Places to Stay

Save on Airfare Secrets by Tony Morrison

2009-11-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

This is a sponsored guest post written by Ali Kendall on behalf of airfare-now.com. Post powered by Sponzai.

Save on Airfare Secrets by Tony Morrison

Save on Airfare Secrets by Tony Morrison is an e-book that shows you how to save money on every aspect of traveling. The author, Tony Morrison, is a former airline ticketing agent who knows first hand all of the various tricks and loopholes in the travel industry, thus enabling you to get some massive discounts on airline tickets, hotel stays, rental cars, etc.

In the Save on Airfare Secrets e-Book you’ll learn...

The BEST way to buy tickets online,

How to earn FREE VOUCHERS and discount vouchers for tickets (it usually only takes a phone call to the agent and a couple of choice words)

How you can get access to insider and discounted promotion deals

Ways to get travel rewards without even flying

How you can get a whopping discount (up to 75%) off international flights

A novel idea on how to buy travel equipment at huge discounts

Advice on when you should book your flight (the specific time of day to get huge discounts)

Insider information that enables you to successfully bargain with the travel agent

How to use airline pricing experiments to your advantage

Save on Airfare Secrets reveals the ins and outs on how you can save hundreds of dollars off of your airfare tickets. The e-Book includes lots of unexpected bonuses that you can use to obtain discounted hotel rooms, car rentals, and cruises too!

Details are available on the official "Save on Airfare Secrets Website at http://travel-4-free.info

Blackstone Purchases Sea World & Busch Gardens from Anheuser Busch

2009-10-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

In what could be a great move for Sea World and Busch Gardens theme parks, they were acquired from Anheuser Busch by the Blackstone Group.

What have these guys at Blackstone got up their sleeve? There is no money out their for public companies to do deals. They are quietly amassing a huge empire in the travel industry with their purchase of Hilton, Legoland and Universal Theme parks.

Oh the sad news? The Clydsdales will eventually be leaving the parks.

The Mouse Starts Blogging - Disney Parks in the Blogosphere

2009-09-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

The LA Times Travel blog announced that Disneyland and Disney World have finally joined the world of social media with their Disney Theme Parks Blog. Now the Mouse is talking and I am sure Disney fanatics around the world will have their ears open.

To make the blog work they are keeping it in house and even allowing moderated comments. Select employees from Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in California as well as EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida will help with content on the site.

The blog went live today and already they have great content posted about turning Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom into Most Haunted Place on Earth for Halloween. I especially like the video showing the transformation from Space Mountain to Ghost Galaxy at Disneyland.

Keep it up Disney and welcome to the world of Social Media!

Flip Out With Your Travel Inspiration Story

2009-09-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Image by danperry.com via Flickr

Have you ever been traveling and had a moment of confusion or needed some help and found that helpful person in the croud?

Now it's your chance to share that inspirational travel moment because it could be worth a Flip video recorder.

The Five Am Traveller is offering the chance to win a Flip video recorder for the top inspirational travel story to be voted on by the readers of the blog. You can enter to win in one of 4 ways:

Add your story as a comment underneath the original contest post;
Use their contact form;
Send a blog link or “trackback” from your own blog post or
Tweet your story or link @fiveamtraveller

By the way, the Flip video recorder is a great travel gadget. If you haven't seen one, I recommend that you go to your closest electronics store and scope it out. I just got one about 1 month ago and love it. We never carried around our larger camcorder because of the size and amount of time it took to get ready to get a shot. Forget about catching those candid moments on film, our son was way too quick and we only got frustrated. Now that we have the Flip, we have taken video of our 2 year old.

The Flip camera is easy to use and depending on the model can hold several hours of video before needing to be uploaded. The camera contains its own USB connector. No need to worry about finding the right cord. The camera comes loaded with software to load on your laptop, no CDs to worry about. The controls are very simple. You won't be overwhelmed by features which can be a plus and a minus.

Well, what are you waiting for get over there and share your travel story. If you share one please leave a link for it here as well.

Geek Alert: Travel Gear for your Inner and Outer Geek

2008-10-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

Nothing screams geek like a USB drive attached to your key chain, but now you can shout it from a mountain top with an Imation USB Flash Drive Wristband. Wow, How Cool is That! This is just one of the items that made the list of Geeky Travel Gadgets from Vagabondish.

