Travel Deal of the Day (October 30, 2009)

Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is offering room rates starting at $69/night (weeknights) and $119/night (weekends). Rates are valid (subject to availability) until April 3, 2010. Rates require a "Players Club" membership (free to join). Go to the Mandalay Bay Sale for more information and to see full terms/restrictions.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 28, 2009)

If you travel Amtrak frequently, you may want to familiarize yourself with discounts offered by Amtrak that can often offer you 10%-15% off of your fare - here are some examples (not a complete list):

(1) AAA Membership
(2) Senior Discounts
(3) Military
(4) National Association of Railroad Passengers
(5) Student Advantage
(6) ISIC Card Holder
(7) Veterans Advantage

Travel Deal of the Day (October 27, 2009)

Southwest Airlines has a new 72 hour sale with fares in markets starting at $25/way. Fares are based on mileage:
(1) $25/way for travel up to 374 miles;
(2) $50/way for travel 375 miles to 549 miles;
(3) $75/way for travel 550 miles to 999 miles; and
(4) $100/way for travel 1000 or more miles.

Fares must be purchased by October 29, 2009 for travel December 2, 2009 - December 16, 2009 and January 5, 2010 - February 10, 2010. Fares are valid for travel all days except for Sunday. Seats are limited, and other restrictions apply. Go to the Southwest Sale for more information or to book.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 26, 2009)

Southwest Airlines is offering two free credits in its frequent flyer program for signing up for two different electronic newsletters and remaining signed up for at least three months (one credit received for each newsletter). You earn a free roundtrip ticket after obtaining 16 credits (assuming you meet all other terms/conditions), so this promotion will get you 1/8th of the way to a free ticket. To sign up, go to this link.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 23, 2009)

If you have not yet purchased Thanksgiving weekend airline tickets, here are a few tips to find the remaining deals:

(1) Look at off-peak dates such as the Monday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving day and the Friday after Thanksgiving;

(2) Search for flights into and out of all area airports (consider searching for an itinerary into one airport and out of another airport if that will reduce your airfare);

(3) Search the website of low-fare air carriers in addition to major air carriers;

(4) Consider flying in one direction and renting a car (using a one-way reservation) for the other direction if it will save you money; and

(5) Watch out for last minute specials within 14 days of your travel for flights that have empty seats.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 21, 2009)

Walt Disney World is offering the following deal:

Buy a non-discounted 4-night/4-day Magic Your Way Vacation Package at select Disney Moderate, Disney Deluxe or Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and enjoy 3 more nights with tickets, free. For stays most nights 11/1/09-11/20/09, 12/11/09-12/24/09 and 1/3/10-3/27/10.

There are a variety of terms/restrictions that apply to the deal, but if you are used to paying full price for Disney World tickets and hotels and are visiting parks for each day of your stay, this may be an excellent money-saving deal for you. For more information, go to the Disney Three Nights Free Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 20, 2009)

JetBlue is offering every seat on nonstop, US-originating flights departing after noon on October 31, 2009 for $31/way. Additional fees/charges may apply, and additional restrictions apply. Fares are non-refundable. Tickets must be purchased by 11:59PM MT on October 20, 2009. For the full terms/conditions or to book, go to the jetBlue Halloween Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 19, 2009)

The Bellagio in Las Vegas has a third night free promotion as well as a sale on room rates starting at $159/night. Rates are valid from November 15, 2009 until mid-February 2010 (blackout dates apply). Various additions terms/restrictions apply. For more information or to book, go to the Bellagio Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 15, 2009)

JetBlue has a "Sample Sale" until midnight tonight (October 15, 2009) offering fares starting at $24/way. Fares are valid for travel between October 22, 2009 and December 16, 2009 (day/time/blackout date/other restrictions may apply). For more information, see the jetBlue Sample Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 14, 2009)

Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is offering rooms starting at $65/night. Rates are valid on select nights (subject to availability restrictions) until January 31, 2010. Rates also include additional perks, such as a resort credit. A two night minimum is required for the sale rates. To book or to see rules/restrictions, go to the Mandalay Bay Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 13, 2009)

If you and a companion are traveling to a location requiring the purchase of very expensive airplane tickets, you might want to check out whether a companion promotion offered by Alaska Airlines would help you.

