Travel Deal of the Day (April 30, 2009)

Rooms are available at the Wynn for $119/night including a $50 resort credit.

The Deal:
TravelZoo is offering a promotion at the five-star Wynn Las Vegas for $119/night for Sunday-Thursday stays through July 2, 2009. The rate includes a $50 resort credit. Certain blackout dates apply. Rooms must be booked by May 8.

How:
For full terms/restrictions or to book a room, go to the Wynn Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 29, 2009)

Watch for some absolutely amazing deals over the next few weeks because of multiple factors dramatically affecting travel demand, including the swine flu and the global recession. If you want to travel, now is your time. You should be able to find incredible deals, especially during the next few weeks before school lets out (with the possible exception of Memorial Day weekend). My primary suggestion would be to book a cancellable hotel reservation and/or cancellable car rental reservation if you are traveling within the next few weeks or even in the next few months. We are likely to see prices drop even further, and you want to make sure you are able to cancel your travel reservations and rebook using the best deals. Keep checking rates/fares as your trip approaches as I would anticipate that prices will continue to decline due to the overall low demand for travel.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 28, 2009)

The Marriott Frenchman's Reef and the Morning Star in St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands) are offering two free nights on stays of six nights or longer.

The Deal:
Receive two free nights (on stays of six nights or longer) at the Marriott Frenchman's Reef and the Morning Star in St. Thomas through December 1, 2009. This rate includes breakfast for two daily.

How:
Go to the Frenchman's Reef Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 27, 2009)

If you are looking for a reasonably priced Florida beach vacation, here is one possibility.

The Deal:
TravelZoo has a deal (subject to availability) for a room at the 3 1/2 star Hollywood Beach Marriott in Hollywood, Florida for $79/night. The rate includes an upgrade to an oceanview room, high speed internet and self-parking. Rooms must be booked by April 29, 2009.

How:
Go to the Hollywood Beach Marriott Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 24, 2009)

Southwest has started a daily deal special (offering 50% off of excursion fares between a selected city and all other cities). This special is very similar to the Alaska Airlines deal reported here. The selected city changes each day - today the sale applies to Philadelphia. You can check the sale each day at this link.

Note: You should now be checking the Southwest Sale and the Alaska Airlines Sale each day to find out the city on sale for that day.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 24, 2009)

Mandalay Bay is offering summer rates as low as $70/night.

The Deal:
Get a room at Mandalay Bay starting at $70/night for selected nights this summer. THEhotel is also offering rooms starting at $90/night.

How:
Go to the Mandalay Bay Deal and THEhotel Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 23, 2009)

JetBlue has a $29/way sale in quite a few markets, including but not limited to:

Boston - Buffalo
Boston - Charlotte
Boston - New York JFK
Boston - Pittsburgh
Boston - Raleigh
Boston - Richmond
Burbank - Las Vegas
Burlington - New York JFK
Charlotte - New York JFK
Las Vegas - Long Beach
Long Beach - Oakland
Long Beach - San Francisco
Long Beach - San Jose, CA
New York JFK - Pittsburgh
New York JFK - Portland
New York JFK - Raleigh
New York JFK - Richmond
New York JFK - Rochester
New York JFK - Syracuse
New York JFK - Washington IAD

Other sale fares include $59/way between Boston and San Francisco/Oakland, $39/way between Fort Lauderdale and Nassau and $59/way between Newark and Orlando/Tampa. Fares must be booked today (April 23, 2009) for Tuesday or Wednesday travel between May 5, 2009 and June 10, 2009. See the jetBlue website for more information on this sale and for all restrictions.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 23, 2009)

If you are traveling to London this spring or summer, be sure to think about Priceline to save money on your hotel.

The Deal:
Priceline (a service allowing you to bid for a hotel by choosing the location and star rating, but not the specific hotel) is offering great rates for four and five star hotels in London. (Hotwire, a service that provides a discounted price for a hotel in a selected location and with a selected star rating without providing the exact hotel name) is also offering good deals. People are posting on BiddingForTravel and Better Bidding (websites dedicated to posting winning bids for Priceline and Hotwire) that you can successfully obtain a four star hotel in London for 51 Pounds to 69 Pounds and a five star hotel for 89 Pounds to 103 Pounds. This is a tremendous savings off of standard rates, and this deal can help you trim your travel budget during a difficult economy.

