Freebie Friday: Gratis Upgrades on Many Norwegian Cruise Lines 2011 Sailings

(Photo of Norwegian Epic by Cruise News Weekly)

This one may or may not be a good deal. Here's why: Norwegian is restricting the offer only to new bookings and will not allow it for "existing group rates". Since many discounters get lower prices for their customers by booking blocks of rooms at a time, this means you may end up paying much more than you normally would have to get the "free" upgrade. Oh, and that upgrade is only within cabin categories. So you might get a bigger inside (ie porthole-less) cabin with this offer, but you ain't getting a balcony or window.

Still, some may be able to eke the value out of this one, so here's the fine print: bookings must be made before March 27, 2011 and participants must use the code PGWave11 when they purchase. The offer covers a variety of sailings in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Europe.

For complete information, head to Norwegian's website.

Where to Go? Where to Go? Do Hop Tries to Come Up with an Answer to That Age-Old Travel Conundrum

I can only describe this new application from DoHop, called DoHop/Away as a magic eight ball for travel.

(Photo by Horia Varlan)

You input your gateway, a month you might travel, virtually shake it, and the site comes up with a raft of often odd-ball suggestions for where you might go, based on random dates within the month and pricing.

Want to leave Chicago in March? DoHop thinks you should go to sunny Detroit! Thinking of escaping Denver in January? Where better to go than Kansas City!

Of course, if you scroll down there will be some more vacation-worthy suggestions. But because you have to give the computer an entire month to work with, often the dates returned will be unuseable (for most vacationers). I input New York for February and came up with an excellent round-trip price to Kingson, Jamaice ($302). Problem was, I'd have to leave on February 24 and return March 14 so any savings I might get on the flight I'm likely going to lose in long-term hotel costs once there (and many would-be travelers would likely lose their jobs if they ran away to the tropics for more than two weeks!).

Though I have my problems with the site (and to be fair, its very new and the folks at DoHop are considering a long weekend feature, which will help better pin down travel dates) I'm guessing there may be some very flexible travelers out there who'll find it useful. Hence today's mention.

As for regular fare searches, DoHop.com often comes out on top for those, making it an excellent resource to check when you actually have a destination in mind. In early 2011, rumor has it, the site will add a multi-stop itinerary feature, which will greatly improve its usefulness.

Opinion Poll Trumps Facts Once Again? The U.S. Travel Association's New Survey

Have you been on an airplane lately?

I have. A number of them actually. And no matter what the carrier or destination, the flights I've been on have been full. Overly full actually; it seems like each time I've taken off, would-be stand-by travelers have been left disappointed at the gate.

The stats bear out my observations. Looking at the past summer, airlines flew with an average of 89% percent of their seats filled--the highest numbers, actually, since these sorts of numbers started being recorded. Autumn and winter flights have been nearly as crowded.

Yet according to the US Travel Association, the act of having to take off one's shoes before going through security is so angering would-be passengers that they haven't been traveling as much as they could. Apparently, shoe removal was the biggest source of anger among the traveling public, beyond any ire inspired by going through a scanner or removing a pat-down.

The USTA wants to appear before Congress with the results of this study, and ask for help, as they believe security regulations are hurting the travel industry and, by extension, the US economy.

Really? Really?! My question to them: on what planes would these folks have flown? Because the ones that are up in the sky couldn't accommodate all these extra folks with shoe anxieties. And wouldn't the detonation of explosives aboard an airline hurt the travel industry far, far more than any regulation the TSA could concoct?

I'm not arguing that travel is NOT down. It obviously is (just look at hotel occupancy numbers). But the reason for that is just as obvious: its the economy, stupid. Until people get back to work and/or feel secure in their jobs, we're not going to see the numbers of travelers that we did in the free-spending decade we just lived through.

This seems like another case of an opinion poll trumping the facts, a problem in our opinion-obsessed society. Let's look at what actually is happening (not only in travel, but in politics) rather than what folks thinks is happening.

Catch It If You Can: AirTran's One-Day Sale

Why pay more for this experience?