My favorite item on the list is the iCache. You can travel without carrying all of your credit cards by using this wicked cool gadget. Once you purchase the iCache, you go online and register your credit cards. The gadget is biometrically secured using a fingerprint and recreates the magnetic strip from your card to be used when traveling.

And you thought that the James Bond tricks were cool.

The "Evolution" of Technology at Hotels

2008-10-13T10:48:00.001-07:00

Apple continues to define "cool" technology for the masses. Their laptops are super sleek and the iPod term now defines mp3 players, like Google defines search engines. A new software company, Runtriz, hopes to use the iPhone and iPod Touch to make it hip to carry these gadgets when you stay at your next hotel. An article in the Washington Post highlights the test of the "Hotel Evolution" product from Runtriz at the Malibu Beach Inn in Malibu, CA.

The "Hotel Evolution" application can either be loaded onto a guests existing iPhone or iPod Touch, or in the case of the Malibu Beach Inn, the guest is loaned an iPod Touch if they don't own their own. The software makes it possible for the guest to order room service, book spa treatments, retreive their message and set wake up calls. There are other options as well.

This is what I call bringing convenience to your hotel stay. Runtriz says that since the application is web based it will eventually be released for Blackberries and other cell phone platforms, like Google's Android.

technology, travel

Southwest Ups Committment to Business Travelers with "Fly By"

2008-10-03T08:43:00.001-07:00

Why is it that in today's economy the legacy airlines keep taking away services and amenities, but the new kids, like Southwest, keep adding services to keep their customers happy? I think it is the way that Southwest looks at their business. They value the relationship with the customer and know that they have a choice. They want them to come back so they keep looking to expand and improve the service.

Now Southwest is adding business traveler services like priority access to security lanes. This new services will be available to customers at Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), Orange County John Wayne (SNA), Denver International (DEN), San Francisco International (SF)) and Los Angeles International (LAX). The service starts in November.

Check out the Fly By program on the Southwest blog.

Southwest, airline, amenities

Video Games Rock Hotels

2008-10-02T16:34:00.001-07:00

Do you love your Wii? Are you Guitar Hero to be reckoned with? Make sure that you check out the video game systems and titles available to you next time you stay in a hotel. Marriott and Nintendo announced a partnership to put Wiis into select Marriott hotels. The modified Wii systems have a selection of games that can be selected via the Wii's menu. The system is being tested at 6 hotels: New York Marriott Marquis, Renaissance New York Times Square, Boston Marriott Cambridge, Bethesda MD. Marriott Suites, Annapolis Marriott Waterfront and the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort.

In other video game news, you now that the kids who grew up on video games are in charge when they start using gaming systems for training. Hilton via its Hilton Garden Inn brand is going to start using Playstation Portables (PSPs) to deliver training to line level employees.

Marriott to offer Wiis in hotel rooms.
Westin: a Wii Paradise
Video Games Come of Age in Hotels
Hilton Garden Inn Makes Training Available on PSP

Marriott, Hilton, Westin, amenities, wii, xbox 360, video games

Travel 101 for Parents: What You Should Know About Traveling with Children

2008-09-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

Traveling with children can be difficult. I say can because I have seen many a child melt down on a plane, in a restaurant or ______ (you fill in the blank with you own location). As we have traveled with our 14 month old son, Aaron, we have learned the hard way what works and doesn't work for us as a family. And despite how good any child is, they can have their moments when you take them out of their routine, place them in unfamiliar surroundings and ask them to "be good".

There is a great article over at BootsnAll about travel tips that every parent should know. I would highly recommend that you take a moment to read it before your next family trip. It may just save your sanity.

There are a few other items that I would like to add to the list:

Think about the sleeping arrangements - Not all hotels are equally conducive to putting the kids to bed early while you stay up. I recommend staying in a hotel with all suites, like Embassy Suites or Residence Inn. We have found that with our son, we can't stay up and watch tv or do anything in the room if we can't separate him from us. He is too sensitive to sound or light when sleeping. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to have larger room where you can move them further away from the stimulus, but you can't always count on that. Additionally, not all cribs in hotel rooms are created equally. Some hotels use play pens while others use an actual crib. You may want to bring along your own bedding, and definitely bring along your little girl's favorite blanket to help her sleep at night.

