If you found yourself unable to access Southwest's site to score tickets yesterday there's a reason.
The discount carrier's big 48-hour fall sale, which featured the cheapest fares the airline has offered since 1996, drew so much traffic that it hobbled the company's website for about five hours yesterday.
The airline, which will begin service from Logan in the middle of next month, launched the sale Monday and it ended yesterday. Paul Flaningan, a company spokesman, told Bloomberg News that portions of the website went down about 9:30 a.m. and were restored by about 2:40 p.m.
Southwest offered mea culpas but decided that it would NOT extend the sale to make up for lost time due to the techical hiccup.
The sale, which was atypical in that fall discounts aren't usually offered till later in the summer, kicked off a mini-price war as most of the major carriers rushed to match fares on competitive routes.
The lesson here, if any, is that these days sales pop up quickly -- and disappear as quickly. So if you're in the market for travel the best deals often go to those who act quickly.

Photo by istockphoto.com

Southwest Airlines, which will launch service from Logan starting Aug. 16, announced
a big 48-hour sale, with one-way fares going for as low as $30, $60, or $90 based on length of travel.
The move bucks a recent industry trend, which saw the major airlines raising ticket prices over the past couple of weeks as the beleaguered carriers once again find themselves facing volatile fuel prices.
The terms of the Southwest sale go like this: For flights up to 400 miles, you could pay as little as $30; 400-750 miles $60; and more than 750 miles $90. These fares don't include taxes and fees, and you must purchase before July 9 for travel from Sept. 9 through Nov. 18. Also you can't travel on Fridays or Sundays.
The complaints with this kind of deal tend to focus on the fact that sale fares tend to be in rather short supply. But here in Greater Boston we have an advantage because Southwest doesn't begin flying till next month, so, for the most part, there's no shortage of seats available for the fall.
I plugged in a few September and October dates for flights to the Midwest and California and found a number of openings at sale prices.
This sale could also kick off a smallish price war on competing routes, according to one airline analyst who was quoted in a Reuters story.
"While airline ticket prices have stabilized recently from their free fall, airlines are by no means out of the woods as oil prices remain volatile and demand precarious," said Rick Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com, in an e-mail this morning. "Later today we should see significant airfare matching activity (even for the modest 2-day purchase period on the Southwest sale) as legacy airlines will not want to be undercut."

Direct Air, which flies from Worcester Regional Airport to Sanford (Orlando) and Punta Gorda (Fort Myers) in Florida and to Myrtle Beach, S.C., is offering 50 percent off its lowest available fares from July 3 through midnight July 12. The sale is good on all available flights, into 2010.

The airline is presenting this as a deal to benefit last minute "Gotta get away" folks and "long term planners" who want to book winter flights at big savings. Travelers must use promo code "JULY4" to receive the offer. Visit the website or call 877-432-DIRECT (3473).

In addition to the discounted airfares, the oceanfront Myrtle Beach Sea Watch Resort is offering a "Stay 2 nights and 3rd night free offer, and USAVE car rental is offering a free day rental with 3 or more paid days.

Some deals just have to be shared.
The TravelSmart newsletter's Steal of the Month may be just the ticket for Bostonians pining for Ireland.
The Adare Resort Package from Sceptre Tours includes six nights in a two-bedroom townhouse, rental car for a week, and a Shannon Discount Booklet.
TravelSmart says, "The 5-star resort is located on 840 acres ... 40 minutes from Shannon, making it easy to take day trips to Limerick, Bunratty, Galway, Killarney, Waterford, Cliffs of Moher, Blarney castle.''
Travel is for Nov. 1-Feb. 14, 2010. Rate are slightly higher June-Oct. 31, 2009, and Feb. 15-March 31, 2010.
TravelSmart warns, "Rate structure is complex.''

Spanish super chef Martín Berasategui is one of a small group of creative cooks who revolutionized Basque cuisine, and his three Michelin stars were part of what set French chefs sputtering about the Spaniards a few years back. But Berasategui is also something of a populist, and his new restaurant at San Sebastian’s performance center is priced for accessibility, with set menus starting at 24 euros (about $34). An even better bet at Kursaal MB, as it’s known, is the tasting menu of pintxos (as the Basques call tapas): 3 courses for 10 euros (about $14). For lunch I had this fresh goat cheese and spinach salad, stewed spider crab with parsley foam gel, and a soup with mussels and scallops—and alioli. Oh, and the price included a generous pour of a good Rioja.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe correspondent

Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe

Here’s a Flag Day freebie for you.

The Boston Harbor Alliance is offering free ferry rides this Sunday to Spectacle and Georges Islands. Simply register online at Harbor Islands Express, and select your return and departure times. Then, plan to spend a relaxing day on one of the city’s oases.

Normally, the cruises run $14 for adults and $8 for children, each way, so families looking for a Sunday picnic spot this weekend are sure to be taking advantage in large numbers. Seeing as it is Flag Day, of course, the Alliance is encouraging riders to wear red, white, and blue to show their patriotic spirit.

Fung Wah Bus will launch nonstop service from Providence to New York starting June 15. Plans call for daily departures from Rhode Island at 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., with two returns from New York at 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Tickets are priced at $40 each way.
The discounter faces competition on this route from Greyhound and Peter Pan, both of which schedule multiple departures. Greyhound charges $14-$34 one way, depending on how far in advance you buy tickets, and its buses make stops in between. Peter Pan offers nonstops at $37 or $45, with the lower price being an online fare. Company officials say the firm also has a late-night rate of $32 and student discounts.

(Thanks to Matthew Keller of busjunction.com for the tip.)

You? A pop star? Of course you can do it. It's all in the equipment, right? Do you really think Britney can sing?

Costa Cruises knows you want to try so it has outfitted its newest ship, the Costa Pacifica, with what it is calling the industry’s first onboard recording studio for passengers.

For about $50 an hour, passengers can sift through a library of 400 songs, then hit the sound booth and record up to three tunes. At the end of the cruise, you get a CD of your efforts.

Sounds like it'll just be recorded karaoke? Costa says that the studio comes with high-tech equipment and a sound engineer, which promises to give you every advantage enjoyed by those pop stars you love to trash. You know. The ones who, unlike you, can't sing.