A little over 14 hours remain in the 1-day sale just announced by AirTran. Some of the savings are so good, they warrant a look, even though it needs to be a rushed one. Fares are good for travel through March 9 (those going to or from Puerto Rico only have until Feb 16 to fly with this sale); and Sunday travel is always blacked out. Tickets must be purchased by midnight ET tonight, for travel at least 14 days out.

Some of the goodies:

• Atlanta to Rochester: $69 each way
• Milwaukee to Omaha: $49 each way
• Flint and Nassau (the Bahamas): $119 each way
• San Antonio and Grand Rapids: $89 each way

These are just a few of the deals. Take a look at the website---QUICKLY!--for more offers. 

An Eruption of Good Deals from Icelandair

The volcano that disrupted air travel across Europe has simmered down. And as if in penance, Iceland's national airline Icelandair is shaving a good $100 off the regular cost of airfare to Europe. Unusually, the deal isn't just from the east coast, but from Seattle as well, with round-trip prices from that western gateway to Reykjavik for just $409 plus tax. Seattle to Manchaster, UK is $489; to Copenhagen $569; and Paris $619.

Looking towards the Blue Lagoon in Iceland (photo by Matthew Wilkinson)

The airline also has excellent rates from Boston (the cheapest gateway, going to Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Paris and Glasgow) and New York City (flying to Reykjavik, London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

Note: All flights are via Reyjavik. Flyers are welcome to extend their layover there at no extra cost, if they want to make their vacation a two-country one

Book by Dec. 24 for travel Jan 15-April 2. All details can be found at the Icelandair website (see above).

Freebie Friday: Fourth or Fifth Nights Free At the Super-All-Inclusive Resorts of Breezes

Is a free hotel stay even better when it comes with a free round of golf, three free meals, a free nightclub visit and several colorful (free!) drinks with umbrellas in them?

If you answered "yes" to the question above, you'll want to know about the Breezes chain of resorts latest promotion which is giving vacationers a break for staying a while. In the Bahamas, you stay just four nights to earn a complete rebate on one of them; in Jamaica, Brazil, Panama and Curacao guests receive their fifth night free.

The only catch? You must book the deal by Feb 17 for travel from Jan 4 through Aug 31.

Breezes Curacao

As for the properties, they vary greatly, with some bright, shiny and chic and others needing  a new coat of paint. (Read the reviews before booking).

What's nice about the Breezes chain is that its is truly all-inclusive, meaning tips are not expected, the liquors you get are top shelf, and you won't be paying extra if you want to do a sporty activity, even if you need lessons in that activity. Another plus: some of these resorts are the only all-inclusives in their areas (such as Buzios and Curacao), so they offer an option for folks who like "wallet-free" vacations but want to get out of the usual all-inclusive areas.

For full information on the promotion go to Breezes.com.

And Its Another 3-Day Sale, This Time From Small-Group Adventure Operator Intrepid Tours

India Gate in Delhi (photo Lazlo)

Intrepid--the world implies a certain level of bravery, one that is unflagging, a character trait rather than a momentary summoning of will.

Some would argue that a person with a desire to head to some of the least-traveled areas of the world, say Lesotho or a place that ends with a "stan", is by their very nature "intrepid".

And those are the type of people, I'd guess, who the company Intrepid Travel want to lure: folks who aren't shy about getting off the beaten path, who want to try local guesthouses or even sleep in tents, who wouldn't be caught dead in a 40-person motorcoach.

Well, Intrepid has made it even easier, no let's say cheaper, for these types of folks to travel by offering a 3-day sale that starts today and ending at the end of day on Dec 18.  The sale covers 2011 travel through mid-March, and, depending on the destination, offers discounts of 15% to 50% off. Among the best values are tours of the southern coast of Africa (South Africa and Lesotho) starting at only $43 a day; and from Mumbai to Delhi in India from just $47 a day. Tours are available in other parts of Africa and Asia as well as North America, Europe and Latin America all at a discount.
 
Need to know more? Click on the link above which will get you to the Intrepid website. It looks like there's still good availability on most of the tours being discounted (hence the sale, I'm guessing).

