On the eve of a brand new year, Christine, Chris and I — the dynamic trio behind Travel For Boomers — must say goodby to our readers. This is the last TFB post and the domain name, “TravelForBoomers.com,” is officially for sale.

Almost two years and 402 posts ago, we launched this little enterprise: a travel blog specifically for the Baby Boomer generation. Our goals were: (1) to help you learn how to travel frugally and affordably, yet always in style, (2) to entice you to visit some wonderful travel destinations in the U.S. and around the globe, and (3) to feed the souls of fellow Boomers who are as travel-crazy as we are!

Well, we kinda think we’ve done that. And believe me, it’s been a labor of love. We’ve met some terrific contributors who helped us make this enterprise so much fun, and we’ve enjoyed every Comment we’ve received, both here and on our Facebook page.

But (isn’t there always a “but”?) we also assumed Travel For Boomers would generate at least a little income that would allow us to pay our contributors and make the work involved in a daily blog worthwhile. While we waited for that income to materialize (via ad placements), Christine invested her own money so we could pay our writers, and Chris (our IT guru) and I worked on the blog every day for free.

Unfortunately — and for some reasons beyond our control — that income didn’t materialize. So, after much soul-searching and a big ol’ reality check, we’ve accepted the fact that we just can’t keep TFB going any longer.

As I said in the opening paragraph, our domain name is for sale. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in buying it, drop Christine an email at: czstreet@aol.com.

On behalf of Christine, Chris, and myself, THANK YOU to all of our contributors and readers. We hope you’ve had as much fun being a part of Travel For Boomers as we’ve had bringing it to you. Happy New Year! Happy Travels!

Mahalo…

~ Kim Weiss, editor

Travel For Boomers.com

At the end of each year, Fodor’s Travel Guide announces its “Go List,” a list of travel destinations that encompass “great values, newly accessible destinations, buzzy hotspots, and travel-worthy events around the globe.” Baby Boomers, take note!

Following are the 25 destinations on this year’s Go List, in alphabetical order, along with links that explain why they are must-visits this year if you haven’t visited them already. And even if you have, there may be new developments that will make you want to return…

1. Albuquerque, New Mexico

2. Amsterdam

3. Azores Islands, Portugal

4. Botswana in Southern Africa

5. Brooklyn, New York (yes, Brooklyn!)

6. Easter Island

7. England

8. Germany

9. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

10. Ireland

11. Istanbul, Turkey

12. The Maldives

13. Marseille, France

14. Mexico City

15. Montenegro

16. Myanmar

17. New Orleans, Louisianna

18. New Zealand

19. Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

20. Portland, Oregon

21. Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic

22. Sardinia, Italy

23. Seville, Spain

24. Slovenia

25. Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida

]]> http://www.travelforboomers.com/2012/12/30/where-youre-going-to-go-in-2013-fodors-newest-go-list/feed/ 6 http://www.travelforboomers.com/2012/12/29/tfb-week-in-review-what-did-you-miss-7/ http://www.travelforboomers.com/2012/12/29/tfb-week-in-review-what-did-you-miss-7/#comments Sat, 29 Dec 2012 09:05:07 +0000 TFB Editors http://www.travelforboomers.com/?p=4815

This past week we did things a little differently.

Since Monday was Christmas Eve, we decided to share Christine’s story about an experience with a big, fluffy dog a plane that, like the Grinch, caused her heart to grow three sizes.

On Tuesday, Christmas Day, we showed you some of the most amazing Christmas Trees around the world — trees that just might make your Bucket List.

On Wednesday, Christine took us to Berlin on one of the World In A Weekend whirlwind trips.

Thursday ushered in a guest contributor, Jon Bellew, who made the case for travel as the key factor for shaping our lives and our view of the world.

And on Friday, Jon waxed nostalgic about the “glory days” in Las Vegas when drinks were free, blackjack tables were cheap, and a couple of hotdogs at Pink’s cost a whole lot less than the $30 they do today!

Tomorrow (Sunday), stay tuned for the top 25 travel destinations, according to Fodor’s 2013 “Go List.” Then, on December 31 — New Year’s Eve — please drop by for an important announcement.

By Jon Bellew

Some of you may still remember the glory days of Las Vegas when the drinks were free and the shrimp cocktail was cheap. If you don’t remember free drinks and cheap food in Las Vegas, you most likely don’t understand the term “glory days,” either. (Note the vintage postcard pictured right.)