How:
Use sites such as BiddingforTravel and BetterBidding to review winning bids on Priceline and hotel prices on Hotwire.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 22, 2009)

Alaska Airlines (which flies to the continental US, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico, in addition to flying to Alaska) is offering 30% off of fares to and from a different city each day. The sale offers the discount for a different city each day until April 27, 2009. Reservations must be made 7 days in advance, and travel must be completed by June 19, 2009. To see the discount for each day, go to the Alaska Airlines 30% Off Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 21, 2009)

Hertz is offering 50% off of its rates for weekend rentals at airport locations.

The Deal:
Receive 50% off of standard rates for Hertz weekend rentals of at least two days through June 2009. Sale rates are valid for economy through full-size cars at participating US (including Puerto Rico) airport locations, excluding Hawaii.

How:
Go to the Hertz Spring Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 20, 2009)

There are excellent airfares now from the East Coast to Hawaii. If you are looking for a vacation idea and have always wanted to go to Hawaii, now is a very cost-effective time to go.

The Deal:
Many airlines are offering East Coast to Hawaii airfares for under $200/way plus tax. Considering the fact that the journey is nearly 5,000 miles each way, these airfares are extraordinary. Sample airfares include $177/way (plus tax) between Washington, DC and Hawaii (multiple cities), $180/way (plus tax) between Boston to Hawaii, $179/way (plus tax) between New York City and Hawaii and $177/way (plus tax) between Atlanta and Hawaii.

How:
Use an aggregator travel search tool (such as Kayak) to find the best deals.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 17, 2009)

TravelZoo has a deal (via Travelocity) at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans for as low as $149/night.

The Deal:
TravelZoo has an article regarding a sale at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans (booked via Travelocity) for as low as $149/night. Rates vary based on availability, and rates are available on selected nights from April 19, 2009 to July 9, 2009. The best rates are available right after the July 4th holiday.

How:
Go to the Ritz Carlton New Orleans Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 16, 2009)

Leading Hotels of the World, a chain of four and five star hotels worldwide, is offering a third night free promotion at hotels worldwide.

The Deal:
Receive a third night free at participating Leading Hotels of the World. Rates are valid until December 31, 2009 at select properties.

How:
Go to the One More Night 3 for 2 Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 15, 2009)

Various internet sources (including this one) are reporting on a great Starwood deal for May 2009 through July 2009.

The Deal:
Stay twice (must be an "eligible" stay under the promotion's rules) at any Starwood Hotel from May 2009 through July 2009 and receive a free weekend night at almost all Starwood hotels. There is no limit to the number of free nights you can earn using the promotion.

How:
Go to 2009 Starwood Free Weekends Promotion to register and read the terms and conditions. Be sure to sign up for Starwood Preferred Guest (Starwood's frequent stay program) and to register at the link for the promotion on or after May 1, 2009.

The Inside Scoop:
If you like staying at high-end Starwood (St. Regis, Westin, etc.) properties, but do not like paying for these high-end properties, this is an excellent opportunity to fund your stays. You can stay twice at an inexpensive Starwood hotel and then stay for a free weekend night at some of Starwood's most expensive hotels. (Starwood allows for free stays at any hotel rated between Category 1 and Category 6 in its frequent stay program - some of the Category 6 hotels are extremely expensive - making this potentially an excellent deal.)

Travel Deal of the Day (April 14, 2009)

Caribbean hotels are expensive - but if you are an American Bar Association member, you can save a tremendous amount of money at selected four and five star hotels.

The Deal:
Ritz Carlton is offering very good American Bar Association (ABA) rates at some very nice Caribbean hotels. For instance, the five-star Ritz Carlton St. Thomas is offering rates starting at $209/night (plus tax and resort fee) for much of 2009. The Ritz Carlton in San Juan is offering similar rates. Both of these hotels are extremely nice, and these rates are quite a discount off of standard rates.

How:
Go to Ritz Carlton and use "ABA" as your "Corporate/Promo Code."

The Inside Scoop:
Note that you can join ABA without being an attorney (see this link). If you frequently stay at more expensive hotels, the discounts may be well worth the ABA annual membership fee.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 13, 2009)

If you travel frequently between Boston, New York and Washington, you should note that Amtrak is offering very competitive weekend prices for travel between these cities.

The Deal:
Amtrak is offering $49/way rates for weekend travel between Boston & New York and New York & Washington. Competitive rates are also available for travel to Philadelphia and Baltimore. These rates will likely continue to remain low due to fierce competition between Amtrak and airlines in these markets, including new service by Southwest Airlines between Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and New York LaGuardia (LGA), with fares starting at $49/way.

How:
To find out more about Amtrak's new weekend rates, see this link.