Plan your day based on your child's schedule - This is the best advice I can give. We all know when our children are at the best and worst during the day. Try to plan on being near the hotel or a friend's house when they are going to want to go down for a nap. Go out for a museum visit after they have awoken and are refreshed. Plan your airplane ride for when your child usually sleeps. This one really helps us.

Use your car seat bag for extra luggage space - Now that airlines are charging extra money for all the luggage, make sure that you use the extra space around your car seat back to hold things like diapers, coats, etc. This gives you the extra space you need in your own luggage and allows you to easily grab much needed items when you get the bag from luggage claim. Of course this one only works if you check the car seat and don't take it on the plane. You can also by the great airplane seat harness to eliminate the need to carry that car seat on the plane with you.

Here are some other resources to help you plan your next family trip:

Traveling with Kids - Family friendly travel gear
TravelWithYourKids - Tips from parents for parents on a variety of travel related topics
Flight Attendant's Travel Tips for Children
MomsMinivan101 - Travel games and road trip ideas

Technorati Tags: family travel, travel tips

Southwest Airlines Fall Fare Sale - Book by October 2

2008-09-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

Southwest Airlines' Fall Fare Sale is going on now through October 2nd for travel from October 21 to November 18, 2008. Airfare is as low as $46 each way with this promotion. There is a 21 day advance purchase required. To get the best fare possible, you must travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday. See blow for sample fares from this airfare promotion.

Seattle/Tacoma, WA (SEA) to/from Boise, ID (BOI) - $46 one way
Washington/Dulles, DC (IAD) to/from West Palm Beach, FL (PBI) - $101 one way
St. Louis, MO (STL) to/from Denver, CO (DEN) - $79 one way
San Francisco, CA (SFO) to/from Las Vegas, NV (LAS) - $71 one way
Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) to/from San Diego, CA (SAN) - $104 one way

To check availability of these discounts go to the Southwest site.

Technorati Tags: airfare, Southwest

Discount Fall Fares from Virgin America - starting at $69 each way

2008-09-16T12:12:00.001-07:00

WOW! Check out this offer from Virgin America. They are offering great fall rates.

To get a ticket at the $69 level you would need to fly to or from San Francisco (SFO) and one of these great cities: Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), Las Vegas (LAS) or Seattle (SEA).

Virgina America features cool state of the are mood lit cabins, personalized entertainment systems at each seat, leather seats and power and USB outlets, to keep your electronic gadgets fully fueled and ready to go.

They are also offering great fares to other destinations like Washington, DC and New York City, NY from as low as $149.

Here are the restrictions:

Must purchase tickets by September 25, 2008
Travel must start on or after September 16, 2008 and be completed by December 17, 2008
The following blackout dates apply: November 26 and 29, December 1, 2008
Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable
This is for internet bookings only, fares for call in reservations may cost more

Technorati Tags: airfare deals, Virgin America

Travel Tips for Weather Troubled Locales

2008-09-12T08:33:00.001-07:00

It seems that hurricanes are really taking their toll this year. The Caribbean, Texas and Lousiana have all had their share of problems. I found this on CNN about keeping informed on travel cancellation and change policies related to travel services. There are some great travel pointers here. The article covers points for airlines, hotels and cruises.

If you have to travel, be informed and arrive safe.

Technorati Tags: travel tips

Travel Deals Abound in Economic Downturn

2008-09-10T12:58:00.001-07:00

We all love a deal and travel deals are there for the taking if you know how to look for them. Wendy Perrin from Conde Nast Traveler is giving tips on how to get the best deals on travel in the Perrin Post. There are some great ideas here. My favorites. . .

Consider destinations that have been hit by flight reductions - Hawaii, Las Vegas and the Caribbean were high on her list.
Look at brand new properties and their local competitors - Being in the business, I know that new competition usually brings a "price war" of sorts. Everyone wants to get travelers into their hotel to try it for the first time. This often forces the established hotels to offer competing rates.