Today, the only thing that’s free in Las Vegas is a business card with a photo of a nude woman someone hands to you on the sidewalk. The actual woman is not free, but might be considered by some to be cheap, though not in the same way the shrimp cocktail used to be.

When I was a young pup, my brother and I were roommates sharing a Southern California apartment. We used to ogle the L.A. Times print ads each week, touting incredible deals in Las Vegas. We would peruse them carefully and plan our next visit, always excited to see how much hotel we could get for our money.

Once we were amazed to find an advertisement for round-trip airfare and a two-night stay at a Las Vegas hotel for only $59 per person! We called immediately, eyes agape with astonishment at what we had just read. We asked if the advertisement was true. The woman on the phone said, “Jess, but jew haff to stay at the Junion Plassa.”

With a look of confusion on my face, I held the phone to my chest and repeated what she said to my brother. “She says we have to stay at the Junion Plassa,” I repeated.

“Hang up,” he said. “I’ve never heard of it.”

We were sure it was a scam. Still, we ended up landing a suite for only $39 per night at a brand-new hotel called the Rio.

Once in town, we would turn our eyes to the billboards to find the casino that offered the least expensive food and the cheapest blackjack table bets. One of our favorites became the Golden Nugget downtown. We would sit for hours under swanky chandeliers and play one dollar blackjack while drinking free beer.

Occasionally we would find ourselves as much as $10 ahead so we’d treat ourselves to a $1.99 New York steak and baked potato dinner in the coffee shop. Once, after a quick $65 blackjack win, we sipped cocktails at the mahogany paneled bar atop the former Landmark Hotel’s  32-story tower (pictured right in a 1969 photo) and took in the view. It seemed that we always ended up ahead of the game, even if only in the number of Heinekens we could consume before losing our money at the blackjack table. We were shrewd businessmen taking the casinos for all they had to offer.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Las Vegas again. I lived there for many years so it was a treat to see the city once again through the eyes of the tourist I am now. I was enticed with an email offer I received for a complimentary three-night stay at Aria (lobby pictured left) in City Center, the city’s newest $8.5 billion development. I was stunned when my reservation was confirmed for a holiday weekend. I was sure the deal would only be available on the third Tuesday of a month whose name contained the letter “K.” I snatched up two cheap plane tickets and reserved a car for the weekend.

Upon arrival at Aria, I was blown away. The architecture of the complex was beyond compare. The hotel room was without a doubt the finest hotel room I had ever slept in. The next morning, I awoke as the automatic drapes opened themselves, to find a cup of coffee had been brought to me by my caring partner. I couldn’t believe how gullible these casinos were for allowing me to come. Don’t they ever learn?

What I didn’t know was that the coffee was $4.50 per cup. That morning, we had the breakfast of champions, a pair of hot dogs and sodas from Pink’s, the famous Hollywood hot dog stand. The hot dogs cost $30. The dinner buffet later that evening was $35 per person. A cocktail at the casino’s bar was $11, while a glass of wine was $12. Before the gambling had even begun in earnest, we had spent well over $150.

We also noticed something odd about the casino’s patrons (right). They all appeared to be barely out of high school. Men wore hats, turned backwards of course, rendering them useless except when their Elvis-sized sunglasses were rested on the brims behind their heads. I thought this was an ingenious use for a hat brim as their sunglasses were undoubtedly too large to store in their shirt pockets. Women were dressed (if you want to call it that) in skintight dresses and high heels that were definitely intended to be seen and not walked in. Spotting hookers, an old, free pastime for many Vegas tourists, was now impossible as they could no longer be discerned from the hotel’s registered guests. (Fashion tip for the ladies: if you have to have a bikini wax before you wear your dress, the dress might be a hair too short – pun intended.)

According to the mobile billboards on the Strip, hot babes were apparently now “direct to you.” (Had the hot babes been somehow detoured before now?) Minimum bets at blackjack tables hovered around $25 per hand. Fights broke out at the craps tables. Rap music blared at the swimming pool. On the way home, I overheard a young lady at the airport brag over her cell phone that she had, “like totally paid like one hundred dollars to like get into like a pool party.” The whole experience made me feel as out of place as a tube of lipstick at an Amish barn-raising.