The Inside Scoop:
Note that some of Amtrak's rates can also be discounted further if you are a AAA member or if you are a student.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 12, 2009)

If you are on a more strict travel budget this year, you might want to consider mid-range (non full-service) hotels (Marriott Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt Place, etc.) instead of traditional full-service hotels (Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, etc.) - such mid-range hotel brands that include free breakfast, internet, evening snacks and other items may provide exceptional value during times when travel budgets are stretched.

The Deal:
Hotel brands such as Residence Inn, Hilton Garden Inn and Hyatt Place offer value-added extras that may help you stretch your travel budget during recessionary times. These brands are often priced very similarly to other mid-range hotels, but the free breakfast and internet as well as some additional extras (depending on the brand of hotels) can be very valuable. Receiving internet, breakfast, evening snacks and a kitchen or at least a mini-refrigerator can save hundreds of dollars on a trip. Be sure to consider these extras when your travel budget needs to go further than normaly, especially when traveling with an entire family.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 10, 2009)

I am constantly amazed at how much some hotels charge for internet access. If you are routinely paying for internet while traveling, you should be aware that there are now quite a few establishments offering free internet (sometimes free with a purchase). You can often save the $10-$20/day that hotels charge for internet by going to one of the following establishments to use the internet:

(1) Starbucks: Starbucks offers two hours of free internet per day as long as you purchase one item with a Starbucks Card every thirty days.

(2) McDonalds: Some McDonalds locations free internet, sometimes requiring a purchase.

(3) Panera Bread: Panera provides unlimited free internet in its stores.

(4) First Watch: First Watch offers free internet at participating restaurants.

This is just a partial list. Before you pay a hotel $10-$20/day, be sure to check around - you may be able to save money by taking a short walk from your hotel to a location with free internet.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 9, 2009)

Here is a deal that has been mentioned before, but because graduation season is in a few weeks, this deal should be mentioned again. If you or someone you know is graduating (from a university) next month, there is an easy way to earn 10,000 United Mileage Plus miles for free.

The Deal:
United College Plus offers 10,000 miles to university students upon graduation. To be eligible for the program, you must sign up in the College Plus program while still a student and then send in a college transcript showing that you have graduated. This is a very easy way to earn 10,000 miles. I would highly advocate that you tell any relatives or others that you know who are graduating from a university (undergraduate or graduate level) about this offer.

How:
See the United College Plus Website for information regading sign-up and for submission of a transcript upon graduation.

The Inside Scoop:
Note that there is also a United College Plus Visa Card, which, unlike the normal Mileage Plus Credit Cards, has no annual fee and provides a mile for every two dollars spent. I would still advocate a 2% cash back card over this College Plus Card, but in case you need United Mileage Plus Miles for an award, this is one way to earn miles for free.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 8, 2009)

If you travel to or from New York, your flights likely have or will become much less expensive due to a new arrival at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) – Southwest Airlines.

The Deal:
Southwest Airlines just announced its new schedule to and from LGA. Southwest will offer multiple nonstop flights between Chicago Midway and LGA as well as Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and LGA. Fares for BWI-LGA start at $49/way; fares for Midway-LGA start at $89/way; and fares across the country to LGA are mostly $99/way (which is very cheap for many cities into LGA).

How:
You can find information about Southwest’s new service and an introductory sale at this link.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 7, 2009)

Here are two Hawaiian hotel deals that have vastly different price tags. Both of these hotels are on the Big Island and both are incredible.

Hapuna Beach Prince - As I have noted previously, the Hapuna Prince is offering rooms via Priceline for extremely low prices ($75/night or less). The best deal in Hawaii right now is the Hapuna Prince Hotel for these incredible prices. The hotel is a solid 3.5 or 4 star hotel, and Hapuna Beach is definitely one of the nicest, if not the nicest, beach in Hawaii. For more information about bidding for this hotel for $75 or less, see this link. (Please note that when bidding with Priceline, there is a risk you will receive a comperable hotel to the Hapuna Beach Prince, however it does not appear that the other comperable hotels are offering rates as low as $75, so you are likely to receive this hotel if you follow the bidding instructions in the link provided.)

