Sunday, January 25, 2009

Archives for December & January

Sunday January 11, 2009:

Europe is on sale in 09. I have not seen such great prices in such peak times of the year in a long time. Below are just a sampling of the jaw droppingly (is that a word?) low fares flying out of New York's JFK
airport this year. All prices are round trip with taxes and fees included:

  • New York (JFK) - Dublin (DUB): $450 (Mar 11-19) You fly nonstop with
    Delta. Or you can spend $2 more and travel nonstop with Continental.

  • New York (JFK) - Krakow (KRK): $754 (Jun 8-15) You will be using Aer
    Lingus. That is over $300 cheaper than Lufthansa ($1,064) and over $500
    cheaper then Czech Airlines.

  • New York (JFK) - Rome (FCO): $940 (Jul 12-21) You will fly with Aer
    Lingus. Now with this fare I would advise to wait a little longer as it may
    come down even more. It has 1 stop in Dublin each way and comes in $300
    cheaper than the next best price from EuroFly at $1200 nonstop.

  • New York (JFK) - Paris (CDG): $856 (Aug 2-10) Again Aer Lingus comes
    through with the lowest price. You will have 1 stop in Dublin each way and
    this fare comes in over $200 cheaper than the next best price from
    SWISS at $1,074.


Saturday January 10, 2009:

Amazing Australian sale with Qantas:
G'day mates! The airlines have been going crazy with sales left and right over the last few weeks due to the dropping price in oil and the awful economy. One major sale announced in the last 24 hours is with Australia's Qantas Airways. The airline has announced a 4-day sale on flights to Sydney from New York. For $960 per person roundtrip ($300 lower than other airlines), you can see the land of kangaroos and koalas for less.

What makes this sale with Qantas so great besides the low price is that you have such a wide window to book your trip down under (Feb 1-Sept 21). Remember that February is the last month of summer in Australia, so getting a deal at this particular time is rare.

To get this great deal you must book by Tuesday, Jan. 13. The $960 fare is also good on flights to Melbourne and Brisbane. Check out
Qantas Airways for more information.

Travel By Andy's Top 9 in '09:

With the U.S. dollar creeping slowly back up in the last few weeks with the Euro,
American travelers are looking overseas again. But happy days are not here again
just yet, the Euro still is strong and much of Europe is expensive to visit. But with
2009 upon us, here are 9 places you may want to keep an eye on and even start
booking now for travel in the new year. Click on the names of the city for more
information. Happy Holidays!

1)
Reykjavik, Iceland
2) Krakow, Poland
3) Istanbul, Turkey
4) Quebec City, Canada
5)Brussels, Belgium
6)Stockholm, Sweden
7)
Madrid, Spain
8)Sydney, Australia
9) Dublin, Ireland

Dreams Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
3 Nights From $699.00 with Air! ~ After Promo Code: $649
All-Inclusive
$200 Resort Credit
All Inclusive

Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
4 Nights From $749
All-Inclusive


New York City has always been synonymous with expensive hotel rates. This well
known fact is especially true during the holiday season. But with the economy in
turmoil and hotels suffering to fill their rooms, many of them have dropped their
rates below $200 a night. Even better news is that many of them add perks like
free breakfast or room upgrades. Here are just a few of the many hotels right
now with low deals.

The Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers,
located near Times Square, is offering special rates of $179-$219 on select dates through March, a savings of up to 45% OFF the hotel's regular rates. You must use the code "
TPROMO" to
get this rate.

Warwick New York Hotel, a Midtown Manhattan hotel built in 1926 by William Randolph Hearst, is offering an incredible deal that saves you more than $150 OFF regular prices. For just $199 per night, stay in a central location near Central Park, Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center and
Fifth Avenue shopping. This special price is valid through December 26 and then again from January 1 to March 15. If you happen to stay 4 nights or more with breakfast, the hotel is throwing in 2 FREE VIP tickets to NYC's MoMA (a $40 value). Use code "
TZOO1" to get this rate.