At a time when the Commonwealth is planning to close several state parks and swimming areas and raise parking fees at beaches and other recreational sites, Uncle Sam, who is getting quite a bit a practice at this bailout stuff, is reaching out to you.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has announced that the feds will waive entrance fees at
147 national parks and monuments for three summer weekends: June
20-21 (Think cheap Dad's Day outing), July 18-19 and Aug. 15-16.

According to the Associated Press, 147 US parks and monuments charge fees of $3-$25 and nation's 244 other parks already are free. There about about 20 parks and sites in Massachusetts; of that number the ones that normally charge include: Adams National Historical Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, and Longfellow National Historic Site. Here's a link to a national map and list.

There are live chickens in the cathedral at Santo Domingo de la Calzada in La Rioja, Spain, because legend holds that two cooked chickens stood up and crowed to protest the innocence of a pilgrim about to be executed for theft. But we found that the parador next to the cathedral also participates in a deal that’s really something to crow about. These fairly luxe state-run hotels have listed rates of 150–250 euros a night ($210-$350), but many (including this gorgeous building) participate in a 5-night deal. Purchase 5 nights at any of the paradors (mix and match) for 103 euros ($144) each. We’ve met a number of Americans who are taking advantage of the deal.

Posted by Patricia Harris & David Lyon

Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe

PRELUDE
Driving through Sicily, Mom asks whether there are many foxes roaming the island – a question completely out of left field, and as likely a subject as if she had a sudden interest in stock quotes.

FOOD
Dinner at Nangalarruni in Castelbuono is a snapshot of Sicilian cuisine. A starter salad of blood oranges and pearl onions is served with thin slices of tobacco-smoked pork, sprinkled with salt flakes and dappled with olive oil and deeply-flavored musto cotto from 1987. The dish shows a native love for sweet and savory, reverence for history and an inventive playfulness. Much of that can also be seen in the following course -- a bread pie served next to a big, comma-shaped swirl of ricotta cream.
It’s at this point in the meal where chef Peppino Carollo, who I’ve blogged and written about, sits down one table away to have dinner with his brother on a quiet Monday night. Staying undercover would have been nearly impossible, not to mention really awkward. Besides, it’s hard to braise a wild boar shank (our next course) in 10 minutes.

Instead, we talk. The brother is in town from Rome to hunt mushrooms with chef in the hills above town – Nangalarruni may mean "jew’s harp'' but the restaurant is a mushroom-lover’s heaven and the walls here are covered with paintings of fungi and pictures of Chef and friends after successful mushroom hunts.

Who’s manning the kitchen while chef is having dinner with his brother?
“He’s young,” Chef says of sous-chef Giandomenico Lammonica, but it’s not hard to understand why he is Carollo’s right-hand man – Lammonica has a mushroom farm above town that he tends to as a hobby.

A several-course tasting meal at Nangalarruni is a bargain at 30 euros and the great wine list has gentle prices, perhaps owing a bit to Chef’s wife running two small wine shops in town.

FULL CIRCLE
Walking back after a late-night stroll through town, a fox appears in front of our door.

…

When in Castelbuono, stay at the Casa Ilaria B&B. It’s hidden, quiet, beautiful, spacious and run by gracious owners. It’s also a steal at 30 euros per person per night.

Nangalarruni
Via delle Confraternite, 5/7
Castelbuono
011 39 0921 671428
www.hostarianangalarruni.it

Casa Ilaria
Piazza Tenente Schicchi, 5
Castelbuono
011 39 0921 676268
http://www.casailaria.it/

**********************

Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.

Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe

Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe

Book by June 2 for weekend stays (Thursday to Sunday) May 21 to Sept. 7 and you'll save 20 percent at participating Marriott hotels and resorts in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

The offer is available any day of the week at participating resorts worldwide, hotels in the Middle East and Africa, and Marriott Vacation Club and Grand Residences by Marriott resorts.

To book the Global Rate Break, visit here, and use promo code F5X, or call 1-877-MARRIOTT.

JetBlue started the week off with two big announcements. First it launched an online "300,000 seat Summer Sale" with one-way airfares as low as $29 to $129 for destinations across the nation and the Caribbean. Much of the fine print will be familiar: You must book before Friday for travel between June 2 and Sept. 9 and all travel must take place on a Tuesday or Wednesday. And fares require up to a 10-day advance purchase.
The discount carrier also said that it was extending its refund program for travelers who get laid off after buying tickets. The program, which JetBlue says has been welcomed by customers, was originally supposed to run only through June.

The financial downtown has hit Spain hard. Here they call it “the crisis,” and restaurants, bars and hotels are responding by slashing prices. Bar Colón’s solution to financial hard times is 1 euro (about $1.35) for coffee with ham on toast. The offer is only good until noon, and if you’re still depressed, you can have the other breakfast option of a draft beer with a tapa for the same price.

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

Photo by Patricia Harris for the Boston Globe

Radisson Hotels & Resorts, with more than 400 locations in 68 countries, is giving guests a break this summer with Friday as Freeday. From May 15 through Sept. 15, get a free Friday night stay when staying two or more consecutive nights (Thursday or Saturday night required).

The offer is available at participating Radisson hotels and resorts in North, Central, and South America; Asia Pacific; and at Radisson Edwardian Hotels in the United Kingdom.

Friday is Freeday must be booked a minimum of seven days in advance of your stay. Reservations can be made here, or by calling 800-333-3333.

Sex sells. And maybe love, too.
Amid these tough days for the travel industry, Air New Zealand is taking no chances. The carrier has just launched a new ad campaign called "Nothing to Hide.'' The ad features scores of airline staffers, including eight attired in nothing but body paint (Rob Fyfe, the airline's CEO, also reportedly makes a cameo in body paint, but I couldn't pick him out. Here's a link to a pic from the company website so you can play Where's Waldo -- or Rob)
The ad seeks to highlight the fact that the airline prides itself on not hitting passengers with hidden charges as its fares include baggage allowances (regular coach passenger get one free checked bag and one carry-on and frequent-flier club members get two of each) and complimentary refreshments -- basically like the old days of flying.
Now for the love part. Air New Zealand is also pushing a singles-only Matchmaking Flight -- think singles bar at 30,000 feet for 12-plus hours each way -- from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand, in October with round-trip fares starting at $780.
There will be a preflight gate party; food, drinks, and games throughout; and a party at the Skycity Convention Centre in Auckland after you land.
The carrier also has set up a website, www.thematchmakingflight.com, where passengers can upload a personal profile and start connecting before the flight.
Could be fun. Could also turn out to be like being stuck for 12 hours at a flying convention of actuaries/Star Trek (original series only) devotees.