Southwest Expands (And Celebrates with a Summer Sale), MegaBus Does the Same

Its now a good-looking 40 years old, and to celebrate Southwest Airlines made two tantalizing announcements today:

• By 2012 it will have several new crafts in its fleet big and strong enough to make flights to Hawaii and other farther-flung destinations. 
• In the coming months, the flyer is adding a number of new routes, most notably from Newark to Baltimore, Phoenix, Denver and Houston. 

For those Newark non-stops, it will be slashing rates to as low as $49 (that covers the Newark to Baltimore flights). Tickets must be purchased by end of day (Pacific time) Friday, Dec. 17. The sale is good for flights from June 5 through Aug 12.

Bus A Move To Or From Toronto

The much younger Megabus (founded in 2006) has an even more tantalizing offer: how does almost free grab you? The company is giving away 20,000 seats for winter trips between nearly 50 US cities (including Buffalo, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, St. Louis, Cleveland and Washington, DC) and Toronto at that non-price."Buyers" pay just a .50 cent booking fee. And when those seats are gone, the price will start at $1 (really $1.50 with the booking fee).

Use the code WOW200K when booking.

The demand on this deal is so great that its been crashing the Megabus site. But keep trying as this deal will sell out soon.

A New Airline Fee That May Actually Help Travelers

Following in the wheel-treads of the Spanish carrier Vueling, Continental has announced that it will be rolling out an optional, new fee for certain domestic and international flights. Called Farelock, the fee allows travelers to lock in a price on a flight without actually buying it yet.

(Photo by Josh Beasley)

For the cost of a Starbucks coffee concoction ($5) one can lock in a fare for 72 hours; $9 is the price for a hold that lasts 7 days. If, at the end of those periods, the traveler decides, well, not to be a traveler, he can get out of the ticket having only paid those small amounts. They will pay the $5 or $9 though as these fees are non-refundable.

The cynic in me wonders if this is a way to monetize changes that are likely coming down the pike due to new DOT rules. One of the regulations that was being considered this summer, but hasn't yet been announced, would allow travelers a grace period of 24 hours after purchase to change or cancel a ticket (a great idea, since so many folks discover when they get the confirmation email that the ticket they purchased has the wrong name or date on it).

Whatever the motivation behind the new fees, I'm controlling my knee-jerk reaction to the word "fee" and cautiously getting behind this new one. For folks who have issues setting their schedules; who worry about a flight selling out, but need more time to search for fares; or who might need to check whether there's room at an appropriate cost in the area they're visiting before they book, these new fees could be a god-send.

I also have some advice for travelers hoping to use this new service to their best advantage:

• Lock in your fare, if its domestic, late in the day on a Tuesday: Most fare sales are announced Mondays at 8pm for domestic tickets. The other airlines match by about 3pm on Tuesdays, so buy locking in then you'll have a lot of inventory to choose from, and (hopefully) good prices, too.
• Don't lock in fares more than 4 months in advance, if possible: Remember, you can only hold the seat a maximum of 9 days without paying. Most fare sales don't occur until about 3.5 months before the date of travel.
• Stay vigilant after you've locked in: Domestic fares are posted three times a day, and international fares can change hourly. So lock it in, and then get to work. You could save a lot that way.

It will be interesting to see how widely Continental expands this program (currently only some of its flights are covered) and whether other airlines follow suit.

Win a Grand in Travel Certificates from Southwest Airlines

Well, its "freebie Friday" on a Monday here at the Pauline Frommer daily, as I wanted to get this giveaway to your attention before it disappeared. Through Dec 21, Southwest Airlines will be giving away one $1000 gift certificate each day. Since most Southwest flights are in the $250 to $300 range round-trip, that's a good amount of travel. Two winners have already been announced for Saturday's and Sunday's give away.

Here are the rules: participants must follow Southwest on Twitter (their handle is @southwestair). This will allow them to see what the daily contest entails. Today, travelers must send a picture to Southwest via twitter of themselves and a reindeer by 4pm central time. A panel of judges will pick the winner.

You can see the winners from the first two days of the contest plus all the rules at the Southwest site. Probably the most important rule is that all submissions must have the hashtag #12daysofluv.

Good luck finding a photogenic rheindeer!

