Articles for June, 2009
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
ANNALS OF RECESSION I
More Charges for Comfy Coach Across the Pacific: Trans-Pacific premium-class traffic is plummeting, falling even faster than trans-Atlantic travel up front.
According to IATA, the airline trade group, premium-class travel fell by almost 30 percent in March compared to March, 2008. Qantas, the Australian carrier, has been among the hardest hit.
Besides the 30 percent traffic decline, Qantas says that those fliers still buying premium-class flights are paying just half of last year’s going rates. As a result, Qantas has simply stopped selling first-class tickets on at least three routes, including its San Francisco-Sydney service.
That means some lucky fliers will get business-class service, but be upgraded to the seats in the larger, plusher first-class seats. However, coach passengers who want to score a roomier exit-row seat will have to pay for the privilege. Qantas now charges a premium of $60 to $100 for an exit-row seat assignment. That essentially matches the exit-row premium imposed last fall by Singapore Airlines on many of its trans-Pacific flights.
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Tags: Flights, Hotels
Posted in Business Travel, California Vacation, Flights, Florida Vacation, Hawaii Vacation, International Vacations, Las Vegas Vacation, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Monday, June 29th, 2009
By E.C. Gladstone
Doing a blog like this isn’t all fun and games, you know. Okay, it is mostly fun and games. But sometimes I can find myself clocking an awful lot of miles trying to look like I’m “relaxing.” Okay, no whining. The point is, I thought it would be fun just to share one typically hectic day in my life with you all. Let’s take the Friday before last…
I woke up in a spacious junior suite on one of the Palazzo’s upgraded Concierge levels. While Palazzo & Venetian have always been one of
my favorite Las Vegas hotels on the Strip for many reasons, the Concierge level adds so much to the already high amenity level here (premium betting, motorized curtains, body jets in the shower, DVD player on one of two big flatscreens, multifunction Brother fax/scanner). Grabbing breakfast in the sprawling concierge lounge (a modest rate upgrade for 3 meals and evening cocktails, free DVD library and more), I caught up with news and e-mails using the free business
center computers before heading downstairs to the new Azure club pool.
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Tags: Las Vegas hotels
Posted in Business Travel, Family Travel, Food & Wine, Gambling Vacation, Las Vegas Vacation, Orbitz Travel Insider, Romance, Spa Vacation | No Comments »
Friday, June 26th, 2009
By Samantha Chapnick
So, you’ve done the Miami vacation and the Caribbean all-inclusive. Now that the temps are heating up, ready to explore some shores closer to home on your beach vacation?
Nantucket
Wearing clothing adorned with a repeated animal pattern, preferably a whale in pink, green or blue, is not de rigeur for a Nantucket beach vacation. But if you really want to fit in with the preppy set, run to your closest Vineyard Vines before you buy your ferry ticket. This island, although off the radar of non-Northeasterners, is the summer refuge of Bostonites. Thankfully, a bit lower key than Cape Cod or the Hamptons, it still retains an atmosphere of sophisticated lounging.
For an upscale stay, base out of The Wauwinet with its white picket fences, Adirondack chairs, and lace curtains. For a much more affordable option, try The Beachside, a spiffed up motel with nice landscaping and a short walk directly to the beach. Most of the beaches are more for walking than swimming (unless you can handle cold water). My favorites include Brant Point for its great classic New England lighthouse and easy proximity to town; Surfside Beach — extra wide, making it great for picnics; and Children’s Beach for families with its lifeguards, restrooms and playground.
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Tags: Beach Vacation
Posted in Beach Vacation, California Vacation, Family Travel, Food & Wine, Romance | No Comments »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Orbitz Twitter Giveaway! As a token of our appreciation, here's a special promo code for 15% off select hotels:
THXTWITTER
Book by June 27, 2009 for travel by September 6, 2009.
Terms and conditions:
Book a qualifying hotel
between June 25, 2009, and June 27, 2009, for 1 or more night for travel between
June 25, 2009, and September 6, 2009, via Orbitz and instantly receive 15% off your booking
through the use of the promotion code. To display qualifying hotels, click "I
have a promotion code." and enter the promotion code, then look for hotels
marked with the icon "COUPON." Limit one discount per hotel room and one
promotion code per booking. Discount may not be used toward the booking of a
vacation package. Discounts are not redeemable for cash for any reason. Any
attempt at fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Void where
prohibited, taxed or restricted. Orbitz reserves the right to change or limit the
promotion in its sole discretion.
Tags: Free, Hotel, Hotel Deals, Travel Deals, Twitter
Posted in Freebies & Discounts, Travel Deals | No Comments »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
By Kathy Karlesses
You could spend an entire week at American Girl Place and most likely not experience all of the exciting activities offered. My 10-year-old daughter has been a fan of American Girl for a couple of years now and waits anxiously for the catalog to be delivered so that she can circle all of the things she wants.
This summer, I decided that we would venture beyond the catalog and take a family vacation to one of the cities that is lucky enough to have an American Girl Place. Because we live in Cleveland, the logical location was Chicago. I was excited too, because as a city, Chicago is one of the finest and offers many diversions if we actually managed to conquer American Girl Place. My daughter and I decided to spread the joy and invite my sister and niece to share in the experience. The plan was for us to fly from Cleveland and for them to fly from Denver and converge upon Chicago with two 10-year olds toting American Girl dolls in their coordinating back pack/carriers.