Four Seasons Hualalai - The Four Seasons Hualalai is the most luxurious hotel in Hawaii, probably one of the nicest hotels in the US and probably one of the most expensive hotels in the US. The Four Seasons Hualalai offers a mind-boggling five-star experience in Hawaii - with a five-star price tag. However, presumably due to the economy and ongoing renovations (see this link), the hotel is offering a $1000 resort credit on four night stays. It is unclear under the terms of the promotion whether the credit can be used towards the room rate itself or only on charges other than the room rate itself. Assuming you used your entire credit, your total cost would likely decrease by $250/night on a four-night stay (to an effective cost of $475/night for a golf ocean view room - 1/2 of which have their own private outdoor shower). Before booking this promotion, you should confirm with the hotel the rules associated with the promotion. Room rates vary based on the room type and view. Again, the Four Seasons Hualalai is extremely expensive. But if you want the best Hawaiian experience, this is an extraordinary time to visit this hotel as the room rates using this promotion are significantly discounted. For more information on this package, see this link.

The Inside Scoop:
You may question why this blog would list two Hawaiian deals with such vastly different price tags. I list both deals as I realize that people have different expectations when visiting hotels. Both of the above deals are great and reflect the bad economy. For most people, the Hapuna is the most relevant deal. And, I must add, that Hapuna Beach is just breathtaking and you will be very happy you had the opportunity to enjoy that beach. For those who choose five-star hotels, this is a great opportunity to stay at Hualalai at these highly discounted room rates.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 6, 2009)

Various Doubletree Hotels are offering a good deal at participating US, Canada and Latin America locations for weekend stays. The discount includes 20% off of rooms and breakfast for up to 4 (2 adults and 2 children).

The Deal:
Doubletree is offering a "Memory Maker" weekend discount which includes a discount off the normal weekend (discounted) room rate and breakfast for 4 (up to 2 adults and 2 children). I have noticed that the rates with this promotion (including breakfast) seem to be about the same (if not lower) than rates without breakfast, so if you are considering a stay at a Doubletree, definitely inquire about the Memory Maker rate as you will obtain breakfast for free. Rates are valid until May 22, 2009.

How:
Go to the Doubletree Memory Maker Weekend Promotion.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 3, 2009)

If you are looking for a four-star hotel in a major US city, there is an excellent deal with Kimpton Hotels.

The Deal:
Kimpton Hotels has a deal for various weekend nights (includes Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights) through September 6, 2009 for $81/night. Rooms must be booked for a minimum of two nights. Rates are non-refundable and non-changeable once booked. Availability is limited, and rooms must be booked by April 6, 2009. This is an excellent deal for what are normally very expensive four-star hotels in major cities.

How:
Go to the Kimpton Summer Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 2, 2009)

JetBlue has an incredible deal for travel between San Francisco and New York or Los Angeles.

The Deal:
JetBlue is offering a $14/way sale for travel on the following routes: (1) SFO to JFK, (2) JFK to SFO, (3) LGB to SFO, and (4) SFO to LGB. Travel must be purchased on April 2, 2009 for travel from April 2 - 8, 2009. Seats are very limited.

How:
Full restrictions are available at this link.

Travel Deal of the Day (April 1, 2009)

If you have ever called a hotel and requested to speak with the "Front Desk," you may be surprised to learn that you may have actually spoken to an operator instead of someone at the Front Desk - for certain travel requests, this may dramatically impact the response you receive to your request.

The Deal:
One of the most helpful things I have learned about interacting with a hotel is that making requests to the Front Desk ahead of check-in can be very beneficial in certain situations. For instance, if you reserve a room in a hotel with dramatically different room types, a Front Desk agent can normally block one of the best rooms for you. A Front Desk agent can also often block a room with your bedding choice or may be able to put you in a room that will be available for early check-in or late check-out.

Many hotels will not (at least initially) put you in touch with the Front Desk when you make such a request. I have repeatedly found that whoever is answering the phone will reply to my request for the Front Desk by noting that he/she is part of the Front Desk. Often, this is simply not true. Admittedly, sometimes, in small hotels and/or budget-oriented hotels, the Front Desk agent answers all calls. But, this recently occurred to me for a call to a huge Las Vegas casino hotel - there is zero probability that calls made to a hotel with thousands of rooms are answered by the Front Desk agents - these Front Desk agents simply do not have the time to answer calls.

A problem arises since many operators do not have the same discretion (as Front Desk agents) to grant requests. So, be careful when asking for a Front Desk agent. Usually, I follow the rule of "One Step Above." The rule of "One Step Above" is that when you request to speak with anyone in an organization, you will usually be put in touch with someone one step below the person requested as a buffer, to ensure you have a valid reason to speak with the person requested. So, I usually ask for the Front Desk Manager (a person one step above the person I actually wanted to speak with), and I usually receive a Front Desk agent. I hope this advice helps you maximize your enjoyment of a hotel stay - do not be afraid to make requests and do not be surprised if you have to be sly to speak with the actual Front Desk.