Travel Deal of the Day (August 31, 2010)

The Quinn & Co. Twitter page provides information regarding a Labor Day weekend (September 3-6, 2010) deal at the Marriott Doral Golf Resort & Spa - $49/night (plus tax) for "All US Govt Employees, Teachers, Fire/Police."  To book, use rate code "XYD."

Travel Deal of the Day (August 30, 2010)

Clark Howard recently gave a rundown of the competitive landscape for broadband internet to go.  You can pay Verizon Wireless $60 for a limited plan with a contract, or you can save money.  How about $40/month unlimited with no contract - that is the current best offer with Virgin Mobile.  If you are paying for Verizon Wireless or a competitor, you are paying too much. 

If you do not currently have broadband and you are traveling to hotels charging you $10-$20/night for internet access, you should strongly consider broadband.  You may be able to earn back the money quickly, and with new service at a low price point and no contract, there is very little reason not to try it out.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 28, 2010)

Your Eurostar ticket now provides a 2-for-1 discount for entry at various museums in Paris, London and Brussels.  Restrictions apply - go to the Eurostar Culture Connect website for more info.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 27, 2010)

If you are booking a Four Seasons hotel, you should (as part of your booking process) analyze the benefits that apply when booking via a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel agency. 

When you book with a Preferred Partner travel agency, you are entitled to certain benefits at Four Seasons hotels worldwide, including:
(1) Upgrade based on availability at time of check-in;
(2) Daily Full American Breakfast for two; and
(3) Preferred Partner amenity valued at $85 US (amenity varies by property).

These benefits are available for no additional cost.  You do not need to hold a certain credit card or pay some premium, and the rates available when booking via a Four Seasons Preferred Partner agency are generally similar to and/or the same as those offered through other booking channels.  Many people booking Four Seasons hotels also carry an American Express Centurion or Platinum card.  Centurion and Platinum cardholders obtain certain benefits when booking via the American Express travel service.  However, those cardholders also pay three or four digit annual fees, and the Preferred Partner benefits may exceed those available to Centurion and Platinum cardholders. 

The bottom line is that whenever you are booking a Four Seasons hotel, you should explore the benefits that would apply when booking via a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel agency.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 26, 2010)

As we approach the fall and winter seasons in the United States, you may be dreaming of a warm weather vacation when the weather turns colder.  If you or someone close to you has a Hawaii address, you may have access to the world of "Kamaaina" (Kama'aina) discounts.  Such discounts are valid only for residents of Hawaii and usually offer incredible discounts off of standard rates at Hawaiian hotels.  Some of the nicest resorts in the US, which otherwise offer a limited set of discounts, offer tremendous Kamaaina discounts.  Examples include the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele (Lanai) from $189/night or the Fairmont Orchid for $199/night.  You can find a list of many of the 2010 Kamaaina discounts at this post from Honolulu Magazine.  Before booking your next Hawaiian vacation, especially if you are booking at a four or five star resort, be sure to check out the Kamaaina discounts (if you are eligible)

Travel Deal of the Day (August 25, 2010)

Hotels run by the Intercontinental Hotels group (including, but not limited to, Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza hotels) will reimburse your checked luggage fees (up to $50) when you stay for a two-night weekend stay at a participating hotel.  Stays must occur between September 1, 2010 and December 30, 2010.  You must pay for your stay using a Visa card, and you must submit a rebate form as well as hotel and checked baggage receipts by January 31, 2011.  Additional restrictions apply - full rules can be found here.  Though you should not choose an Intercontinental Hotel just because of this promotion, you certainly should take advantage of the promotion if you are eligible.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 24, 2010)

Airtran has a sale that must be booked by today with fares starting at $44/way plus taxes and fees.  Fares are valid for travel through December 15, 2010.  The lowest fares apply for travel every day other than Friday or Sunday.  A 10 day advance purchase requirement applies.  Other restrictions, including blackout dates, apply.  For more information or to book, go to the Airtran Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 23, 2010)

Groupon is offering a discounted membership to Zipcar, a car rental program providing access to cars by the hour or the day throughout various cities (though this deal is limited to membership in the Washington, DC area).  This deal is especially good for those people that need access to cars thoughout Washington, DC but do not themselves have a car and do not have access to their own car insurance.  The rate for the first year membership via this offer is $35/year, including a $50 driving credit.  For more information, to read the full rules or to get the offer, go to the zipcar Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 20, 2010)