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Tags: Family vacation
Posted in Chicago Vacation, Family Travel, Orbitz Parent Panel, Travel Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Tweet for tickets. Enter for a chance to win a round-trip coach-class airfare voucher valid for travel in the domestic United States in the Orbitz Twitter Giveaway.
Here’s what you’ve got to do:
Start following Orbitz on Twitter.com, if you’re not doing so already.
Retweet that day’s contest message, which will be posted on the @Orbitz Twitter page.
We’ll announce the winner on the @Orbitz Twitter page. If it’s you, make sure to send a direct message via Twitter within 48 hours. Remember, all entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT on June 24, 2009. Limit one entry per person/twitter address.
Read on for official rules ….
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Posted in Freebies & Discounts, Travel Deals | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
By John George
When my wife Jenny was nine, her family of seven took a road trip in a ’71 Pontiac station wagon to Mount Rushmore National Park. For a few years now she has been dreaming of taking a similar family vacation with our son, Zeke, who is eleven. While out West, we want to go hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, take in a rodeo at Cheyenne Frontier Days, and, as long as we’re in the neighborhood, visit Yellowstone National Park.
It’s a tall order, I know, and when we consulted an atlas the mileage was daunting. Mapquest confirmed we would log over 3,000 miles on our family sedan if we drove from Chicago. We considered driving out West in a rental car and flying home from Denver after we’d made all our stops, but it was still a lot of miles, and one-way flights plus one-way car rentals were more costly than round-trips. Fortunately, my sister-in-law, (who will be joining us along with her 11-year old son), suggested flying out to Denver and renting a car from there. This ended up being a more cost efficient and hassle-free option. We booked cheap round-trip flights to Denver, and our car rental was considerably less.
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Tags: car rental, Family vacation, Flights, Hotel
Posted in Family Travel, Orbitz Parent Panel | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Parades, cookouts, fireworks — however you like to celebrate, the Fourth of July is the holiday of summer, and with the 4th falling on a Saturday this year, it's a great opportunity for a short summer vacation. Before you book your flights and hotels, check out these top picks based on Orbitz bookings for travel July 3-6:
Top 10 Fourth of July Vacation Destinations for 2009
1. Las Vegas: Las Vegas hotels — with their glitzy shows and gourmet restaurants — are popular year 'round, and it's no surprise that Vegas celebrates the Fourth in a big way. Check out a virtual fireworks show on the Viva Vision canopy at the Fremont Street Experience, or see the real thing — times nine — as nine different Stations Casinos properties display fireworks simultaneously.
2. Chicago: The Fourth of July is a great time to plan a summer vacation in Chicago. Taste of Chicago is in full swing, and you can take full advantage of the lakefront beaches. Chicago's official Fourth of July fireworks take place on July 3 over the lake by Grant Park.
3. New York: Book your New York hotel now and plan to enjoy the Big Apple's Fourth of July fireworks display over the Hudson River. Here are the recommended spots for best views of the fireworks.
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Tags: flight, fourth of july, Hotel, summer vacation, travel
Posted in California Vacation, Caribbean Vacation, Chicago Vacation, Europe Vacation, Family Travel, Holidays & Events, International Vacations, Mexico Vacation, New York Vacation, Top 10 Lists, Travel News | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
By Joe Brancatelli
NET NEWS
The Cost of Internet on the Road Is Coming Down: Without much fanfare, Boingo, the global network of 100,000 Wi-Fi hotspots, has slashed its monthly price by more than 50 percent. The basic domestic plan has been cut to $9.95 a month, down from $21.95. The domestic Boingo service covers hotspots operated by AT&T, T-Mobile and others inside thousands of hotels, Starbucks, McDonalds and bookstores nationwide. Boingo's move comes as residential-oriented broadband firms have begun bundling remote Wi-Fi access with their own monthly fees. Cablevision, for example, offers its users in the New York metropolitan area some Wi-Fi access on the road. Verizon, which sells DSL and fiber-optic Internet to residential customers, is readying an announcement that would give them some free Wi-Fi hotspot access, too. And T-Mobile has joined other big cellphone companies in selling 3G modem sticks that allow laptops to surf the Internet using mobile-phone networks.
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Tags: Flights, Hotels
Posted in Business Travel, Flights, Hawaii Vacation, On the Road, Travel News | No Comments »
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
By Brian Hoyt
My first trip to Washington, D.C. was in the late 1970s when I stood on the front gate of the White House asking the Secret Service guard if I could meet “that guy” who lived in the building. President Carter wasn’t home, but my first trip to Pennsylvania Avenue started a love affair with a city that I am proud to promote.
If you want to take a family vacation during these tough economic times, there is no better place to visit for the day or for the week. With a wealth of convenient and affordable ways to travel and get around on the cheap, Washington, D.C. is a truly recession-proof family vacation destination.
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Tags: Family vacation
Posted in Family Travel, Orbitz Parent Panel, Travel Tips | No Comments »
