websites. At least some of these websites only offer the bonus to one person per party – if you book each person separately, each party has only one person, so every person will receive the bonus.
(3) If a person in your group has a change of plans, that person can easily re-use their ticket for another reservation (for some fee – usually) and the rest of the people can easily fly on the original reservation. (If you happen to book multiple people in one reservation and it turns out you need to separate out one person from the reservation, that is usually possible by calling the airline.)
One other note – the downside to this suggestion relates to seat assignments. If a person has elite status, that person and often an additional companion have access to certain premium seats on some airlines. Most airlines require that companion to be in the same reservation – so, if each person books the reservation separately, you may lose out on this advantage. Also, when schedule changes occur, if multiple people are in the same reservation together, a computer will usually reassign seats close to each – but, if people are booked in separate reservations, the seats that are reassigned may not be next to each other. The easy solution to this problem is to check your reservations occasionally so that when schedule changes occur, you can obtain acceptable replacement seat assignments.
Overall, I think booking reservation separately has some definite perks. But it is up to you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
When you are booking a reservation for multiple people, there are various reasons to consider booking each person in the party in separate reservations if you want to save money.
The Deal:
When you are booking a reservation for multiple people, always consider booking each person separately. Here are some reasons why:
(1) When a website or an airline reservation phone agent quotes a price for a group of people, the website/agent usually looks for a fare available for all of the people in the party. If the flight you request has only 2 seats at the lowest fare available, you will be quoted a higher price if your group has 3 or more people in it. But if you book each person separately, 2 of the people in the group will obtain the lowest fare. (If you are not going to book each person separately, at least check the price for 1, 2, 3…people when booking so you know if there are only a few seats left at the lowest fare.)
(2) Some airlines offer some sort of mileage bonus for booking on their websites. At least some of these websites only offer the bonus to one person per party – if you book each person separately, each party has only one person, so every person will receive the bonus.
(3) If a person in your group has a change of plans, that person can easily re-use their ticket for another reservation (for some fee – usually) and the rest of the people can easily fly on the original reservation. (If you happen to book multiple people in one reservation and it turns out you need to separate out one person from the reservation, that is usually possible by calling the airline.)
One other note – the downside to this suggestion relates to seat assignments. If a person has elite status, that person and often an additional companion have access to certain premium seats on some airlines. Most airlines require that companion to be in the same reservation – so, if each person books the reservation separately, you may lose out on this advantage. Also, when schedule changes occur, if multiple people are in the same reservation together, a computer will usually reassign seats close to each – but, if people are booked in separate reservations, the seats that are reassigned may not be next to each other. The easy solution to this problem is to check your reservations occasionally so that when schedule changes occur, you can obtain acceptable replacement seat assignments.
Overall, I think booking reservation separately has some definite perks. But it is up to you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 23, 2008)
AAA members receive targeted discounts at both Starwood (including Westin/Sheraton/W/St. Regis/various other hotels) and Hyatt hotels – these rates also include free breakfast.
The Deal:
AAA members receive discounted room rates and free breakfast at various Starwood and Hyatt hotels. The Starwood deal is mostly offered in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. The Hyatt deal applies to hotels in a broader geographic area. You are usually asked at check-in to show your AAA card when booking one of these deals.
How:
Go to the Starwood AAA Summer Deal and the Hyatt AAA Summer Deal.
AAA members receive targeted discounts at both Starwood (including Westin/Sheraton/W/St. Regis/various other hotels) and Hyatt hotels – these rates also include free breakfast.
The Deal:
AAA members receive discounted room rates and free breakfast at various Starwood and Hyatt hotels. The Starwood deal is mostly offered in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. The Hyatt deal applies to hotels in a broader geographic area. You are usually asked at check-in to show your AAA card when booking one of these deals.
How:
Go to the Starwood AAA Summer Deal and the Hyatt AAA Summer Deal.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 21, 2008)
Another high-end Las Vegas hotel is offering a free night special.