Morgans Hotel
in midtown Manhattan completed a multimillion-dollar renovation earlier this year, and the hotel is offering its new rooms for just $175 per night this winter. Rooms at Morgans can easily go for over
$400 per night. The $175 rate is prepaid nonrefundable and is available for Thursday-Saturday
stays Dec. 14-25 and January-March. For just $20 more, arrive on a Sunday or Monday. Upgraded room types are also available at discounted rates.This deal also includes FREE continental breakfast for 2 at New York City hot spot Asia de Cuba, plus FREE daily Internet, a $15 value per day.

This is just a small sampling of some of the NYC hotels that are on sale right now.
Check a travel search engine like
Kayak.com to find more deals.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Price goes up...price goes down...price goes up...the tedious and odd airfare travel game


Price goes up...price goes down...price goes up...the tedious and odd airfare travel game:

While it may not come close to the excitement of your Grand Theft Auto
video game, or interest your friends on a Saturday night like Monopoly, beers
and fondue, the tedious, addictive and somewhat odd game of travel airfare is
something that keeps me coming back for more. It has become such an addiction,
that I find myself sometimes looking for airfare to places that I never plan on
visiting. Sad maybe...but as someone who loves to travel, and finding a good deal,
it has become a habit of mine when I am looking to kill a few minutes online. I mean
I can only take so much election coverage...ok maybe not, but still the game of
checking online fares is something that not only feeds the travel monster in me, but also leaves me scratching my head in confusion.

Here are a few examples of why I always tell people to never book a trip on a whim or without doing any research. Let me preface this journey by telling you that I am currently looking for airfare to Europe right now, and found a great deal twicw...only to not book it in time and find it gone hours later. It is like the stock market...except chances are the government is not going to bail you out if you book a flight for say $900 and hours later it drops to $500. Now searching with one of the internet's top travel search engines
Kayak.com, I came across a sweet heart of a deal. New York to Warsaw, Poland for $667 during the Christmas holiday! Now many of you might say, "Poland in December? Are you nuts!"...and I answer that with...yes, yes I am. But I love cold destinations and really love Europe at Christmas time.

So I see this great deal on
Air France, and immediately tell my significant other about it. We converse, and say that this is too good to be true, most flights to Poland are $900 and up. So we sit on the idea, and say we will decide in the morning. Well morning comes and...the flight's price has changed...drastically. The bargain deal of $667 to Warsaw is now priced at $1090! Yes within 8 hours (11pm to 7am) Air France had jacked the price up $423! Ouch!

Frustrated, annoyed and a little hungry I decided to turn off my laptop and focus on some other things around the apartment. Who am I kidding, I checked that fare every other hour on the hour. It would come back the same price all day. The next morning after reading some emails I decide to go gambling again with airfares. I put in the airport codes, dates and click search. Results are lower, $899...eh, while that is decent for a trip to Europe at Christmas time, I still feel burned by that $667 price. Being the frugal traveler that I am, I go back to work and decide not to check prices until later in the day. I come back and its still $899. One hour later its $1090 again! D'oh! One hour after that it is $995. How did this end up? Well more on that in a moment.

Airlines play this fun game of raising and lowering prices to compete with each other. For example when
Delta released on their site a JFK-Chicago round trip deal for $189, American Airlines found out about it and offered the same trip for $149. Well Delta's people see this $149 deal and lower it to $144. It is the ultimate game of out doing each other between the big airline companies.

Another example of when an airline changed its fare, and it really had me wondering, "why?", was when
British Airways was offering a round trip deal from JFK to London for $780 round trip. I click on the Kayak link to the airline and find out that this fare is no longer available. Now in the past that meant an increase of $50,$100 or sometimes as high as $400. But in this case the fare had changed from $780 to $780.56! Yes British Airways had raised their fare two quarters, a nickel and a penny.