Hyatt is offering 20%-25% off of rates at selected hotels worldwide when booking by September 2, 2010.  The discount and restrictions vary based on destination.  For full restrictions or to book, go to the Hyatt Last Minute Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 19, 2010)

TravelZoo is offering the Hyatt Regency in Chicago starting at $127/night (plus taxes/fees) including valet parking, which normally can be quite expensive in Chicago. The rate is valid only for select nights during August 2010 - September 2010, including some nights during the Labor Day holiday weekend.  Rooms must be booked by August 20, 2010.  To view the full rules or to book, go to the Hyatt Regency Chicago Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 18, 2010)

Members of JetBlue's TrueBlue frequent flyer program (free to join) may purchase an all you can fly pass valid on JetBlue between September 7, 2010 - October 6, 2010, a low demand time period for flying after the Labor Day holiday weekend.  The pass is $699 for travel any day and $499 for travel any day of the week but Friday or Sunday (plus applicable tax/fees).  Travel must be purchased three days prior to travel.  Fees apply to change the reservation or for no-showing for a reservation.  This is only a partial list of restrictions; a long list of restrictions apply and can be read at this link.

How:
Go to the JetBlue All You Can Jet Pass.

The Inside Scoop:
Is this a good deal?  Well, it depends.  You must analyze much will you travel during this time period and whether you would be traveling anyway during that time period or if you are traveling only because of the pass.  If you add the cost of all of your trips during this 30 day time period and recognize that the pass will save you money off of the sum of the costs of those itineraries, then it may be a good purchase.  But be sure to analyze how the change fees and restrictions will affect your total cost.  If you value flexibility, you will want to carefully consider the purchase of the pass.

Also note that the pass is available until JetBlue decides it is no longer available.  The last time the pass was offered, JetBlue stopped selling the pass when a certain number of customers had purchased the pass.  If you are sure you want the pass, you may want to purchase the pass in the near future.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 17, 2010)

Want to take a last minute vacation to the Caribbean? How about St. Kitts?

The Deal:
Marriott is offering a last minute "ebreak" deal at its St. Kitts Resort with rates this weekend starting at $87/night plus tax/fees. Ebreak rates have certain restrictions including the fact that a Thursday night stay requires a Friday night stay and a Sunday night stay requires a Saturday night stay. The lowest rate this weekend is on Sunday.

How:
Go to Marriott.com and search for rate code "MEB" when checking rates.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 16, 2010)

Want to travel across Paris for free (or for as close to free as possible) - if so, grab a Velib' bike. This bike program offers subscribers the ability to rent bikes throughout Paris. Any rental of a bike for 30 minutes or less is free. Subscriptions are available on a one-day basis for only 1 Euro or for 7 days for 5 Euros, which allows the user to rent bikes on an unlimited basis thoughout the city. If you limit all rentals to only 30 minutes, you pay nothing other than the subscription fee. Bikes are available via automated kiosks 24 hours a day. Additional restrictions and limitations apply. To view a map of all Paris locations and to read the full rules, go to the Velib' Bike Program (in French) or the Velib Bike Program (in English / Adobe PDF File).

Travel Deal of the Day (August 15, 2010)

If you are planning to travel within South America, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Iguazu Falls, located on a border between Argentina and Brazil. The most conveniently located hotel for such a trip is the Sheraton Iguazu Hotel. The hotel is currently offering a quite competitive rate for a two night stay.

The Deal:
Under the deal, obtain your first night at regular rate and your second night at a 50% discount. As with any deal, you should check all available rates, but this deal provides a significant discount off of normal rates for a two night stay (which is a good length of stay for a trip to Iguazu).

How:
Go to the Sheraton Iguazu Second Night Half Off Deal.

The Inside Scoop:
In addition to checking the rates available using this discount, be sure to also check other rates, including any corporate rates available using one of the many "SET" (corporate discount) codes that Starwood offers. For instance, Starwood offers a specific SET code for members of certain organizations (e.g., the American Bar Association) or for employees of large organizations. Be sure to check with your organization or with Starwood to find the relevant SET code(s) - it may save you quite a bit of money.