I miss the old days (left), when the music at the pool had lyrics that were actually sung. A cocktail was just a free trinket dispensed to keep players at the blackjack tables. A hotel room was simply a clean, cool place to sleep between inexpensive meals.

Vegas, you can keep your new megaresorts and Prada stores and Cirque du blah-blah shows. I miss feeling like a king with the city at his feet instead of a pauper begging the bartenders for free drinks. Somewhere, there must be a place for me.

If any of you Vegas locals can tell an aging tourist where to go and feel like a king again, I’d sure appreciate it. I’m still too young to go to Laughlin.

By Jon Ballew

Growing up in small east Texas towns, my parents were not well-traveled as children. My father often recants his story of a canoe trip in Minnesota as a Boy Scout that he most likely paid for himself. I don’t remember my mother ever speaking of a family vacation. For them, there was no Southwest airlines, no Priceline, and no Travel Channel. Outside of a visit with a distant relative, travel was something only wealthy people did. But they knew there was a world out there and neither of them was ever content to leave it unexplored.

During my childhood, shopping was never a matter of walking into a department store and simply buying something because we wanted it. Clothes and toys were almost always purchased second-hand or from the clearance rack. My younger brother and I spent hours amusing ourselves playing quietly inside clothes racks while my mother hunted for bargains. She was an absolute wizard at stretching a dollar. Long before there was mud wrestling, my mother was already tussling with other women over $1.00 bed sheets in the J.C. Penney clearance bins. Once, my mother even sent me to school wearing girls blue jeans because they were on sale.  There was always ample food on the table and we always had a nice home, but to say that our family budget was on the frugal side is an understatement.

But there was one thing they would not let us go without – the experience of travel. Long before there was such a thing as a low-fare air carrier, or a hotel bidding website, we saw much of the United States. We dined with real flatware served by smartly dressed stewardesses (that’s what they were called back then) on wide-body aircraft. We wandered the halls of the Smithsonian, climbed the stairs at the Statue of Liberty, and touched the crack in the Liberty Bell. We roamed the streets of the Magic Kingdom and skied the slopes of Vail. Once we were all piled into the car without knowing the destination. When we questioned our father as to where we were headed, he simply stated, “To the end of the road.” And we did reach the end of the road that day where we picnicked on the beaches of the Gulf Coast.

The desire to travel that was sparked by my parents was further fueled by the friends I made as a young adult, living on my own. My best friend was a tour manager whose job it was to take trips lasting several weeks, where he lead groups of aging American tourists through faraway lands. I marveled as he would prepare for these trips at the last minute by throwing a few clothes, some crossword puzzles, some canned tuna and peanut butter into a suitcase whose outside was riddled with stickers advertising destinations across the globe.

After a few cocktails with friends and a short drive to LAX, he would be off again for three to five weeks at a time. His return was always met with great anticipation. We couldn’t wait to see what “treasures” he would bring for us, like the can of Diet Coke he brought for me from China, and a kitchen drawer full of hotel shower caps (used for weeks to cover leftover food dishes) from the Hong Kong Sheraton. I would hang on his every word as he would tell us about his latest adventures before retiring for a three-day “nap.”

Unable to allow my friend’s 500,000 frequent flier miles to go unused, I talked him into allowing me to join him in Hong Kong for the end of one of his tours. It was my first trip outside the borders of the United States and the first time I had ever traveled alone, spending the first four days learning about Hong Kong on my own. It was a thrilling adventure and I will never forget the view of Hong Kong Harbour at night (pictured above) from the Star Ferry, the traditional way to cross from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. The experience changed me forever.

Since then I have traveled as often as I’ve been able to afford it. I’ve stood alone in the early morning on the decks of cruise ships watching flying fish jump from the path of the ship’s course. I’ve sat alone on mile-long strands of secluded white sand beaches in Kauai (above). I’ve been chased down the street in Amsterdam’s red light district by the proprietor of a brothel who was not happy that one of my friends had snapped a photo. I’ve driven alongside the Germany’s Rhine, gasping at each new castle as it came into view. I have lunched in the square facing the cathedral in Seville and gazed at Renaissance-era paintings in Madrid’s Prado. I’ve listened to the bells of London’s Big Ben as they toll.