Finally, back to my New York-Poland experiment. So I am stuck at the bargain price of $995...yeah right. So 3 days after losing out on that fare of $667, and not hearing the end of it from my wife, I keep checking and even making my dates flexible. That is something most people do not understand about travel. Even the days you leave could save or cost you hundreds. So first I check my original dates and its $1090 again, but when I change it to coming home 1 day later, the fare is $623! Yes the lowest fare I have ever seen round trip from JFK to Warsaw and about $40 lower than my dream price 4 days earlier.

But sadly this story does not have a happy ending. I waited...again! Then two hours later that amazing fare jumped back up, and as I write this, is currently $880. A few lessons can be learned from this airfare game of travel hunting:

  • Make sure you always use a travel search engine to get the lowest price. Just going to an Airline's website or a travel site like Expedia or Orbitz could cost you big time.
  • When you find a low price on a site like Kayak, understand that the price may change within the day, the hour or just a few minutes from the time you see it online. So if it is a sweet deal, act fast, but again do not impulse buy...make sure it is indeed a good deal, and then snatch it up before its too late.
  • Be flexible...make sure you check off various airports and various dates when searching airfare. For example in the New York area, a flight from JFK to Orlando may be cheaper than a flight from nearby LaGuardia to Orlando.
  • The best days to check for good airfare deals are Tuesday and Wednesday. The worst days to look are Saturday and Monday.

I will continue looking, and trust me, the next time I see my fare for under $700 I will not hesitate!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Low fare buses are all the rage & Un-Belize-able sale with American Airlines


Gas prices may be dropping...but travel is still expensive, take a bus:

Strapped for gas money? Hate the high price of airlines? Want an alternative to pricey train rides? Well all of your prayers have been answered my frugal friend! Two competing companies have started to gain popularity this year, and it is keeping your wallet, and the earth, happy at the same time. Both Mega Bus and Bolt Bus are offering service to and from such cities as New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Toronto for low, low prices. After doing a recent search on the Mega Bus site, I found a round trip fare between New York City and Washington, D.C. for only $2!

You kidding me? $2 gets you a half a gallon of gas these days! Now not all the fares are that low, but they sure are cheaper than pretty much all other means of transportation…besides a bike maybe. Knowing that bus travel is not the most popular means of travel in America, the two companies have stacked up on some goodies to get you to come aboard their respective buses.

On both Mega Bus and Bolt Bus, you get a new fleet of clean, alternative fueled buses, that include free wi-fi, outlets to charge your ipods, laptops or cell phones. You will also enjoy big comfortable chairs with plenty of leg room, a clean bathroom and a television on board for the long trips. Check out each either mega bus or bolt bus, for your low cost travel alternatives, the next time you plan a getaway. With prices these low, you can throw away that awful buzzword “staycation”, once and for all!

Here are some sample round trip fares we found on their websites:

Megabus:

  • Fall casino weekend: Fri.11/07 - Sun.11/09: NYC-Atlantic City, $15
  • Turkey day in the Big Apple: Wed.11/26 - Sun.11/30: Baltimore-NYC,
    $29
  • Long weekend up North: Thurs.12/11 - Mon. 12/15: NYC-Toronto, $16

BoltBus:

  • Washington weekend: Fri. 12/05 - Sun. 12/07: NYC - D.C., $25
  • Christmas time in the Big Apple: Fri. 12/26 - Sun. 12/28: Boston-
    NYC, $16
  • New Years in Philly: Thu. 01/01 - Sun. 01/04: NYC - Philly, $11.50

Note: I came to realize that for whatever reason, when you go to
book two or more tickets together the price increases. Example NYC
to Boston for one person may be $5, but when you book two NYC to
Boston it is $12 or $15. So check the fares for price increases, and if
it occurs, simply book one ticket at a time. Neither of the bus
companies assign seating until you arrive to the station the day of the
trip anyways.


Round trip Belize City airfare for under $200:

AirfareWatchdog broke the news this afternoon on an amazing deal to Belize City. For $154 round trip
(taxes included) out of Newark, you can go round trip to this beautiful Central American city! Yes under $200 and most fares are in the coldest months of the year, so it makes for an even sweeter deal.
American Airlines is offering this great fare and prices are sure to go up, so book quickly.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Carnival Cruise deals, Jet to Florida this fall, Amtrak sale...sort of, and Grand Canyon train packages.