Freebie Friday: Guiding Apps for London and Paris

For a limited time, the Frommers aps to both London and Paris are being offerred, absolutely free, via i-Tunes. What's on 'em? Only the complete text of the Frommer's guidebooks to those cities, regularly updated and darn comprehensive (if I do say so myself). I'm talking hundreds of impartial, expert reviews for hotels, restaurants, stores and attractions, star rated so you can quickly and easily see what's most worth your time.  As I said, this is a limited offer, so get 'em before they revert to their still-affordable price of $4.99.

And while I'm on the topic, I'll remind you that Frommer's Travel Tool App is always free. A handy dandy compilation of currency converter, time translator, tip calculator, trivia games and more (see the picture to the left), its a must have for travelers. Really, I mean it.

Sorry if today's blog sounds like an ad. But being so close to these products, knowing most of the authors (and they live all over the world), and also knowing the incredible effort that goes into making sure our guidebooks and apps are the most accurate, helpful and easy-to-use on the market, I would be remiss not to "toot our own horn" every once in a while. These really are first rate apps and I want everyone to know about them.

Have a good weekend all!

Cheerio or Aloha? Its Up to You with These Two Deals

I'm having trouble turning my attention away for travel deals right now. They just keep tumbling down the proverbial chimney, one better than the next, an early visitation from Santa.

(Photo by Justin Ornelias)

Hula la la: Round-trip to Hawaii from $333
And that price includes fuel surcharges, a brave move by Hawaiian Airlines as gas prices are on the rise. Also unusual are the number of gateways on sale. With this promotion, folks from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, and San Jose will fly at that price to Honolulu. The sale applies to Maui from Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle.

Bookings must be made by December 13 for travel from January 11 through June 9, 2011. Click on the link above for full details.

London Air and Hotel for Less Than the Air Alone
This one's a special via Travelzoo (so use the code TZLon4 when booking): airfare, daily breakfast and six nights' hotel in London for just $599. That's an unusually low price, though not as low as it first appears as taxes of close to $200 will be added (its still a deal). That promotion is for select dates in Jan and Feb; and from New York City only, though other gateways are available for not much more. 

Full information is available at the website of the seller European Vacations.

Ziplines and Deals: Two Things (Perhaps the Only Things!) Las Vegas and Costa Rica Have in Common Right Now

I'll start with Costa Rica, as this is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sort of deal. It comes from STA Travel, and for today ONLY its dropping the already-reasonable cost of an 8-day tour there from $649 to just $325.

That price does not cover airfare or meals, but will get you where you're going within Costa Rica, cover the services of an experienced guide and 7-nights of guesthouse stays.

Interestingly, the tour heads to the less touristed Caribbean side of the country, which will mean nights of Reggae music and days of beach bumming and white water rafting (the tour loops from San Jose to Tortugero, Cuito and Purto Viejo). The group will be a maximum of 15 people, though most average 10. Departures are available about once a month from February through August (see the website above for specific dates).

Bookings must be made by end of day today!

Sin City Savings
I was alerted to the MGM Grand Resorts (TheTropicana, Ballys,  Planet Hollywood, Luxor, Aria, etc)  72 hour sale  by the Las Vegas Advisor. Again, this one's quick-as-a minute: the deals disappear at midnight tonight.

So should you jump to book? Maybe. As with many things in Vegas, its a gamble.

For example, through the official sale, the lowest rate I could get at the MGM Grand for a mid-January, mid-week room was $60. Through a third party site, however, I found the same room, same dates for $48. The Luxor, conversely, was offering an unbeatable $35 rate on the dates I booked. It was double that amount from outside sellers. The lowdown: look at the comparison site HotelsCombined.com before you book any of the MGM deals directly.

But its not just hotels on sale in this instance; MGM is also discounting its shows including such top-notch offerings as the Blue Man Group and Jersey Boys. For advance ticket sales, I haven't seen anything to beat what MGM's charging on these shows, though its certainly possible that these prices could be undercut by "day of" discounts at the Tix4Tonight booths on the Strip.

Oh, and in case you haven't heard: there's now a zipline at the Freemont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas (hence the headline).