Traveling has taught me more than I have ever learned in any classroom. I have learned that for most of the world, there is more than one god and that the very meaning of god is different for different people. I have learned that other cultures have histories that make ours look like a flash in the pan, and that the world does not revolve around the United States, hanging on our every word. And I have learned that the measure of life is not what we have, or where we work, but rather a conglomeration of quiet experiences we do not share with anyone: the scent of incense from a Buddhist temple, the sound of the wind that reshapes the Grand Canyon (below), or the sight of the sun as it sets over the South Pacific Sea.

Travel is not an activity, but an experience that shapes our lives and our view of the world, and I am forever grateful to the people who have given me this gift.

By Christine Krzyszton

Whether you’re a history buff or not, when you visit Berlin you become immersed in it from the time you arrive.  The remains of bombed-out buildings still stand, stories and photos of the historical events are preserved at every turn, and you find yourself constantly trying to grasp the reality of what it must have been like living through those times. When my friend suggested Berlin as a weekend jaunt, I thought it was a good choice but I didn’t realize the impact such a visit would have.

We chose a convenient and affordable Holiday Inn Express right in the heart of the city, making it easy to explore the area and also have a breakfast for free.

We ventured out the first day in the direction of Potsdamer Platz (pictured above right) and were greeted with an unexpected surprise: a Christmas market. We were happy to partake of the warm crepes, local sausages, and cheese. Large gingerbread hearts hung from the wooden huts and locals drinking mulled wines huddled together. Thousands of sparkling lights and lively music created a festive holiday atmosphere. To top it off, a snow slide had been constructed for tubing right there in the plaza.

With our tummies full and warmed and our spirits lifted high, we then moved on in the direction of Brandenburg Gate. We stopped on our way to visit a controversial, but extremely moving, memorial, Peter Eisenman’s “Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe” (pictured left). This orchestrated maze of gray geometric cement pillars, aligned to allow passage or to sit and reflect, is a must-see. We took the time to walk amongst the cobblestone paths and meander between the columns, just taking it all in and remembering why it was there. The site is open 24 hours a day, allowing easy access for everyone to experience the memorial.

Our day continued with a visit to the Brandenburg Gate (right) where we stood in awe, reflecting on the history that took place in this plaza. We followed the Unten den Linden passing historic buildings and museums, portions of the old wall, and onwards to Checkpoint Charlie where we resisted having our pictures taken with the Russian and U.S. soldiers (actors) who stand guard between the former East and West sectors.

We did, however, find other sufficient photo opportunities. My friend announced that he had a surprise in store so we continued on with my curiosity running rampant. He had to show me the giant staircase at the Westin Grand made famous in the “Bourne Supremacy” movie. I was impressed!

We then wandered the high-end shopping street of Friedrichstrasse, partaking in some serious window shopping before we eventually returned to our hotel.

After dinner and a good night’s sleep, we ventured out to Alexanderplatz (left), an area mostly destroyed in World War II that has been renovated and born anew. With bountiful outdoor cafes, charming boutique shops, and a landscaped riverside for strolling, we enjoyed exploring the area and viewing its beautiful old churches. The Berlin TV Tower is located there and it offers the highest view in all of Berlin. But the line was much too long so we continued our exploration along the river. We took advantage of endless photo opportunities and walked until we could walk no more.

One last stop, however, before the sun set: We stopped at “Topography of Terror,” an outdoor exhibit of the former SS bunkers. The narratives and photos were striking and certainly deserving of more than the short hour we spent reading and viewing them.

Since we’d purchased a day pass on the train system (about $5), we were able to zip around the city and see a great deal more before the evening ended. We were also able to revisit sites at night that we had seen during the day, only now they were beautifully lit and appeared even grander.

I left Berlin knowing I had seen and learned so much. But I knew I’d missed a great deal, having been there for little more than a day, so this city goes on my list as one place to which I must return.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Earlier this month, Conde Nast Traveler’s newsletter featured the following. If you missed that edition, we thought today would be an excellent time to share it with you. Following are “must-see Christmas trees in cities around the world!

1. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Photo by Gregory Scaffidi

2. Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Christmas Tree

and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche

3. Trafalgar Square Tree, London. Photo by James O. Jenkins

4. Chicago’s 99th Annual Christmas Tree, Daley Plaza

5. U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, Washington, D.C.

Photo by Hisham Ibrahim/Getty Images

6. National Christmas Tree, Washington, D.C.

Photo by Paul Morigi/Courtesy of NPS.gov

7. Christmas Tree in Prague

8. Christmas Tree, Sydney, Australia

9. Dortmund, Germany, considered to be the largest Christmas Tree in the world at 148 feet. It’s made up of 1700 smaller firm trees.