Also note that the views from the Argentine and Brazilian sides of the falls vary tremendously. Spend the time necessary to view the falls from both borders. The views are breathtaking.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 13, 2010)

Starwood is offering a free night, free upgrade and resort credit for eligible resort stays until March 31, 2011. The particular conditions (e.g., how many nights you need to stay to obtain a free night) vary by hotel, but you should check the eligibility under this package when obtaining rates at a Starwood resort. For the full rules or to book, go to the Starwood SunSational Savings Deal.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 12, 2010)

Airtran is having a 48 hour sale for travel to and from Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI). Tickets must be purchased by August 13, 2010 for travel through October 27, 2010. Travel under the sale is permitted every day but Sunday. Blackout dates and other restrictions apply. For full rules or to book, go to the Airtran 48 Hour BWI Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 11, 2010)

Air France is offering 10% off of economy class tickets on its Boston to Paris route using the coupon code "BOS823" - tickets must be purchased by August 26, 2010 on the Air France USA website. You must depart by October 31, 2010 and return by November 30, 2010. Additional restrictions apply, including a limitation of one usage of the coupon per person. To redeem the coupon, go to the Air France US website.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 10, 2010)

The five-star Four Seasons Dublin has a special through the end of August 2010 on a third night free package with rates starting at 110 Euros/night (after incorporating the free night). If you book the package through a Virtuoso travel agent, you will receive additional amenities including breakfast and a one category upgrade based on availability at check-in. For more information, see the hotel rates at the Four Seasons Dublin Rate Page.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 9, 2010)

Southwest Airlines has a sale from various cities to Florida with fares starting at $89/way (or less) plus tax/fees. Fares must be purchased by September 1, 2010 for travel September 7, 2010 - November 15, 2010. To find the full rules for the sale, go to this link. Other airlines may match on a market-by-market basis, so it is best to use an aggregator search engine such as Kayak (in addition to Southwest.com) to find fares.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 6, 2010)

If you are using a frequent flyer mileage or hotel point earning credit card simply by habit, be sure to analyze whether you are maximizing your earnings on credit card purchases. There are currently many options for cash back credit cards. Some are very simple, and earn two percent cash back on all purchases (an example is currently available via Charles Schwab and Fidelity). For many people, earning two cents per dollar spent is far better than earning a frequent flyer point or a hotel reward point. Be sure to carefully analyze whether you would be better off using a cash back card - you can then use your cash to buy anything you want (from an airline ticket to clothes). With cash back, you have the power to choose what you want to do with that cash, and you are not tied to a frequent flyer or frequent stay program with copious and burdensome rules. Just food for thought if you have not recently analyed your credit card spending.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 5, 2010)

Both United and American are offering short haul US/US to Canada awards at a discount for fall travel. If you were planning on using miles for such a trip, here is a discount off of the standard mileage requirement:

(1) United - For travel in economy class on routes of 700 miles or less in the Continental US or between the US and Canada, obtain a obtain a one-way for 8,750 miles or a roundtrip for 17,500 miles. Travel must be purchased at least seven days in advance, and travel is permitted August 31, 2010 - January 7, 2011. Additional restrictions apply. See the United Mileage Plus Sale for more information or to book.

(2) American - For travel in economy class on nonstop routes of 700 miles or less in the Continental US or between the US and Canada, obtain a one-way for 8,750 miles or a roundtrip for 17,500 miles. Travel is permitted until December 15, 2010. Additional restrictions apply. See the American AAdvantage Sale for more information or to book.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 4, 2010)

Eurostar, the high speed train operating between London, Paris, Brussels and other European cities, is offering a sale with fares as low as $57/way between London and Paris or between London and Brussels. Rates do not include additional fees and may be subject to additional restrictions (such as availability limitations). To find out more information or to book, go to the Eurostar Sale.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 3, 2010)

As noted previously, now is the time to book Thanksgiving travel if you have not already done so. Seats on the most in demand dates only get more expensive as the holiday approaches. Southwest has a sale until August 5 that is blacked out only on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, meaning that if seats are still available, you can fly on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving using the sale fares. Here is a link to the sale - be sure to check all airlines (as many airlines are matching the sale on a market by market basis). Be sure to also be flexible with your return date - the Sunday after Thanksgiving is very expensive, but the Saturday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving may have far more reasonable fares.

Travel Deal of the Day (August 2, 2010)

Hotel rates in Hawaii have dropped dramatically over the past few years. If you are looking to stay in Hawaii on a budget, be sure to check out Priceline and Hotwire. BiddingforTravel.com, which provides reports regarding bids made on Priceline, shows winning bids at 4 star and "resort" level hotels on the island of Oahu for under $100 (see examples of such bids here). Paying $80-$90/night for a nice Hawaiian hotel is a great deal. Be sure to check out Priceline and Hotwire when booking your next Hawaiian vacation - the deals are incredible.