The Deal:
If you obtain the Alaska Airlines Visa Card (and pay the annual fee), you will be provided a companion certificate providing a companion ticket for only $99 (when the first ticket is purchased at full price). When purchasing very expensive tickets, especially if you need to purchase certain unrestricted or First Class tickets, this companion deal is incredible. You can obtain two very expensive tickets for nearly the price of a single ticket. Various rules/restrictions apply to the promotion, including a limitation that all travel must occur on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air.

How:
For more information, see the Alaska Airlines Credit Card Webpage.

The Inside Scoop:
I generally tend to recommend cash back credit cards rather than other "affinity" credit cards. However, I mention this deal for those people that need to purchase two very expensive airplane tickets, as the promotion may save you thousands of dollars.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 12, 2009)

United Airlines is discounting the amount of miles necessary for travel within the Continental US and to Canada for a limited time - you can fly for 20,000 Mileage Plus miles roundtrip rather than 25,000 miles roundtrip. Tickets must be booked on United.com by October 19, 2009 for travel January 10, 2009 through April 30, 2009 (blackout dates apply). Additional terms and restrictions apply - see United.com for more information.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 9, 2009)

If you travel to foreign countries frequently, be sure to investigate the foreign transaction fee on your credit card. If you are currently being charged a fee, you may want to obtain a card without a fee to save money.

The Deal:
Many credit cards charge a foreign currency fee for converting your purchases (made in the local, foreign currency) back into US Dollars - sometimes the fee is as high as 3% or 4%. However, some cards charge little or no fee, allowing you to save money when traveling to a foreign country. Be sure to investigate the fees charged by your credit card and consider obtaining a card with no fee for your next trip. For more information, search the Internet for cards with no fees or check out this article.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 8, 2009)

RyanAir has a sale with fares starting at 1 pound each way. Fares must be booked by midnight October 8, 2009 for travel October 20, 2009 through December 17, 2009. Fares require a 14 day advance purchase, and other restrictions/blackouts may apply. For more information, see the RyanAir Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 7, 2009)

AirTran has a new sale with fares starting at $39/way. Tickets must be booked by October 13, 2009 for travel through January 27, 2010. Additional restrictions apply (including blackout dates). For more information, see the AirTran Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 6, 2009)

Sheraton is giving away a free hotel night (in a variety of locations, including Hawaii, New York City, Orlando....) for use on October 23, 2009 via a contest on its website. To be eligible for the promotion, you must follow the rules listed on the website set up for the contest. You may enter the contest once each day from October 6 - 9, 2009. To enter the contest or read the full set of rules, go to this link.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 5, 2009)

Starwood's Luxury Collection is offering a free night deal (length of stay required and other terms/conditions depend upon the specific property chosen) at a variety of hotels and resorts. Some properties offer multiple nights free (if you meet certain restrictions). For further information (including full terms and conditions) and to book, go to the Luxury Collection Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (October 1, 2009)

TravelZoo.com has a great deal with the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Big Island.

The Deal:
Hapuna Beach is one of the truly extraordinary beaches in the United States, and the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel is a solid 3.5 or 4 star hotel. Hapuna is offering Partial Oceanview rooms for $129/night and Full Oceanview rooms for $149/nights. These rates are valid until December 25, 2009 and must be booked by October 4, 2009.

How:
For full terms/conditions or to book, go to the Hapuna Beach Prince Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
As noted previously, the cheapest rates at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel on the Big Island are available via Priceline's bidding process. However, whenever you bid via Priceline, you cannot guarantee which hotel you will receive. To receive a confirmed room at this price at Hapuna is a great deal.