There are a couple of resources that I turn to regularly for travel deals. The first is the Travelzoo Top 20 email. This comes out weekly and is loaded with deals just for the taking. You can sign up for this by going to the Travelzoo site. The second is to visit VacationsToGo.com. This site highlights cruises, our family favorite vacation, and escorted tours. They also offer a weekly email blast.

Technorati Tags: travel deals, promotions, travel tips

United's West Coast 4 Day Sale - Now thru Sept. 12

2008-09-09T15:01:00.001-07:00

We all love a good deal and United has some to offer. Check out their 4 Day Sale to West Coast destinations. Travel must be completed by Nov. 14. Here are some sample fares:

Check United.com for full details.

Technorati Tags: United, airfare

Vegas Vacation Deals to Help with the Back to School Blues

2008-09-09T14:19:00.001-07:00

Las Vegas has so much to offer travelers. From the sounds of the slot machines and gambling halls to the glitz and glitter of world class shows, and a few of our family favorites, dining out and people watching. Regardless, now that the kids are back in school and the day to day doldrums are setting in, book yourself a Vegas Vacation and have something to look forward to.

Vegas.com has some great specials on air and hotel packages right now. If you are traveling between Oct. 1st and Dec. 15th and flying from one of the airports that can be booked from Vegas.com, you may just be on your way to having some extra cash for the Blackjack table.

Technorati Tags: packages, Las Vegas

Jet Setters Delight in Jet Blue $50 Voucher

2008-09-09T14:03:00.001-07:00

If you fly Jet Blue often, then check this out. The LA Times Travel Blog just featured this offer from Jet Blue for a $50 voucher.

How do you get yourself one of these babies? Click through the link to find out more.

Technorati Tags: Jet Blue, airfare

Excuse Me But Could You Take Our Picture?

2008-08-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

We have all heard this before. Usually it is directed at the lone person standing and waiting for their companion or as described on a post at Travellious,

I'm the friendly looking guy who has a cool camera. I must have a clue, right?

No one wants to be the schmuck who took a bad picture, so check out the travel photo tips for the accidental photographer. Most subjects think that they know what they want, but a good photographer can really make their day. Let's face it, the majority of us aren't trained photographers are artists who know about composition and lighting. But if you want to make some one's trip - give them a surprise of taking a fantastic photo.

Anyone have any other travel photo tips to share? Let me know and I'll post them later.

Technorati Tags: travel tips, photography

It's All About the Design

2008-07-29T10:22:00.001-07:00

The face of hotels as we know it will never be the same again. With chains such as Starwood and Marriott getting into the boutique market with aloft and Edition and the multiplicity of independent hotels out there, you can find a room and a hotel to match your mood and your style.

Check out this link from Concierge.com on the best design hotels of 2008. They are all a bit "out there" whether it be location or design. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: design, hotels

Great Places to Catch Fireworks on the 4th of July

2008-06-20T13:45:00.001-07:00

The 4th of July is a very celebrated time around our house. My wife Jennifer is into everything Patriotic and we can't wait for July to come. This post over at Jaunted about urban fireworks shows, prompted me to look for great fireworks shows around the U S of A. Here is what I found. Let me know if you can recommend one.

- Top 10 Fireworks Shows in the US and the World

- San Diego, CA Shows Fireworks

- San Jose, CA Fireworks

- Washington, DC Fireworks

- South Florida Fireworks

- Georgia Fireworks

- Idaho Fireworks

- Chicago, IL Fireworks
- Evanston, IL Fireworks
- Naperville, IL Fireworks

- Boston, MA Fireworks

- Montana & Wyoming Fireworks

- Northern Nevada Fireworks

- New York, NY Fireworks

- North Carolina Fireworks

- Philadelphia, PA Fireworks

- Texas Fireworks

- Utah Fireworks

- Virginia Fireworks

As for our current family favorite, we like to go to an Angels Baseball game on the 4th of July and catch their fireworks afterwards. They are coordinated to music and always fun to watch. Don't forget the best fireworks viewing is from a spot with low ambient light, that makes the colors more vibrant and you see all the trails they make in the sky. It can also be a lot more fun if they are synced with music.

I hope you have fun this year. If you have any great fireworks photos please share.

Technorati Tags: fireworks, places to visit

Popular Places: Links to Get Your Weekend Started Right

2008-06-06T09:50:00.001-07:00

Here is a new Friday feature: Popular Places. This is my gift to you, links to get your mind off of work and on to travel pleasure. Enjoy!