10. Berlin Christmas Tree at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church market.

11. Christmas Tree in Philadelphia’s “LOVE Park”

(a.k.a. John F. Kennedy Plaza)

12. The 65-foot Christmas Tree in Thessaloniki, Greece.

13.  Christmas Tree, Seattle, Washington

14. Paris, France: The Swarovski-decorated specimen in the Galeries Lafayette might just be the fanciest tree out there!

By Christine Krzyszton

I am not a “dog person” and, given the choice, I would certainly not fly with one. However, there it was — a huge dog, a huge, fluffy, hairy, white dog in the airport ready to check in for a flight with its owners.  Picture a giant Labrador retriever with long white hair that would blow in the wind (if there was wind in the airport). If I were a dog person I would know the breed and tell you and you would go “Oh my gosh, that’s a big dog with fluffy white hair! How could the airlines possibly allow this huge fluffy dog on an airplane?!”

Exactly!

Now, grant you, this was obviously a service dog in training and he was a happy, friendly dog with an equally happy, friendly owner. Her husband was not so happy and friendly. Maybe he’s not a “dog person,” either. “This is his very first flight and he is very excited,” Mrs. Dog Owner exclaimed. “Oh, how nice,” I replied. Somehow I knew she was referring to the dog, not the husband.

As the dog trio walked to the security area, white puff balls of dog hair flew into the air. I mean this dog had more hair than Lady Ga Ga’s wig collection and it disseminated into the atmosphere like dirt flying off Pig Pen behind Charlie Brown. Their luggage was covered with dog hair, their clothing was covered with dog hair, and when they stripped down for the security check, the dog hair balls rolled onto the security belt and actually touched my shoes.

A trip to the restroom before boarding did not result in being separated from the dog people. Mrs. Owner and the dog followed me into the restroom. I could hear her talking in the toilet stall. “Some people like dogs and some people don’t. We can’t help that,” she said to the dog while she was peeing. Then there we were, washing our hands together — Fluffy, dog owner, and me. “He only has two types of friends,” she said effusively. “Those he has met and those he hasn’t met. “ I smiled and nodded.

She then turned to the dog and said, “It’s not that she doesn’t like you. She’s dressed all in black and she’s afraid you will get her all messy.”

“I’m right here, lady. I can hear everything you’re saying to your dog,” I wanted to say out loud, but, of course, I didn’t.

Time to board the plane. I was relieved to find that the dog was not my seat mate. Mr. and Mrs. Dog Owner and Fluffy were two rows ahead and across the aisle. They both took their seats then the dog squeezed down in front of them on the floor. He barely fit. There was no room for him to move around.

I saw him look up with his sad eyes from his obviously very uncomfortable position. Mrs. Owner reassured him by patting him on the head.  “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re going to have a nice trip to Los Angeles.”

My heart melted. Here was a very kind lady, with love in her heart, generously training this dog to be a companion for someone whose quality of life will be improved by having “Fluffy” around. She has probably trained many dogs, loved each one, then ultimately had to say goodbye. All I saw before was a big ball of walking fur and a chatty dog lady. Now I saw so much more.

When we walked off the plane, I petted Fluffy and smiled at the lady. This time it was a very sincere and appreciative smile because, like the Grinch, my heart “grew three sizes that day.”

I still may not be one of Fluffy’s new friends. I’m still not be a “dog person.” But for a few minutes I forgot about the dog hair on my pants and saw things from a much better perspective.

This past week started with our regular Make My Monday travel deals and specials. And this week we introduced “BigCrumbs” to you.

On Tuesday, we reminded you about all the discount travel available via the Internet if you’ll just take the time to look for it.

For World In A Weekend Wednesday, Christine took us to Berlin, Germany, an exciting city she can’t wait to revisit.

On Thursday we posted a schedule of holiday entertainment and other perks in airports this season. If your flight is delayed, here’s hoping you’re in one of these airports!

And on Friday we showed you how you can avoid baggage fees and fuel surcharges when you fly.

Our image this weekend (above right) is from a collection of 1960s Christmas ornaments on Ebay. Do they bring back any childhood memories?