From May 21 to Sept. 27, 2009, Kimpton is offering a special PRIDE rate code to members of the LGBT community to receive a complimentary weekend night when they book two nights at the best available rate. Plus, Kimpton is including a $50 dining credit for use at participating restaurants adjacent to Kimpton hotels.
“Kimpton is proud to be supportive of the LGBT community,” said Alan Baer, senior vice president of human resources and co-chair of the Kimpton Gay & Lesbian Employee Network. “As a company we are very involved in the communities we live in and contribute to dozens of LGBT organizations.”
The Summer of Pride offer is available in 20 cities including: Alexandria, Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, San Diego, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Scottsdale, Vancouver, Vero Beach, and Washington, D.C.
Use the rate code PRIDE when booking. Some restrictions apply, based on availability. To book visit here or call 1-800-KIMPTON.

Fenway is beyond great, and the men in uniform within its walls, even greater perhaps. But getting tickets to a game. Um, not so great. But hold onto your caps, the Copley Square Hotel has taken the experience and has made it priceless [well, maybe not priceless, but effortless for sure!].

With the hotel’s Baseball in Beantown Package, the Copley is offering a variety of different ticket options that get you not only into Fenway Park, one of America’s premier ballparks, but will also get you close to the lightning-quick reflexes of Lowell, and the winning-smirk of Youk! So you get two tickets, two Red Sox hats, two bottles of water, one box of Crackerjacks, and a luxurious stay at the newly renovated Copley Square Hotel, which is less than two miles from Fenway. The price? $250 for the package plus the cost of tickets.

Package rates vary depending on seat locations and game. When booking package online use promo code: BRSP. Call now - 617-536-9000. Package is available now through Oct. 4, or at the end of baseball's regular season. Restrictions and black out dates may apply.

Marriott is offering active, reserve, and military personnel a deal at 26 Marriott golf courses across the country. With Fairway Furloughs, members of the armed forces with a valid military ID card get discounted green fees/carts, ranging from $29-$69 after 3 p.m. any day of the week, year round. Tee times can be made up to three days in advance.

"In this country, we have hundreds of thousands of active, reserve, and retired military personnel who play golf, and we can't think of a better way to reward their unmatched dedication,'' said Bill Nault, vice president, Marriott Golf.

The complete list of participating courses includes: Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Desert Springs Golf Resort, Palm Desert, Calif.; Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Fla.; Grande Pines Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Grande Vista Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Hawk's Landing Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Renaissance Vinoy Resort, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Shadow Ridge Golf Club, Palm Desert, Calif.; Starr Pass Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz.; The Rookery at Marco, Naples, Fla.; Wildfire Golf Club, Phoenix, Ariz.; Cattails Golf Club, Kingsport, Tenn.; Griffin Gate Golf Club, Lexington, Ky.; Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, Lihue, Hawaii; Stone Mountain Golf Club, Stone Mountain, Ga.; Crane's Landing Golf Club, Lincolnshire, Ill.; Westfields Golf Club, Clifton, Va.; and Willow Crest Golf Club, Oak Brook, Ill.

For more information on the program, visit here.

The Brussels taxi driver did a double take when I told him the address in the Saint Gilles neighborhood next to the Gare du Midi.
Arriving, I suggested a night-time drop-off half a block from the B&B to avoid making a loop of one-way streets.
“You sure?” he asked. “Be careful.”
Not exactly what you want to hear when you’re just down the street from the police station.
Go anyway. The Art de la Fugue wipes away the doubts as soon as you walk in the door. Gracious hosts, high ceilings and big, beautiful spaces that cleverly mix modern design and flea-market chic immediately make you forget the outside world.
Each room has a theme: Farinelli for the princess, Indochina for a bit of Zen, and Lawrence of Arabia for the travel writer. Don’t worry: all cool, no kitsch.
There are televisions hidden in each room, but it’s doubtful you’ll watch – the atmosphere makes you want to read, write, play the piano, or linger over a very tasty breakfast.
The kicker? The price – around 100 euros per room per night.

L'art de la Fugue
Bed & Breakfast
Rue de Suède 38
1060 Brussels
011 32 478 69 59 44

**********************

Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.

Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe

Do you see animal patterns in the clouds? Get all gooey inside when sunsets turn white puffs pink and orange? Marvel at towering thunderheads in the distance? The Cloud Appreciation Society has a website you’ll love. And now they’ve sanctioned what claims to be the world’s first “Cloud Bar.” The bar opened to the public in April on the beach at Anderby Creek in Lincolnshire, UK. Designed by artist Michael Trainor, it has a wooden platform sanctioned by the society as an “official cloudspotting area” and “cloud menus” to help identify formations. But no alcohol. Just recline in the specially designed cloud-viewing seats and marvel at the artistry above.
For more intensive viewing, there’s a Sky Weekend, June 19-21, at South Downs in Sussex, UK. Society founder Gavin Pretor-Pinney will instruct participants in cloud type identification and understanding what formations tell us about weather conditions. Discover your own creativity by looking at the work of artists, writers, and scientists who have found inspiration in the skies. The two-night weekend at a country house once home to economist John Maynard Keynes is offered by a London-based outfit called The School of Life. Accommodations, meals, and activities come to £395 (less than $580 ) per person.