Save on some Carnival Cruises:

Orbitz.com is offering a sweet deal right now on its website. It is offering passengers "free upgrades on most sailings." For full details of this sale, check out Orbitz, and book early to lock in a good deal. Sale ends Friday October 31st. Here is one sample deal:

7 Night Western Caribbean: January 3-10, 2009

  1. Depart Miami at 4pm
  2. At sea
  3. Cozumel, Mexico 8am-10pm
  4. At sea
  5. Grand Cayman 7:30am-4:30pm
  6. Ocho Rios, Jamaica 8am-3:30pm
  7. At Sea
  8. Return to Miami at 8am

Interior: $449 p/p
Oceanview: $599 p/p
Balcony: $759 p/p
Suite: $1199 p/p

Jet to Florida this fall and save:

Jetblue has yet another sale on their website (seems like they have a new one every other day). The airline is offering the "Getaways Sunshine Sale", in which you can book some great packages (hotel and air) to the Florida between November 12 and December 17. Some of the packages JetBlue are advertising include:

  • Tampa Bay, 4 nights, for $445
  • Jacksonville, 3 nights for $395
  • Orlando, 3 nights for $295
  • Miami, 3 nights for $379
  • West Palm Beach, 4 nights for $335

Hurry- travel must be booked by October 26!

Amtrak wants to thank you for your continued service...with a gift... well actually its a gift with terms and conditions:

Amtrak is celebrating their 25th anniversary of Auto Train service with a 25% discount. But like many Amtrak deals, it comes with many catches...actually more catches than I have ever seen for a sale of any kind from a company. Here are the terms and conditions:

  • Valid for sale October 25, 2008 (one day only).
  • Valid for travel between February 3 and February 25, 2009 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. Travel prohibited on all other days.
  • Valid for 25% off the regular (full) adult rail fare.
  • Valid on Auto Train (trains 52 and 53).
  • Offer is subject to any restrictions, blackouts and refund fees that apply to the type of fare purchased.
  • Use discount code H784.
  • Valid for Coach seats only.
  • Seating is limited.
  • Not combinable with any other discount offer.
  • Other restrictions may apply.

Ok...you still there? Yes that is a laundry list of rules to follow in order to save some cash. I really think Amtrak has some nerve making passengers going through all these hoops in order to save money in such a tight economy. People should just choose to use the other train service...oh yeah...thats right...there is no other train service in America. That is what can happen when you monopolize a service in this country, it gets abused. Pretty soon with all of the airline carriers consistently losing money, it will be just a matter of time before we all have one major airline to choose from...by then airline travel will be so expensive none of the regular travelers will care anyways because they will be either staying home or driving to their destinations.

A less stressful train deal:

The Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Arizona, has a great "train-and-lodging"
package available for customers. Starting at $119 per person, passengers will get
overnight lodging at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, a round-trip coach-class train ticket to the Grand Canyon, and breakfast and dinner. Other packages are also available.

Going with this money saving package is a great way to see the beauty that is the Grand Canyon. Booking all of this on its own will definitely cost much more, so check out their
website and see their great rates.

If you are coming from out of town, use
kayak.com to check for the lowest fares to Arizona.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Four simple ways to save on international travel




A few ways to save on international travel:

With the economy in the toilet and the U.S. dollar at an all time low, I figured what better time to travel overseas and take a two week European vacation. Yes, it sounds like a dream trip, but it does not have to be my frugal friend. You see travel is what drives me, it is my passion in life, and I will attempt to venture anywhere I can, but at the same time save as much cash as I can in the process. Traveling is an adventure, I thrive on the interaction with different cultures, tasting different cuisines and snapping photos in front of as many tourist traps as I possibly can. So this past March, my wife and I packed our bags and took off for a European expedition to Switzerland and Italy.

We decided to go in March, which is off season for both countries, and that means cheaper hotels, less tourist, short lines and happier locals. All of these things are important to me when I visit a new place. Do not listen to people that say you need to see Italy in the summer. They are either out of their mind, or they enjoy the opposite of all the things I just listed.