The Deal:
The Signature at MGM Grand (the high end portion of the MGM Grand) is offering a third night free special for suites.
How:
Call the MGM Signature Reservations Department at (877) 727-0007 and ask for booking code “SIG001” – online reservations are generally available, but the link is not working at this time. I will update the post with a link if it starts working at a later time. You can also check out reviews of the hotel on Trip Advisor.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 18, 2008)
Are you looking for a good deal – you may want to consider a fall vacation.
The Deal:
With a slow economy, there are plenty of deals. This is especially true during fall, when kids are back in school so fewer families take vacations. In September, October and early November, you can often find excellent deals in leisure destinations. The fall can be the best time to travel to cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Miami. If you are thinking about taking a trip, you may want to reserve a refundable hotel reservation now and then wait until mid to early August when there will likely be a ton of deals available for fall travel.
Are you looking for a good deal – you may want to consider a fall vacation.
The Deal:
With a slow economy, there are plenty of deals. This is especially true during fall, when kids are back in school so fewer families take vacations. In September, October and early November, you can often find excellent deals in leisure destinations. The fall can be the best time to travel to cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Miami. If you are thinking about taking a trip, you may want to reserve a refundable hotel reservation now and then wait until mid to early August when there will likely be a ton of deals available for fall travel.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 16, 2008)
Mandalay Bay and Bellagio are offering summer and early fall sales.
The Deal:
Find discounted rates at both Mandalay Bay and Bellagio over the next few months. Some of the nights of the sale at Mandalay Bay even include a free night.
How:
Go to the Bellagio Sale and the Mandalay Bay Sale.
Mandalay Bay and Bellagio are offering summer and early fall sales.
The Deal:
Find discounted rates at both Mandalay Bay and Bellagio over the next few months. Some of the nights of the sale at Mandalay Bay even include a free night.
How:
Go to the Bellagio Sale and the Mandalay Bay Sale.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 15, 2008)
If you are looking for an early fall vacation and you have 25,000 frequent flyer miles, the best use of 25,000 miles out there (in my opinion) is a trip to Alaska.
The Deal:
Your best use of frequent flyer miles is generally for international travel in business or first class – this generally requires at least 80,000 to 100,000 miles per ticket. If you only have 25,000 miles or you generally like to travel domestically, the best use of 25,000 miles is a ticket to Alaska. The early fall is a great time to go to Alaska – the weather is generally pleasant and, when compared with the summer time period, there are fewer people and the hotel rates drop dramatically. If you are interested in taking a September or October trip, definitely plan your trip now. As with any destination, free seats are hard to find – but given the great distance especially between the East Coast and Alaska (and the great expense of buying airline tickets for travel between the East Coast and Alaska), finding free seats to Alaska is well worth the effort.
If you are looking for an early fall vacation and you have 25,000 frequent flyer miles, the best use of 25,000 miles out there (in my opinion) is a trip to Alaska.
The Deal:
Your best use of frequent flyer miles is generally for international travel in business or first class – this generally requires at least 80,000 to 100,000 miles per ticket. If you only have 25,000 miles or you generally like to travel domestically, the best use of 25,000 miles is a ticket to Alaska. The early fall is a great time to go to Alaska – the weather is generally pleasant and, when compared with the summer time period, there are fewer people and the hotel rates drop dramatically. If you are interested in taking a September or October trip, definitely plan your trip now. As with any destination, free seats are hard to find – but given the great distance especially between the East Coast and Alaska (and the great expense of buying airline tickets for travel between the East Coast and Alaska), finding free seats to Alaska is well worth the effort.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 14, 2008)
There is an excellent deal for first class travel to Florida from the Washington, DC area.
The Deal:
Fly from Baltimore to Orlando, FL for only $131/way in first class. The fare is refundable and changeable and available on Delta. This is truly an excellent fare, especially if you are thinking about traveling to Orlando for Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you even have a suspicion that you may travel to Orlando, I would book this fare and then later apply for a refund if you change your plans - for confirmed first class travel, this is an excellent fare.