Posted by Janet Mendelsohn, Globe correspondent

At last look there were only 14 slots open for the F1 Grand Prix Monaco VIP Experience May 22-24. But since the starting price is $30,000 a person, there still may be room for you. The experience includes a private jet charter or a first-class cabin on a regularly scheduled flight, a helicopter transfer from Nice into Monaco, a private car and driver, a suite at the Hotel de Paris, VIP access aboard My Yacht Monaco, meetings with race people and guided tours of race sites, dinner at Joël Robuchon, Louis XV, and at the Hotel de Paris private wine cellar, an introduction to Prince Albert and his royal guests at the My Yacht Monaco party, VIP party, and show entrances, and access to a private VIP Grand Prix party and after-party on the Penthouse of Shangri-La, above the start-finish line.
Call 949-429-8117 or e-mail contact@echelonexp.com.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

From Logan, one-way, online prices start at $29 (Buffalo, Charlotte, New York, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, and Richmond, Va.) and rise to $59 (Oakland and SF), $69 (Bermuda, Chicago), $69 (Bermuda, Chicago), $79 (Long Beach), $89 (Austin, Denver) and $99 (Las Vegas, San Diego, and Seattle).
There is fine print: You must buy before midnight. Travel must take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and needs to be completed by June 10. And there are other restrictions and you can scan them all here.

Rentalo.com currently has Florida vacation rentals — villas, apartments, and condos — that sleep as many as eight people for $100 a night or less. An example: Samantha’s Castle in Orlando is more like a house than a castle, but then it costs but $85 a night. It has three bedrooms, two baths, a formal dining room, an open kitchen, a deck, and a built-in heated pool. It’s 6 miles from Walt Disney World. A stay of at least three nights is required.
Visit www.rentalo.com/21058/samanthascastle.html

To celebrate Earth Day, BoltBus is offering half-off tickets for travel on April 22. This means the most you will pay for a one-way ticket to New York from Boston will be $10.
“Each person who rides BoltBus takes a car off the road,” said David Hall, general manager of BoltBus, in a press release. “This Earth Day we’d like to thank our customers for choosing BoltBus and consequently taking a more environmentally friendly form of transportation.”
         Passengers can buy tickets in advance at BoltBus.com or from a driver before boarding. One-way fares start at $1, plus a booking fee, and the price rises the closer you get to your departure date.

Spirit Air launches a new direct service from Boston to Atlantic City May 1 for $39 one way, if you belong to the airline’s “$9 Club,” which runs you $39.95 a year (members get at least nine bucks off each way on any flight in the Spirit system, and also get access to the so-called “Super Low Fare Club” where fares often start in the single digits). Non-club members pay $48 each way. Neither price reflects taxes and fees, so figure on at least another $15.
So far the flights will be the one-a-day variety, each way: Flight 235 for AC leaves daily at 10:40 a.m. and arrives at 12:05 p.m. Returning, Flight 262 leaves AC at 5:20 p.m. and arrives in Boston at 6:45 p.m.
The Boston-to-AC air connection will help the casino and resort industry there tap the New England market, said Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. The area traditionally pulls heaviest from New York City and Philadelphia. Over the past year, the region has pumped $1.5 billion into renovations and expansions, including new world-class spas, getting major entertainment at Boardwalk Hall and beefing up the golf business.
To find out more about attractions in the AC area, check out atlanticcitynj.com.

Posted by Paul E. Kandarian, Globe correspondent

Get a deal on Maine overnights in May and help alleviate homelessness. For the sixth year in a row, the Maine Innkeepers Association (MEIA) is running its Hospitality for Habitat program. Between May 1 and 22, 2009, some 32 participating properties offer rooms at half price if guests make out a $35 (or more) check to Habitat for Humanity. The funds are distributed to nine Maine chapters of Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for people who otherwise couldn’t afford them. You have to reserve ahead, and the contribution to Habitat for Humanity must be in the form of a check. For a list of participating properties, see www.maineinns.com/hfh.cfm. It’s win-win proposition. Everyone wants to stay in Maine.

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

For obvious reasons, most of my posts relate to weekend happenings,and it appears they dovetail nicely with what Bobby Jones at Enterprise Rent-A-Car calls "travel bursts.'' Apparently the term refers to a three- or four- day extended weekend, and in a recent rental-car industry poll, these "bursts'' of travel are what more people are doing this year, instead of taking the longer trips of past years. The same poll also notes 37 percent of travelers staying closer to home, usually within 500 miles.
And hey, what good is research if you can't benefit from it? Useless really. So smarty-pants Enterprise Rent-a-Car has taken the information and run with it, by giving travelers an incentive - a 50 percent off weekend rentals incentive - for travel Friday through Monday, now through May 20. Book your "burst" today!

Expectant mothers deserve a treat. At Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., the Pregnant Pause package features a one-night stay, a 50-minute massage for the mother-to-be at the Elemis Spa, and gifts for mom and baby. The price begins at $189 per person.
Visit www.mohegansun.com or call 888-777-7922. Use code PTBAB when booking.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Virgin America has just launched an online "Go!'' fare sale, featuring one-way fares from Logan as low as $99 to San Francisco and $79 to Los Angeles for travel between April 14 and June 10 or Aug. 25 and Oct. 14.
With this move Virgin joins an already pitched battle between JetBlue and American for Boston customers looking to travel to the West Coast in the spring, and it demonstrates the value of having more competition in the market and particularly from discounters.
Both JetBlue and American were already offering seats at prices comparable to those being offered by Virgin to SFO, and American also matched fares for LAX (JetBlue doesn't begin flying to LA from Boston till June 17).
JetBlue's sale ended on April 8, but I noticed on their website there were still some $99 discount fares available in May for travel to San Francisco, and the carrier is still running a Buy 2, [roundtrip flights] Get 1 Free promotion for trips to select Western cities, including San Francisco, booked and taken through May 31.
American also appears to be offering the bargain $79 and $99 fares through the end of May and is offering triple AA miles for travel to SF and LA through May 31.
Typically, airlines operating in the Northeast tend to see an uptick in north-south travel in winter and early spring -- obviously, folks trying to get to warmer climes. So they tend to offer discounts and other inducements for transcontinental trips then -- and this is particularly true this year because of the decline in travel amid the slumping economy. And the pattern is reversed in summer.
I asked JetBlue spokesman Sebastian White about why there were still some $99 Boston-San Francisco seats available even though the sale was over. He told me that if a competitor, like Virgin, cuts fares in the market airlines will often make some attempt to match.
That this tendency is playing out at Logan is apparent. My pal Nicole Wong reported in February that since Virgin announced in December that it would break into the Boston market, round-trip airfares for nonstop flights to San Francisco on competing carriers had fallen 41 percent in the first couple months of the year, according to Rick Seaney, chief executive of airfare comparison website FareCompare.com.
All of this will clearly bode well for Boston travelers as JetBlue adds to its schedule from Logan, and Southwest prepares to enter the market in the fall.
"Virgin America's arrival at Logan has triggered a fare war with American and JetBlue resulting in travel to the West Coast being more affordable than it has been in years," said Edward C. Freni, Massport's director of aviation. "Because no single carrier dominates activity at Logan, competition is heightened to the benefit of the consumer. Let the fare wars begin!"