You see, since our economy is in pretty bad shape right now, and with oil on the rise daily, it has become harder for people to travel further. When oil goes up, airline tickets go up as well, and that means most people just stay home for vacation. The term “staycation” is not allowed in my house. It is more offensive than any four letter word in my opinion. Here are some ways to make your next vacation overseas a bit cheaper:

1) Travel off season:

Booking a trip in the peak months of May through August, and the holiday season is just asking to pay top dollar on hotel rooms and deal with long lines at every attraction in the city you visit. So whether it is Rome in April or Dublin in January, you will be grinning from ear to ear when you have less people in your way at the sites, and cheaper rates at better hotels. I personally travel to Europe between January and April, and I have saved hundreds of dollars in hotel rooms. But that savings can be greater if you are into taking a risk with getting your room.

2) Bid on your vacation:

I was once like you, scare to death of price line and other travel sites, that let you bid on your hotel and airfare, amongst other things. The idea of not knowing what you will be booking will frighten most people, and understandably so. But if you want to save money, and you are willing to let a site pick the accommodations, then desperate times call for desperate measures. Ok, maybe it is not that dramatic, but you get my point. When I first tried priceline.com, I pressed that confirm bid button, like I was about to set off a nuclear missile. My finger pressed it oh so lightly, and then within seconds…your bid has been accepted, click here to see your hotel. I will say that 90% of the time, I was happy with what I got with my bid.

Always start with a 4 star hotel, and bid low…don’t worry if you bid too low, like $10 a night for a 4 star in London (come on, you know you would be tempted to try), it will tell you that the bid probably has little or no chance of being accepted. But start with about 50% of what the average room is going for in the city, and you have a pretty good chance of getting a room at an insanely lower price. Trust me, I am proof of that happening, on more than one occasion. Some of my best bids, $40 a night in early March at a 4 star hotel in Toronto. The same room was going for $299 a night on the hotel’s main website. Another great example was $90 a night in Zurich’s Marriott, the same dates were posted on their site for $250 a night.

Now you will not always get discounts that deep, but I promise you, if you are not picky about a specific hotel you want while traveling, and you stick with 3 or 4 stars, you will more than likely walk away with a great room and a smile on your face knowing what the room next to you is paying. I also used priceline.com to book a flight from New York to Chicago and saved $50 compared to the advertised sale. One catch with bidding is that once it has been accepted, you can not cancel the reservation. So be sure you want to book before you bid. Check out priceline.com and hotwire.com to bid your way to savings.

3) Be flexible:

What day you fly, and out of what local airport you choose, can save you big money. On a recent search of flights for a March 2009 trip from New York to Dublin Ireland, we found various prices. For example, if we decided to leave March 13th from Newark to Dublin, it would cost us $590. But if we decided to leave instead on March 14th, the same trip would cost $640. Oh and do not even think of leaving March 16th, because then you are paying $782 with a JFK to Dublin flight. So if you can be flexible, it will save you big cash. A great website to check out for fare comparisons is Kayak.com.

When you use their search engine, it has various ways to find the lowest price, like flexibility options. These include searching various airports in your area, instead of just one, and also using various day options. For example, instead of checking JFK to Heathrow on November 2 to 7, you can search NYC airports (JFK, LaGuardia and Newark) to London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) on the dates of November 1,2,3 to November 6,7,8. It makes for a great way to save big money when flying international on a budget.

4) Be a smarter traveler:

Sometimes when booking a major trip, like an international vacation, it pays to research and find other ways to save moolah. Maybe you fall into the category of a student or a senior citizen. Pick up the phone and call the airline. Ask for any sales or discounted tickets, sometimes they may give you anywhere from a 10% to 20% discount. Try to book with one airline carrier. Various airlines can mean pricier tickets and major headaches when transferring between flights at terminals.

These are just four examples of how you can try and make your next international journey less pricey. Because even though you will save some cash with all of these tips, there is no way you can avoid one pricey thing about flying overseas, and that is the currency exchange rates…ouch.