Perceptive Travel - Great Cities Inspire Great Architecture - Chicago, IL
HotelChatter - Hampton Inn Offers 10 percent Off
Jaunted - Take a Sex and the City Tour
Hotel Hotsheet - JetSet Sundays at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel LAX
Gadling - How about a Staycation?

Technorati Tags: Chicago, architecture, hampton inn, sex and the city, tour, los angeles, hotel package, staycation

Inspiration from the Most Beautiful of Places

2008-06-05T08:01:00.001-07:00

My wife, Jennifer, keeps telling me how beautiful Alaska is. She visited there on a cruise several years ago and really wants to go back. If the pictures from this article in Smashing Magazine are any indication, I've got to make sure we make that return trip. WOW!!!

The article about places for design inspiration covers places all over the world from Fairbanks, Alaska to Darwin, Australia and a lot in between. Most of the destinations are outside of the US. The article talks about four points for each location: history, getting there, natural inspiration and why will it inspire. Well worth a read, but you don't need to be a creative type to need inspiration. The photography in the article is beautiful and inspiring in its own right. Go take a look

Technorati Tags: inspiration, places to visit

Omni Hotels Wants You to "Live Like a Local"

2008-06-04T09:07:00.001-07:00

We all want the inside scoop on the best restaurants, hangouts and things to do when we visit a city. Omni Hotels is taking it a step further by creating a social network that let's locals and visitors hook up and share this information. Right now, if you submit your local recommendation online, you can be entered in a sweepstakes drawing for one of nine grand prizes for a weekend package gift certificate for two people. Recommendations must be received by August 31, 2008 to be eligible.

Additionally, they have created "Local Scoop" packages which include the following:

* Luxurious room accommodations
* $20 gift card per stay
* Phone call from hotel to set up your memorable local experiences
* Evening turndown service

The packages start from $89/nt.

Omni has hotels in the following cities:

Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Boston, MA
Cancun, Mexico
Charlotte, NC
Charlottesville, VA
Chicago, IL
Corpus Christi, TX
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Detroi, MI
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Montreal, Canada
New Haven, CT
New Orleans, LA
New York City, NY
Orlando, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Richmond, VA
San Antonio, TX
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
St. Louis, MO
Tucson, AZ
Washington, DC

Technorati Tags: packages omnihotels social networks

2010 MLB All Star Game Coming to Anaheim

2008-05-28T16:14:00.001-07:00

I LOVE BASEBALL!

I've seen lot's of games in person in San Francisco, Anaheim and Miami. In 2010, I'll have a chance to catch the fun and excitement of the Major League Baseball All-Star game here in Anaheim, my home town. It was made official in an announcement today.

The game was held in Anaheim two either times, in 1967 and 1989. Back then it was just a game. Now it is a week long event including a FanFest, open practices, Futures Game and Home Run Derby.

I can't wait, my son, Aaron, will be close to 3 years old and I will be able to share this great time with him.

Technorati Tags: baseball, all star game, California

Cool Web Tools for Your Hot Summer Travel

2008-05-23T11:40:00.001-07:00

Everyone has places they like to go for finding great travel deals. What you may not have is place to look for which seat you really want on a specific plane? How about where to find the best gas prices in the area you are staying? How about finding out if your flight has been delayed?

Check out this list from HotelsCheap.org for the top 25 Best Web Apps & Sites for Travel.

By the way, what are your favorite sites for travel?

Technorati Tags: travel

Travel Gear: Carrying on a Child's Car Seat Got You Down - Try the Kid's Seat Harness

2008-05-22T10:24:00.001-07:00

Traveling with children is tough as it is, but having to schlep a car seat through the airport for use on a flight can be a major pain in the you know where. Parents everywhere can now lighten their load and free their hands. Check out this airplane seat harness featured on the Uptake blog.

CARES retails for $74.95 and is certified for all phases of flight - taxiing, take off, turbulence and landing.

I love the idea and you can be sure that once our little boy has to have his own seat for flying, we are going to get one of these. You can find the product at www.kidsflysafe.com.

Technorati Tags: Travel gear, children