Travel Deal of the Day (May 27, 2010)

From BestFares.com and SlickDeals.net, Midwest Airlines is offering a deal from various cities within the Continental US to Anchorage for $249/person including all taxes and fees. The fare applies on select dates from August 18, 2010 to October 13, 2010. Additional restrictions apply, but this is an excellent fare especially from the East Coast of the US to Alaska. For more information, go to the Anchorage Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 26, 2010)

TravelZoo.com is offering a promotion for the four-star Hyatt Scottsdale for $99/night. The promotional rate is valid on select nights and must be booked by June 2, 2010. Additional restrictions (such as blackout dates) apply. For more information or to book, go to the Hyatt Scottsdale Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 25, 2010)

If you have a hotel booked for Memorial Day weekend and you are still outside of the cancellation policy, you should check to see if rates have dropped at that hotel or other alternative hotels. It is quite common to see prices drop dramatically just before a holiday weekend if rooms have gone unsold. This is especially true because of the economic conditions this year. If you are traveling to the coastal areas of Florida/Louisiana/neighboring states, you will want to be especially aware of this advice as prices may have dropped dramatically given how many people are avoiding these areas due to fears regarding the oil spill. Prices may have been much higher months ago, but now that hotels with unsold rooms realize that they have numerous unsold rooms, prices may have dropped dramatically.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 24, 2010)

Hyatt is offering a family promotion this summer with the following:

-Free breakfast
-50% off a second room
-15% off Hyatt Pure Spa services
-Kid's snack amenities

The promotion must be booked by September 9, 2010 for stays through September 12, 2010. Availability is limited and other restrictions apply. As with any deal, compare these rates with other available rates to evaluate the best deal for your stay. For more information or to book, go to the Hyatt Classic Family Vacation Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 21, 2010)

If you are 21-24 and are paying underage fees to rent a car, you should know that there are alternatives that allow you to avoid such fees. As summer break/vacation approaches for many people in this age category, recognize that such fees are often waived or reduced for members of a frequent car rental club. Also, some car rental companies offer special promotions that waive underage fees. In addition, if you have a corporate discount number, sometimes underage fees are waived when using that discount. Here is one example of a situation when a car rental company has waived its fees:

For rentals through July 31, 2010, Hertz will waive the underage fee for renters age 21-24 and will also provide an additional discount - see this link for more information.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 20, 2010)

Airtran has a summer and early fall sale with fares starting at $44/way. Fares must be purchased by May 20, 2010 (tonight) for travel through November 10, 2010. Additional restrictions (including blackout dates) apply. For more information or to book, use an aggregator booking website such as Kayak or go to the Airtran Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 19, 2010)

Expedia.com is offering $50 off a flight and hotel package of 3 or more consecutive nights (total booking of at least US $1000). The deal is valid for bookings by May 30, 2010 for travel completed by July 30, 2010. To use the discount, sign into your expedia.com user account and and use code "SUMMER50" in the coupon code entry area. More information is available by calling Expedia at (800) EXPEDIA.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 18, 2010)

Free scoop of Haagen Dazs (chocolate, coffee or vanilla) today from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at participating locations - for more information, see the Haagen Dazs Free Scoop Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 17, 2010)

Starwood is offering 50% off of its rates at participating hotels in Hawaii for members of its Starwood Preferred Guest (frequent stay) program. The sale is valid for travel through June 30, 2010. For more information or to book, go to the 50% Off Starwood Hawaii Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 14, 2010)

The five-star Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson, Arizona is offering a summer promotional rate of $139/night. The rate is available on select nights (based on availability) through September 6, 2010. Rates must be booked by May 16, 2010. For more information, see information on the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain Facebook page regarding the Summer 2010 Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 13, 2010)

Travelzoo.com is publicizing a deal at Universal Studios Hollywood - a ticket for seven consecutive days of entry in 2010 for only $69/person. This is quite a deal if you plan on attending this theme park over multiple days. For full restrictions or for more information, see the Universal Studios Hollywood Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 12, 2010)