Andy H.
andy@travelbyandy.com

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Lufthansa European fares and Brooklyn Nightlife and Shopping


Lufthansa offers passengers many low fares to Europe:

Lufthansa is offering Europe sale fares starting at $516 round-trip. Destinations include
Brussels, Paris, Oslo, and Rome. You must book by Monday in order to get Europe on sale!

Now while these prices may seem great to you, always be sure to check online and compare
with other airlines, so that you get the best deal. The sample fares below are listed for
round-trip travel and do not include taxes and fees.

  • NYC-Munich: $516
  • Chicago-Oslo:$634
  • D.C.-Madrid:$754
  • L.A.-Zurich:$780
  • Atlanta-Milan:$788
  • Boston-Rome:$816
  • Dallas-Paris:$948




Travel is valid midweek from October 31 through December 11 and from December 25
through May 1, 2009. Departures are available through April 2. Book tickets at least 14
days in advance. A Saturday-night stay is required, and the maximum stay is 30 days. Book
by October 20, 11:59 PM ET.

To go directly to the airlines website:
Lufthansa.com
To compare prices with numerous sites: Kayak.com

Nightlife:

Clover Club Mixologist Julie Reiner offers Cobble Hill residents a sheik and sophisticated
lounge. Patrons step up to the large mahogany bar and order the Clover Club cocktail,
which is a blend of gin, dry vermouth, lemon and freshly made raspberry syrup.
Cobble Hill;
210 Smith Street; 718-855-7939; www.cloverclubny.com

The Hideout This popular Fort Greene establishment offers a dizzying array of uniquely
named drinks, such as the snow mosquito and Whiskey Fig Fizz Dazzle. The crowd is mostly
young professionals, and patrons dress up nicely to match the drinks prices.
Fort Greene;
266 Adelphi Street; 718-855-3010

New Five Leaves (September 2008) Funded by the late Heath Ledger, this nautically
themed oyster bar has locals ordering up tap beers and fine wines. The crowd is laid back,
and it has become a celebrity spot already.
Greenpoint; 18 Bedford Avenue; 646-510-6467;
www.fiveleavesny.com

Stonehome Wine Bar This lively establishment offers roughly 200 wines by the bottle,
and 35 by the glass, artisan beers and spirits are also on tap, the stylish crowd enjoys
Latin beats and hip-hop in the background.
Fort Greene; 87 Lafayette Avenue; 718-624-
9443; www.stonehomebar.com

Salty Dog This firehouse turned bar, is a favorite to the Bay Ridge locals. The bar offers
cheaply priced beers and mixed drinks, all sporting events are broadcast on their many
televisions. Live music most weekends, with an occasional $5 cover charge.
Bay Ridge;
7509 3rd Avenue; 718-238-0030; www.saltydogbar.com

South 4th Bar and Grill A laid back local favorite that offers all the essentials to a
frugal drinker, cheap beer, no dress code and a jukebox. This hole in the wall offers its
patrons free wireless internet as well.
Williamsburg; 90 South 4th Street; 718-218-
7478; www.south4thbar.com

Shopping:

Kimera Design Owner and designer Yvonne Chu offers high end women’s clothing and home
décor at this pricey shop in Boerum Hill. The clothes are mostly filled with bright and
luscious colors and made from texturally rich fabrics.
Boerum Hill; 366 Atlantic Avenue;
718-422-1147; www.kimeradesign.com

New Urban Alchemist (June 2008) Local designers Rebecca Shepherd and Imaan Selim
offer Park Slope residents handbags, jewelry, vintage furniture and home décor. This
artsy black and white tiled shop also doubles as the pairs makeshift studio.
Park Slope;
343 5th Avenue; 718-499-0758; www.urbanalchemiststore.com

Kings Plaza This is the biggest mall in Brooklyn, and offers shoppers over 100 individual
stores such as Macy’s, Sears, The Gap and Armani Exchange. It also has a Loews Cinema
and is home to the world’s first Sbarro pizzeria.
Marine Park; 5100 Kings Plaza; 718-253-
6842; www.kingsplaza.com