This coming week:  We’ll open with Christine’s “Dog On A Plane.” (You don’t want to miss that one!) We’ll also share some of the most awe-inspiring Christmas Trees around the world. And Christine will take us with her to Panama City, Panama, for World In A Weekend. That, and so much more!

By Kim Weiss

Remember when the only expense you incurred at the airport with your baggage was the tip you gave the Skycap guys? That was before the airlines discovered a nifty little way to make many more millions off of us: baggage fees. And, as if they weren’t making enough money that way, they added another annoyance: fuel surcharges.

Last year, U.S.-based airlines soaked us for billions through these fees and charges. I don’t know about you, but I like to think of myself as a rather smart, savvy Baby Boomer. So I’m not willing to let the airlines inflate their coffers out of my pocket if I can help it. And guess what?  I can. So can you, fellow Baby Boomers, if you take the following tips to heart. We’ll start with…

Baggage fees

A round of applause, please, for good ol’ Southwest Airlines, the only U.S. domestic airline I know of that doesn’t charge a fee for your first checked bag. Fly Southwest whenever you can if for no other reason than to thank them for not jumping on the baggage fee bandwagon! If you can’t fly Southwest, consider this seemingly outrageous notion:

Don’t check any bags.

“What?!” you’re exclaiming. “I’m supposed to fly to Europe/Hawaii/Aspen/wherever with nothing more than a carry-on?!”

Think about it for a moment: Do you really need all that stuff? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could fit everything you need in a carry-on bag plus one personal item, like a backpack or one of those trendy huge purses? You wouldn’t have to worry about lost luggage, you wouldn’t have to wait around for the baggage carousel to finally reveal your bags, and you won’t have “I’m a tourist!” stamped on your forehead in neon letters. (Well, not literally. But folks loaded down with luggage smack of tourist.)

If you simply can’t imagine limiting what you take with you to whatever will fit in these two bags, let’s eliminate the upcoming baggage fees before you leave home. How do you do that? Three ways:

1. Ship your luggage to your destination before you leave. Compared to the current baggage fees airlines are charging, UPS or FedEx ground may be cheaper. Seriously. Check into it.
2. Get yourself a co-branded credit card that provides free baggage when you fly on that airline. For example, the American Express / Delta SkyMiles card is co-branded and great for people who frequently travel on Delta Airlines.  Continental and Delta offer low-cost cards that promise your “first bag is free” as long as you keep and use their cards. Yes, they have application fees, but one trip with your family of four, let’s say, will offset that fee if you’re all checking a bag. Explore your favorite airlines’ websites for current “first bag free” benefits if you get their co-branded credit cards.
3. Gain Elite status. Be loyal to a particular airline long enough to obtain its Elite status. Elite status offers greatly reduced or no baggage fees at all. (Here’s a link to an article in USA Today on Elite status if you’re not sure what I mean: http://usat.ly/aJpfcF). Eliminating baggage fees is only one of the many perks “Elite” frequent travelers receive.

Now let’s move on to…

Fuel Surcharges

Fortunately, most United States carriers fly domestically and internationally without adding fuel surcharges to the ticket price, whether you’ve paid for your airline ticket outright or obtained it with frequent flier miles or travel vouchers. With U.S. carriers, you pay the Homeland Security fee and maybe a few taxes, but that’s it.

Wish I could say the same for international carriers. British Airways is the worst offender. British Airways adds huge fuel surcharges ($400-plus) to award tickets.  Many people recently jumped on British Airways/Chase Bank’s offer of 100,000 frequent flier miles for signing up for that card. (Congratulations if you got it!) But consider using those miles on a different airline if you’re planning a trip to Europe. British Airways fuel surcharges fly in the face of the “budget travel” concept.

So it should be obvious by now: The easiest way to avoid huge fuel surcharges is to avoid the airlines that charge them. Instead, shop for flights using those airlines’ alliance partners. For example,  we recommend using those British Airways miles you received from the Chase offer for domestic flights on American Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways for flights across the Pacific, or flights on other OneWorld Alliance partners to South America. You may even be able to use your British Airways miles to fly on Iberia Airlines through its hubs in Spain to get your final destination in Europe.

Remember: Frequent flier miles can be used on all airlines that are members of the same alliance. OneWorld Alliance includes American Airlines. The SkyTeam Alliance includes Delta. The Star Alliance covers United, Continental, and US Airways. By all means, ask about using your miles on a partner airline to eliminate those nasty fuel surcharges.