Mother’s Day is only one day (May 10), but the Mother-Daughter Spa Getaway at Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club in Lenox is going for two months, May 1-June 30. Costing $410 per person, this new package includes two nights in a superior room, one 50-minute spa service per person, one 22-minute treatment per person, a Spa Cafe lunch for two, a dinner for two at the on-site Sloane’s Tavern, unlimited fitness classes, and full use of spa facilities.
Visit www.cranwell.com or call 800-272-6935.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter

The folks at the Perrin Post have written about the Hot Dates, Cool Rates promotion for discounts on rooms in Nantucket for spring and summer.
For instance, at the luxurious Wauwinet, the summer rate for a standard room is $746 per night (including tax), but on some mid-May and June nights the rate falls to $247.
At the White Elephant, standard rooms fetch $675 per night in summer, but you can get a room for $192 per night for some late April and early May nights, in late April and parts of May and June the price will nudge up to $214; and some July and August dates will only set you back $439.
Rooms as the Cottages at the Boat Basin will usually set you back $538 per night in the summer, but for a number of April nights, you can score a studio cottage for $137 per night, and you can snag rooms at a savings of at least 29 percent on select dates in May-August.
The Jared Coffin House is normally $170 per night, but in April room can be had for as little as $109; on some May and June dates $115; $137 for select other days in June.
I just spoke to the folks at Nantucket Island Resorts, which is running the promotion and they say that, despite what you may see on the website, you can still snag one of these deals through the end of April -- and they are considering extending even farther. But if you're sure you want to go, why wait?

View from the porch at Wauwinet

With spring in the air thoughts are wafted to the beach. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Breakers Resort, where prices start at $65 a night, is making these Spring Fling offers: Stay two nights and get the third night free; stay five nights and get the fourth and fifth nights free; or stay seven nights and get the fifth, sixth, and seventh nights free. The deal is available through June 4 but not on Easter or Memorial Day weekends.
Visit www.breakers.com or call 888-302-1952. For information about Myrtle Beach, go to www.visitmyrtlebeach.com.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

President Obama may be a big college basketball fan — although the president’s tournament bracket is just as busted as most hoops fans — but it’s college hockey that will take center stage in the nation’s capital on April 9-11. The Frozen Four — college hockey’s answer to basketball’s Final Four — will be played in the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, and it will have a distinctly New England feel.
Boston University and the University of Vermont will square off in one semifinal on Thursday, April 9, and one of those Hockey East powers will play the winner of the other semifinal between Miami (Ohio) University and Bemidji State University on Saturday April 11. Boston University has partnered with Anthony Travel to provide packages with hotel accommodations, transportation, and airline reservations. Call 877-284-2254 or visit the Anthony Travel website for more information. Game tickets are not included in packages.
If you want to put together your own travel plans, non-stop airfares between Boston and either Dulles, Reagan Washington National, or Baltimore-Washington airports can be found for less than $200. Tickets to games are available on StubHub and other online ticket sites, and they are being distributed to students and season-ticket holders at the four participating schools. The only tickets being sold on Ticketmaster at the present time are for the Frozen Four Skills Challenge on Friday, April 10. Practices will be open to the public on Wednesday, April 8 and Friday, April 10. For more information on Frozen Four events, click here .

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Globe travel correspondent Christopher Klein writes his own blog, HubTrotter, and is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston."

Josh Gibney/Associated Press photo

It's nearly baseball season so you don't really need another reason to hate New York, but I'll give you one just in case you need a warm-up:
Just for today. JetBlue is offering $14 one-way fares for travel between San Francisco and Long Beach or New York City. The big catch is that flights are available only through April 8, and availability is limited. (The folks at smartertravel.com suggest that this means there are as many as 800 seats between San Francisco and Long Beach, and as few as 60 between The Apple and SFO.)
Still, a phenomenal deal if you can snag a roundtrip for $28, excluding tax.

Getting up early to get to Logan Airport and then deciding where to park your car can be a double nuisance. That is why Marriott’s newly renovated Courtyard Boston Logan Airport has an Escape! Park Here Fly There package beginning at $89 a night and featuring overnight accommodations, free parking for 10 days (and $14 a day thereafter), and complimentary transportation to the airport.
Call 866-240-6316 and mention booking code PKF. The website is www.courtyardlogan.com.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Earlier this week I wrote about JetBlue's sale on fares for travel through June 17. Now United has launched a similar sale also for flights through the 17th -- although United's includes international travel.
For domestic travel many of the terms will be familiar: purchase by April 5, 14-day advance, lowest fares on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Here is the fine print.
The exciting thing is that my pal, Rick Seaney, who tracks airfares reports that the discounts have already been matched by AirTran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Northwest, Southwest, and US Airways.
So the battle for your late spring travel dollar is joined.

If you’re planning to spend Easter weekend in Schaumburg, Ill., you can get a room at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield. for $20.09 on April 10-11.
Call 800-233-1234.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Good morning, travelers. Here's a look at travel-related material from The Globe and wires.