Lola Staar This eccentric boutique is definitely one of the more memorable shopping
experiences in Brooklyn. Choose from a wide range of funky and wild t-shirts, hats, bags,
fine art and various other Coney Island themed souvenirs.
Coney Island; Coney Island
boardwalk; 718-855-8773; www.lolastaar.com budget

Bay Ridge Bookstore A small family owned and run bookstore in the Bay Ridge area.
Customers have been greeted by this husband and wife team for over 25 years. If a book is
not in stock, they will order it for you at no additional cost.
Bay Ridge; 8508 4th Avenue;
718-680-5137

Friday, October 17, 2008

Visit Ireland now, save on JetBlue later, & Things to do in Brooklyn.


Earlier this year JetBlue and Aer Lingus formed an industry first partnership, and
passengers can now get a sweet deal because of it. Simply book a flight to Ireland on Aer Lingus for travel between November 1, 2008 and February 28, 2009 and each person traveling will receive a $50 JetBlue promo card good for travel anywhere in the continental United States. Hurry, this
offer is only available through October 21, 2008.
Plus beginning this January, JetBlue starts jetting to Bogota, Colombia!

Top 10 Ways to Avoid New Airline Fees:

ShermansTravel has a great article on their website right now about the Top 10 Ways to Avoid New Airline Fees. Avoid all those nickel and diming schemes from the airline industry, and travel smarter. It is a great read, filled with useful tips.

Travel Spotlight, Brooklyn (Part 3):

TBA's Spotlight on Brooklyn, New York continues today with a look at things to do when you visit New York City's popular neighbor. Here are some of the items I believe any newcomer will love when they cross over to Kings County.

Prospect Park This 585-acre oasis was
designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and
Calvert Vaux, who also created Central
Park. There are plenty of walking, running
and biking paths for travelers of all
speeds. The park also includes an ice
skating rink, outdoor concerts and
barbeque pits with picnic tables.
Prospect Heights; www.prospectpark.org

Brooklyn Bridge This structure, that
connects Brooklyn and Manhattan, is the
oldest suspension bridge in the United
States. Walking across this engineering
marvel is a must for any New York
enthusiast. The views of both lower
Manhattan, and the neighboring Manhattan
Bridge, are breathtaking.
Brooklyn Heights;
www.newyorkled.com/brooklynbridge02.htm

Coney Island Cyclone Named not only a New York landmark, but also a National Landmark, this world famous roller coaster is a must for the adventurous individual. Even if you do not ride the wooden coaster, it is worth seeing the 80 year old iconic wooden coaster in person. Coney Island; astroland.com

A Slice of Brooklyn Neighborhood Tour Visit various Brooklyn neighborhoods and sample some of the charm, flavor and beauty that makes this borough so special. Ebbett’s Field, home to the former Brooklyn Dodgers, and Famous Junior’s restaurant are just some of the tour‘s highlights. Brooklyn; www.asliceofbrooklyn.com/neighborhood.html

Keyspan Park The Dodgers may have left
town over 50 years ago, but Brooklyn still
has baseball fever with their hometown team
The Cyclones. This minor league team offers
fans summer seasons, it is a fun and
affordable local activity.
Coney Island;
1904 Surf Avenue; 718-449-8497;
www.brooklyncyclones.com


Brooklyn Botanic Garden A 52 acres escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. This living museum is filled with amazing flowers, plants and specialty gardens. Admission to the garden is low, and certain times of the year it is actually free. Prospect Heights; 900 Washington Avenue; 718-623-7200; www.bbg.org


Ikea Express (June 2008)
This New York Water Taxi departs
from Ikea Red Hook every forty minutes
seven days a week, and arrives at Pier 11
in downtown Manhattan. It is a
convenient, unique and free way to go
back and forth between the two boroughs.
Red Hook; 1 Beard Street; 212-742-1969;
www.nywatertaxi.com