JetBlue Deals, Noah's Ark and Bourbon, Canadian Lodging Costs Nipped by 50%, The Amalfi Coast for Less, and Hotel Stays for Xmas

Lots of news and deals today, starting with JetBlue's most recent sale (they seem to be having these weekly!), which slashes the fares on flights to a gasp-worthy $19 (Long Beach-Las Vegas, though the $29 fare from Fort Lauderdale to Nassau in the Bahamas is also pretty amazing). In all, there are 40 gateways on sale and the vast majority of flights seem to be going for less than $80 each way (with a good number at just $39 or $49 for pretty long hops). Tickets must be purchased by midnight ET December 8 for travel January 4 through Feb 15. Other restrictions do apply, so read all the fine print at the JetBlue site.

Discounts on Xmas Day Hotel Stays
USA Today is running an interesting column from Barb de Lollis about the fact that hotels across the US may be willing to play "Let's Make a Deal" with travelers for stays on Christmas Day, traditionally a very weak day for hotel occupancy rates (apparently, of the major US cities, occupancy for the holiday is only up in Denver and Houston this year; in the rest of the country, advance bookings are down 16% from last year, and last year was no banner year!). Ms. de Lollis notes that Red Roof is slashing 30% off lodging rates at a good 80% of its properties for the holiday. She also lists a few individual resorts hosting Christmas sales. You can read the entire piece by clicking here.

Delta Hotels Discount
The mid-sized (44 hotels) Canadian hotel chain announced just this a.m. that it would be drastically dropping its rates for those who book well in advance (bookings must be made by December 16 for stays through March 31). At some properties the sale is a full 50% off the published rates, at others the discount is less steep but still and all, the savings are generous. The code "TZC" must be used when booking. Click here to see all the details.

Build It, Fill It With  Animals and They Will Come
That seems to be the strategy behind the Kentucky governor's announcement recently that a Christian ministry would be building a massive Noah's Ark theme park. The project is expected to cost $150 million and employ a staff of 900. Some of the exhibits sound a little, well, disturbing--do we really want to see how Noah might have dealt with "waste management" aboard this floating zoo? And editorials have appeared in some of the top newspapers in the state warning that the project will create only low-wage jobs and hurt the state's image. It will be fascinating to see if the ark ever floats. I, personally, am hoping the food stands at the park take a page from Churchill Downs and serve mint juleps. With one of those in hand, a tour of the park might just be fun. You can read the New York Time's complete article on the project here.

(Positano on the Amalfi Coast, photo by Allerina McLarty)

And About the Amalfi Coast
Finally, Gate1Travel is offering an impressive fly-drive-stay package to the Amalfi Coast of Italy this winter (lowest rates are for departures January 19 and 26 and February 2). Just $899 will purchase hotels for 6 nights, a rental car, airfare from NYC (other gateways available for small upticks in price) and fuel surcharges (but not other taxes). Since this splendid coastline is one of the most expensive areas to visit in Europe usually, the deal's a winner. And what will the weather be like in the depths of winter? It should be temperate, as you'll be fairly far south. The only downside to visiting at this time of year is that a number of restaurants may be closed.

The First So-Called "Smart Cards" Introduced in the US

Its about time! After  years of American travelers finding themselves stymied at European ticket kiosks, gas stations and other automated money-takers that only accept "chip and pin"-style credit cards (ie those that require the use of a PIN number to work), several large corporations are coming up with "smart cards" for us.

Travelex, the large money exchange company, has gotten its out first, debuting its card last Wednesday. (I'll note that Mastercard has already announced one for Canada, and, rumor has it, will soon be doing the same for the US).

Not a credit card, but a pre-loaded debit card, the Travelex card is currently being offered only in euros and British pounds. Travelers determine how much they want to put on the card, load it up, pick a PIN number and go. The card can be used at ATM's, and any sorts of kiosks, restaurants, stores and hotels. The cards are being sold at Travelex retail stores as well as online at Travelex.com.

I, for one, applaud this development. Chip and pin cards not only offer vastly greater protection against fraud but they've become the standard not only across Europe but in large swatches of Asia.