*Recently, airlines have received lots of attention for moving longtime standards -- baggage, food, drinks, even pillows and blankets - from the "included" pile into the "for an additional fee" pile. But travel industry analysts say the other giant in the travel game -- the hotel industry - has become even worse at adding on miscellaneous fees and surcharges.
Industry analysts say that 2007 was the peak year for the introduction of add-on hotel fees and surcharges. And last year, US hotels raked in record revenue, taking in $1.75 billion, up from $550 million in 2002, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The nickel-and-diming can be small (such as $5 for the hotel to accept a package for you) to rather large (think: mandatory valet parking for $50 a night, a notorious fee charged in San Francisco). Other charges include resort, business center, and groundskeeping fees, charges for having a safe in your room even if you don't use it, and charges from minibars with sensors that bill you if you just move something and then add a "restocking fee" for the hotel employee who must replace your $5 bag of M&Ms.
Not all hotels charge such fees, and Boston hotels are not considered excessively bad in this add-on game, according to analysts. (Las Vegas is notorious, say hotel analysts.) (Globe staff)
Here's a link to the rest of the story.

*Passenger traffic aboard all airline flights in the United States will drop nearly 9 percent this year due to recession compared with 2008, when they carried 679 million people, the government said. The Federal Aviation Administration estimate would represent the largest decline in annual domestic capacity since the industry was deregulated in 1978. Major airlines slashed capacity by more than 8 percent when demand plummeted in the year following the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. The FAA also said the number of passengers boarding international flights on US carriers is expected to drop 2.4 percent. American carriers have scaled back transatlantic routes due to a sharp drop in business travel. The global financial services meltdown has hurt travel between New York and London, industry officials have said. (Reuters)

*Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a unit of SkyWest Inc. and one of nine regional carriers for Delta, said it has grounded 60 of its 112 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 jets after an internal audit raised safety concerns. The groundings, which represent nearly 40 percent of ASA's fleet, were expected to cause some flight delays for passengers flying ASA. It could take 36 to 42 hours to complete the inspections, company spokeswoman Kate Modolo said. (In New England, the carrier flies out of Providence, Manchester, N.H., Portland, Maine, and Burlington, Vt., according to the airline's website.) The paperwork audit raised questions about whether the engines on Bombardier CRJ200 jets had been properly inspected according to guidelines provided by the engines' manufacturer, Modolo said. The company reported the problem itself to the Federal Aviation Administration and grounded the planes so they could re-inspected as a precautionary measure, she said. (AP)

To celebrate Sir Paul McCartney’s exclusive concert at the grand reopening of the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Liverpool Productions Beatles Fan Club has planned a getaway April 18-20. Participants will get group seating at ‘‘Love’’ by Cirque du Soleil celebrating the Beatles’ legacy at The Mirage, hotel for two nights, group seating at a concert by a Beatles tribute act, a visit to the Beatles Revolution Lounge,and — ta-da! — guaranteed tickets to McCartney in concert April 19.
Visit www.liverpooltours.com or call 866-LIVERPOOL (866-548-377665).
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

You may not think of the Nutmeg State as wine country, but the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton would like to prove you wrong. In addition to a deluxe room, the Connecticut Wine Country Experience includes tastings and tours at the Jonathan Edwards Winery and Stonington Vineyards and a bottle of wine at each place; a wine-themed amenity; dinner for two at Octagon, a steak house, paired with Jonathan Edwards wines; a $100 Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa gift card; and a breakfast buffet for two. Prices start at $575, and the offer is valid through Dec. 12.
Visit www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gonmm-mystic-marriott-hotel-and-spa or call 860-446-2600. Use promotional code CUE.

TripAdvisor has launched a ‘‘top values’’ index designed to quickly find values in hotels around the world. When you visit a TripAdvisor hotel listing page for a destination, a checkbox, ‘‘Show TripAdvisor Top Values first,’’ appears atop the list. Meanwhile, the site’s Fee Estimator lists what the various airlines charge for baggage, meals, and headsets.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

For those who are dreaming of more snow next winter, Vermont’s Pico Mountain is offering an adult (ages 19-64) My Pico Pass for 2009-10 for $299 if bought by April 30. Pay in advance, instead of on a payment plan, and ski the rest of the current season for free. The price reflects a 28 percent cut in the current season’s prices. My Pico Pass Youth (6-18) and Senior (65+) passes are $199, a 42 percent reduction off current prices.
Visit www.picomountain.com, call 800-887-3257, or stop in at the ticket office.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

If you can't find a way to embrace what you're handed, then please move on. New Hampshire is a fantastic example of doing just that with their infamous Mud Season that follows every winter, and begins every Spring. Mount Washington Valley offers many deals and events to enjoy the area during this 5th Season. The following list is compiled by the Mount Washington Chamber of Commerce, and is just a sampling of all good things to find during Mud Season:
"PARTAKE IN THE 1785 Inn’s FLAMING COCOA LAVA DRINK – They call this “warm mud to take the chill off of a cool spring evening," the 1785’s signature flaming Cocoa Lava is sure to leave you smiley clean! This drink features a flaming concoction of peppermint schnapps, hot chocolate, and Bailey’s Irish Cream all topped off with whipped cream and cinnamon (for that dirty look!). The glasses are rimmed with caramelized cinnamon sugar, just to add to the filthy goodness of this drink. Info: 800-421-1785.

ZEB’S GENERAL STORE FEATURES MAINE MUD CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS AND MUDSLIDE COFFEE - Walk into Zeb’s General Store, and the old-fashioned penny-candy counter takes you back in time. Zeb’s is the largest purveyor of New England-made products in the country, and features such wonderful Mud Season offerings as White Mountain Mudslide Coffee. In the height of the mud season, you’ll find Hogwash soaps, perfect for groveling in the mud for the ultimate in a clean complexion. Info: 800-676-9294.

MUD BOOTS AND RAIN GEAR FOR FIDO AND FIFI - We all know the best way to protect floors is to take off our boots when we come in the mud room, but what about our four-legged friends? Four Your Paws Only offers a full range of pet gifts, supplies and gear for inclement weather, including reflective dog boots and yellow doggie slickers. Info: 800-327-5957.