If you have not yet booked a Memorial Day weekend vacation, time may be on your side, especially if you are considering a vacation in Florida. With the current economic conditions and the threat of an oil spill affecting the beautiful Florida beaches, you may find more vacancies along Florida's beaches over the holiday weekend than in past years. You may find the best deals within seven days of the holiday weekend. Be on the lookout for last minute air and hotel specials, especially in larger, business-oriented hotels that have many rooms to fill and might be more affected by the economic conditions. Also, hotels might be more willing to unload unsold rooms via Priceline and Hotwire if they see decreased demand, but especially for the most in-demand days over the holiday weekend, you may have to wait until just before the holiday weekend to find such deals. You may also have success negotiating with owners of rental properties on vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner) than in prior years.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 11, 2010)

AirTran is offering free wifi on all flights through May 23, 2010. For a list of full terms and conditions or for more information about the deal, go to the AirTran Free Wifi Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 10, 2010)

Numerous Four Seasons hotels are offering all meals for children under five for free. This benefit can provide quite a bit of value at certain Four Seasons hotels that are also offering deeply discounted rates due to the economy and generally provide a long list of complementary services. Additional restrictions may apply to the promotion (such as which restaurants at a hotel offer this promotion), but be sure to consider this benefit when comparing rates.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 7, 2010)

If you are a parent and frequently check bags, you probably have already noticed the recent increases in checked baggage charges of airlines. But did you know that some of these charges are waived for certain kinds of baby/child equipment? You can often save money by knowing the rules.

The rules differ based on the airline, but quite often airlines allow travelers to check a carseat and a stroller free of charge. Other airlines may also allow additional items to be checked free of charge. In addition, even though infants (when flying on international routes) usually pay only a small percentage of a standard adult fare, some airlines increase your free baggage allowance when you travel with an infant. You should become familiar with an airline's baggage policies before arriving at the airport to ensure that you know what can be checked free of charge - it may save you quite a bit of money.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 6, 2010)

As gas prices increase, remember to check prices of larger cars in addition to smaller cars to find the best deal. Quite often when gas prices increase rapidly, car rental companies see increased demand for compact-sized cars and decreased demand for smaller cars, causing the prices of larger cars to decrease. Remember to check prices for these larger cars when searching for a rental car - you may save quite a bit of money on your rental. Also note that a free upgrade to a hybrid car can also save you money due to the gas savings.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 5, 2010)

If you are traveling to Paris, France this summer, here is a good deal for a hotel in a suburb of Paris.

The Deal:
TravelZoo.com is offering the Courtyard by Marriott Neuilly for $148/night including breakfast. The hotel is located in a very nice suburban area within about a ten minute walk of the Paris Metro. The rate is valid for various dates between May 2010 and October 2010. Additional restrictions (including blackout dates) apply. Rooms must be booked by May 19, 2010. For full terms and conditions or to book, go to the Courtyard by Marriott Neuilly Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 4, 2010)

If you are traveling frequently and are eating out while you are traveling, here is a good deal at Chipotle.

The Deal:
Chipotle is offering a free meal if you buy a $25 gift card. Buy your gift card by June 12, 2010, and receive a free burrito, bowl, salad or order of tacos on your next visit. For more information, go to the Chipotle Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 3, 2010)

The recent volcanic activity and the related flight cancellations brought up an issue for many airline passengers - what do I do if I am stuck in a location (other than my home) overnight and need to find accommodations. If you find yourself in this situation and the airline will not pay for your accommodation expenses, be sure to check out the "distressed passenger rate."

The Deal:
Many hotels will offer an extremely low nightly rate usually referred to as the "distressed passenger rate." This rate will often not be available online and may not even be available by calling the nationwide reservations number. Usually, you must call a hotel directly to obtain this rate. You will usually find this rate is most common at hotels that are close to an airport. Some hotels will require that you obtain some sort of document from the airline you are flying demonstrating that you have been stranded because of some event and that you are eligible for this rate.

The Inside Scoop:
The distressed passenger rate is often quite a discount off of standard rates. You may still do better by using a deep discounter such as Priceline or Hotwire, but if you are stranded overnight without complimentary accommodations, you should enquire before leaving the airport about documentation for a distressed passenger rate and call around to airport hotels to check on the distressed passenger rate.

Travel Deal of the Day (May 2, 2010)

Courtyard by Marriott is offering 15% off of Courtyard hotels for weekend stays May 20,2010 - September 6, 2010. Restrictions vary based on the specific hotel. Rates must be booked by May 16, 2010. For full restrictions or to book, go to the Courtyard Sale.