How:
Go to an aggregator travel website such as Kayak.
There is an excellent deal for first class travel to Florida from the Washington, DC area.
The Deal:
Fly from Baltimore to Orlando, FL for only $131/way in first class. The fare is refundable and changeable and available on Delta. This is truly an excellent fare, especially if you are thinking about traveling to Orlando for Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you even have a suspicion that you may travel to Orlando, I would book this fare and then later apply for a refund if you change your plans - for confirmed first class travel, this is an excellent fare.
How:
Go to an aggregator travel website such as Kayak.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 8, 2008)
Thinking about taking a trip involving a hotel stay – if you are visiting a major city, you may want to ensure that your trip involves a weekend.
The Deal:
When you are staying in a city hotel, you will quite often save money by planning your trip over a weekend. Weekday rates in city hotels are normally higher as the rates are generally aimed at corporations – these weekday, corporate rates are much higher than leisure-oriented weekend rates. If you are staying, for instance, from Wednesday to Friday, you may “transform” your midweek stay into a weekend stay by staying until the end of the weekend. (Most hotels will charge you midweek rates for a stay from Wednesday to Friday, but many hotels will alter your rates to “weekend rates” if your stay includes the weekend; some hotels will even make the entire stay a “weekend” stay even if you only stay until Saturday). You can save even more money if you also search airport hotel locations – since many airport hotels are empty on weekends, you are likely to really save money with weekend rates at airport hotels.
OK – so your next question is: what do I do if I must stay midweek and the city hotel rates are outrageous? My advice is to try suburban locations or locations near tourist attractions. Many business travelers prefer to be in the middle of the city and avoid the hotel located right next to a theme park or other tourist attraction. These leisure oriented hotels thrive on the weekend stays and may be empty midweek – accordingly, you may save money (if you must travel midweek) by staying at these kind of hotels.
The Inside Scoop:
The above advice does not negate the value of prepaid services like Priceline and Hotwire. The rates that you can obtain through these services can be extraordinary. You may find that the rates are even more extraordinary if you use the above rules to determine when and where to “bid” for a hotel.
Thinking about taking a trip involving a hotel stay – if you are visiting a major city, you may want to ensure that your trip involves a weekend.
The Deal:
When you are staying in a city hotel, you will quite often save money by planning your trip over a weekend. Weekday rates in city hotels are normally higher as the rates are generally aimed at corporations – these weekday, corporate rates are much higher than leisure-oriented weekend rates. If you are staying, for instance, from Wednesday to Friday, you may “transform” your midweek stay into a weekend stay by staying until the end of the weekend. (Most hotels will charge you midweek rates for a stay from Wednesday to Friday, but many hotels will alter your rates to “weekend rates” if your stay includes the weekend; some hotels will even make the entire stay a “weekend” stay even if you only stay until Saturday). You can save even more money if you also search airport hotel locations – since many airport hotels are empty on weekends, you are likely to really save money with weekend rates at airport hotels.
OK – so your next question is: what do I do if I must stay midweek and the city hotel rates are outrageous? My advice is to try suburban locations or locations near tourist attractions. Many business travelers prefer to be in the middle of the city and avoid the hotel located right next to a theme park or other tourist attraction. These leisure oriented hotels thrive on the weekend stays and may be empty midweek – accordingly, you may save money (if you must travel midweek) by staying at these kind of hotels.
The Inside Scoop:
The above advice does not negate the value of prepaid services like Priceline and Hotwire. The rates that you can obtain through these services can be extraordinary. You may find that the rates are even more extraordinary if you use the above rules to determine when and where to “bid” for a hotel.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 7, 2008)
If you believe the news reports, you would think that there are no more airfare deals due to high gas prices. That is just not true – due to a slowing economy, there are still quite a few deals available. If you are somewhat flexible, you can still find a great airfare deal.