MUD MASKS AND SOAPS - Garden Dreams, a locally-based purveyor of fine soaps and spa products offers a Mud Mask with roots in French Green Clay and Oatmeal. It’s a wonderful product to awaken the body to spring and good clean mud. The instructions suggest covering the entire body in the mud mask, and once dried to run into the freshly melted lake during mud season for the ultimate in refreshing tingle. Of course, for the less adventurous, a warm shower will offer equal cleanliness but no where nearly the tingle. Info: 603-367-9913, www.gardendreams.org. Also, Fields of Ambrosia, in North Conway Village offers a new Dead Sea Mud collection for revitalizing and purifying skin. The collection includes a Black Mud Mask to tighten pores and Mud Grain Exfoliating Soap with Dead Sea mud grains combined with cosmetic grade clays to help exfoliate and mineralize the skin. Info: 800-355-9975.

RED PARKA PUB MUDSLIDE DRINKS AND PIES - Just to get into the mud-mood, order the 16-ounce Mason Jar Mudslide at the Red Parka Pub, one of Mt. Washington Valley’s après- mud fun institutions. Follow that up with the Mud Pie – a generous concoction of Oreo cookies, nuts, coffee liqueur, in between mounds of coffee ice cream, syrup and whipped cream, and you’ll be sure you’ve just landed in mud-heaven. Info: 603-383-4344.

MOUNTAIN VIEW GRAND RESORT & SPA MUD MASKS AND WRAPS: At this spa, mud means deep cleansing. Wrap yourself in a Moore Mud Wrap and Mud Masque as you luxuriate in a massage and European Deep Cleansing facial, both incorporating mud as the main ingredient. Info: 866-484-3843."

For more information on visiting during Mud Season or beyond in Mt. Washington Valley, visit online or call 800-DO-SEE-NH (800-367-3364) to request a free vacation planner loaded with ideas and offerings.

Photo credit by Jamie Gemmiti, Conway Daily Sun.

The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, N.Y., invites guests to party like it’s 1909 at its 100th anniversary weekend celebration April 17-19. A member of Historic Hotels of America, the Otesaga is an imposing Federal-style edifice on the southern shore of Lake Otsego, the famed “Glimmerglass” of James Fenimore Cooper’s novels. The two-night package includes a room, two breakfasts and two dinners, cocktail reception, commemorative gift, cooking demonstration featuring turn-of-the-century recipes, and a tour of the hotel. Rates are $769 for single occupancy, $909 for double occupancy; children 5-18 are $120, and children 4 and under stay free. Should you have an old receipt from a honeymoon or anniversary trip to the Otesaga, you may pay that rate. And if you’ll celebrate your 100th birthday in 2009, you can stay for free. Cooperstown, of course, is best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (where you can see Curt Schilling’s bloody sock from Game 2 of the 2004 World Series). But the picturesque town has many other charms, including the historic Leatherstocking Golf Course adjacent to the hotel, the Fenimore Art Museum, the Farmers’ Museum, and the Glimmerglass Opera.

Rates start at $329 for the Park Hyatt Washington’s Spring Blossom Package, which gives you a room upgrade, a pot of Cherry Blossom Green Tea, a choice of valet parking or breakfast, and, for the youngsters, backpacks filled with sightseeing supplies and other gifts.
Visit www.parkwashington.hyatt.com and click on Special Offers on the left-hand side of the page or call 202-789-1234.

In connection with an increase in flights to Aruba out of Boston, JetBlue is offering three-night, air-hotel packages at Divi Dutch Village Resort Aruba for a starting price of $495 per person; at Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino Marina Hotel beginning at $589 per person; and at Amsterdam Manor for a starting price of $599 per person. Book by March 31.
Visit www.jetblue.com or call 800-538-2583.

From May 17-23, travel writer Patricia Preston, author of 15 books on Ireland, will lead a Springtime in Ireland tour, focusing on the southern coast, from Waterford to Kinsale, Bantry, and Killarney. The price with airfare from Boston is $1,801 or $1,369, land only. Included are all sightseeing, four-star hotel stays, most meals, and entertainment.
Visit www.irelandexpert.com or call 845-758-1232.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Girls’ Guide to the World is a new website for women traveling for business or pleasure, with what it calls ‘‘trustworthy information on where to shop, eat, drink, sleep, pamper, and play.’’
Visit www.girlsguidetotheworld.com

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Travelzoo alerted us to this one: The Alexander Inn in Philadelphia is offering rooms for $1 per night. The catch? The special rate is available Sunday-Thursday only through June 11. If you stay more than one night, the $1 rate applies to the first night only. (Regular rates range from $109-$169.) You can book only by calling the hotel at 215-923-3535, and there's a limited number of $1 rooms, which only open up for reservations 30 days in advance.

Book by March 31 to save $800 a couple on these Wayfarers walking tours: Cornwall’s Creeks, Coves & Coastal Trails; Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast; the Czech Republic’s Vienna to Prague; and France’s Historic Dordogne. In all, The Wayfarers is offering 39 tours with prices beginning at $3,795 per person that include all walks, activities, meals, and lodging.
Visit www.thewayfarers.com or call 800-249-4620.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

If you've got money to travel this summer, things are looking good.
Southwest has just launched an online summer fare sale with one-way fares as low as $49 between cities across the nation for travel through Aug. 14 and the move nearly immediately rippled through the industry on competing routes.
The Southwest sale is good through April 6, and a 14-day advance purchase is required. Travel on Fridays and Sundays is excluded, and there are blackout dates. Here is the fine print.
The discount carrier, which will launch service at Logan in fall, offers daily nonstop service to eight cities on 27 flights out of Manchester, N.H., and to nine on 31 flights out of Providence. It also offers connecting service to dozens of other destinations from both cities.
Some sample one-way sale fares: From either Manchester or Providence to Baltimore or Philly $49, to Orlando or Fort Lauderdale $79, Chicago $89, and Vegas $99.
Bloomberg News has now reported that American, Continental, and US Airways say they matched the reductions.
This is, I think, just the beginning. The airlines are still facing tremendous softness in business and many are planning further cuts in schedules, but it doesn't appear as if many of those will fully be in place till fall so expect to see competitive fares for this summer.