The Deal:
You can still find great airfare deals. The same rules that have always applied to finding great airfare deals still apply: (1) avoid busy holiday weekends and avoid the busiest days of the week (Friday and Sunday) to find the best availability for the lowest fares; (2) check all area airports (so, if flying to or from Miami, check Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach); (3) check a day before and a day after your scheduled departure and arrival date to verify if the fare varies tremendously; and (4) use an aggregator website such as Kayak as well as checking individual low-cost airline websites (such as Southwest) that are not listed on aggregator websites to ensure you find all possible airfares.
If you are flexible, you will find deals. Even with high gas prices, a scan of Northeast to Florida airfares today (an area of the county with frequent deals) reveals that there quite a few great deals. One example is a $53/way fare from Philadelphia to Ft. Myers. There are also fares from Baltimore to Sarasota for around $70/way with no advance purchase requirement (you can fly today for that price).
If you believe the news reports, you would think that there are no more airfare deals due to high gas prices. That is just not true – due to a slowing economy, there are still quite a few deals available. If you are somewhat flexible, you can still find a great airfare deal.
The Deal:
You can still find great airfare deals. The same rules that have always applied to finding great airfare deals still apply: (1) avoid busy holiday weekends and avoid the busiest days of the week (Friday and Sunday) to find the best availability for the lowest fares; (2) check all area airports (so, if flying to or from Miami, check Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach); (3) check a day before and a day after your scheduled departure and arrival date to verify if the fare varies tremendously; and (4) use an aggregator website such as Kayak as well as checking individual low-cost airline websites (such as Southwest) that are not listed on aggregator websites to ensure you find all possible airfares.
If you are flexible, you will find deals. Even with high gas prices, a scan of Northeast to Florida airfares today (an area of the county with frequent deals) reveals that there quite a few great deals. One example is a $53/way fare from Philadelphia to Ft. Myers. There are also fares from Baltimore to Sarasota for around $70/way with no advance purchase requirement (you can fly today for that price).
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 2, 2008)
Here is a non-traditional deal that makes (at least part of) your breakfast free if you are on the road. If you are on vacation for July 4th week (or even if you are at home) today and are in the mood for an iced coffee, you may be able to obtain one for free at Starbucks today.
The Deal:
Starbucks is offering a free tall iced coffee on Wednesdays through the end of July in certain states. There is no catch – just go in and mention the promotion. (It worked at my local Starbucks this morning.)
How:
Either bring in the advertisement mentioning the promotion (from many major newspapers) or simply mention promotion code 0082 at your local Starbucks. As noted above, only certain states are participating in the promotion. (Firsthand knowledge indicates that the promotion seems to work in DC.)
Here is a non-traditional deal that makes (at least part of) your breakfast free if you are on the road. If you are on vacation for July 4th week (or even if you are at home) today and are in the mood for an iced coffee, you may be able to obtain one for free at Starbucks today.
The Deal:
Starbucks is offering a free tall iced coffee on Wednesdays through the end of July in certain states. There is no catch – just go in and mention the promotion. (It worked at my local Starbucks this morning.)
How:
Either bring in the advertisement mentioning the promotion (from many major newspapers) or simply mention promotion code 0082 at your local Starbucks. As noted above, only certain states are participating in the promotion. (Firsthand knowledge indicates that the promotion seems to work in DC.)
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Travel Deal of the Day (July 1, 2008)
If you are looking for hotel for an upcoming trip to Southern California, the four or five-star Langham Hotel in Pasadena, California is offering a third night free offer.
The Deal:
Receive a third night free for reservations until September 1, 2008 at the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa (formerly the Ritz Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa). For the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend, the rate after the third night free averages $133/night.
How:
Go to pasadena.langhamhotels.com and use the “Third Night’s Charm” promotion.
If you are looking for hotel for an upcoming trip to Southern California, the four or five-star Langham Hotel in Pasadena, California is offering a third night free offer.
The Deal:
Receive a third night free for reservations until September 1, 2008 at the Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa (formerly the Ritz Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa). For the upcoming July 4th holiday weekend, the rate after the third night free averages $133/night.
How:
Go to pasadena.langhamhotels.com and use the “Third Night’s Charm” promotion.
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