If Boston is your destination, you can explore the Irish Heritage Trail. The 3-mile, self-guided tour starts at the Rose Kennedy Greenway along the waterfront and meanders throughout downtown and into the Back Bay, ending up at Fenway Park, which was built by Irish immigrant Charles Logue in 1912.
The 20 sites along the way celebrate the Irish experience in Boston.
The map is free at the visitor information centers on Boston Common and the Prudential Center. You can order it by mail by visiting www.irishheritagetrail.com. And for information on just about everything Irish in the Bay State, go to www.irishmassachusetts.com.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

I was just about to tell you about a great event at Sunday River Ski Resort in Maine when I came across their March deals and steals. So first things first. If the skiing is not yet out of your system, consider these this month:

1. Today! On St. Patrick’s Day Wear Green, Save Green - March 17: Skiers and riders who wear green can purchase a lift ticket for $39.
2. Kids Pay Their Age - March 15, 22, 27, 29 and April 12: Kids ages 6 to 18 pay their age for a day of skiing.
3. Sunday River Affair – Show a valid 2008-09 season pass from anther resort and you can purchase a lift ticket that day for $39, Sunday through Friday, for the rest of the season.
4. 80’s Weekend – March 28-29: Purchase a two-day lift ticket for only $89. 80’s fun all weekend with concerts, parties, prizes and more. So find your leg warmers, skirt belts and mullets!
5. Mount Washington Valley Days – On Thursdays for the rest of the season, Mount Washington Valley residents can purchase a lift ticket for $39. [Must be a resident of one of the following towns: Albany, Pinkham Notch, Dummer, Chatham, Bretton Woods, Chocorua, Cawford Notch, Eaton, Hart’s Location, Madison, Berlin, Snowville, Gorham, Conway, No Conway, Randolf, Bartlett, Shelbourne, Intervale, Milan, Jackson and Silver Lake. Must show proof of ID.]
6. College Tickets: During the month of March, 2009 midweek lift tickets price will be only $39.
7. Military Discounts: $10 off lift ticket rates is offered to US military personnel.

Brian Moore International Tours modestly calls its five-day, late-autumn trip Ireland’s Finest Pub Tour. Although the escorted tour visits the Emerald Isle’s most popular sights, the emphasis is on spending time at pubs in Dublin, Killarney, and Bunratty. The price is $599 plus air fare and dates are Nov. 4-9, 11-16, 18-23, and Dec. 2-7.
Included are transfers, hotel stays, motorcoach transportation, the services of a tour director, Irish breakfasts, two dinners, an Irish coffee gathering, and entrance fees to attractions. You can buy your own Guinness.
Visit www.bmit.com or call 800-982-2299.

Posted By Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

The Cruise Store, based in East Longmeadow, sells more than cruises. For instance, its Ireland Summer Resort offer features a stay in a villa at Adare Manor. Located on 840 acres of countryside, the castle estate provides easy access to Limerick, Bunratty, Galway, Killarney, Waterford, the Cliffs of Moher, and Blarney Castle. Priced from $699 per person, the package includes Boston-to-Shannon airfare, six nights in a three-bedroom Adare Manor villa, and rental of a full-size standard shift car. The lowest price is based on four people sharing, for travel in May, and must be booked by March 31. Visit www.cruisestore.com or call 800-732-2897.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

On this, the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, thoughts turn to visiting, or revisiting, Ireland. Those who can quickly turn their thoughts into action by visiting this month or next can see the island on a CIE Tours International self-drive vacation that starts at $468 plus airfare. (Those fares are currently 40 to 50 percent lower than at this time last year.)
Travelers pick up a self-drive standard shift car from Hertz at Shannon or Dublin airport, and create their own itinerary with unlimited mileage, insurance, and government tax included. Also part of the package are open vouchers for six nights at a choice of more than 1,100 bed-and-breakfasts with private bathrooms, Irish breakfasts, service charges, and all taxes. The offer is also available in May or June, beginning at $516. Visit www.cietours.com, call 800-243-8687, or see a travel agent.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao announced its Small Island, Big Bailout program that could add a major break to your bottom line. The country is giving away a trip for two per day for 70 days on its website.
Online registrants will be eligible to become one of 10 finalists in an on-island treasure hunt held in August. Although Curacao's August is a few degrees warmer than Boston's, the grand prize is $500,000, winner take all. I could live with that.

Posted by Patricia Born, Globe correspondent

VALENCIA, Spain -- Pat Harris and I find ourselves in Valencia the week before Fallas, a festival that seems to combine the best of Mardi Gras and the Burning Man. Hotel rooms are still plentiful, but already there’s plenty to see. All along the streets giant displays of phantasmagorical sculptures are rising at plazas, squares, and crossroads, and traffic is (of course) snarled. Streets are hung with lights like Boston at Christmas (actually, better), and parades and other events are building up anticipation. We see people in 17th century court costumes. The little girls look like they stepped out of a Velazquez painting. It may be Lent, but celebration is in the air! During Fallas (March 14-20 this year), the Metro runs around the clock. Firecrackers pop everywhere, anticipating the night of torching the statues.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe correspondent

Photos by David Lyon for the Boston Globe

Boston is fast becoming a popular locale for the boutique hotel scene and the Copley Square Hotel is the town's newest addition. To draw in both locals and travelers, they are offering a pretty exciting Spring Break package, for those who yearn for the warm temps, but can't quite get there.

The package includes a King Deluxe room, breakfast for 2 at Xhale, two cocktails and appetizer at the minibar, VIP access to the exclusive Saint, and 2 passes to FitCorp to work off all that indulgence. Rates start at $259 plus tax, per night. Their Spring Break Package is available from March 1 to April 16.

China Spree Travel, a Washington state-based tour operator, has a ‘‘free-style’’ China Express package to Beijing starting at $588 from San Francisco. The package includes five nights in a centrally located, first-class Beijing hotel, daily American breakfast, airport-hotel transfers, and round-trip nonstop air from San Francisco to Beijing.
Free-style means participants are on their own after arrival at the Beijing hotel, but sightseeing and touring options are available through China Spree. The $588 price is valid for departures on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, and Dec. 6, but the trip must be booked by March 31. Visit www.chinaspree.com and click specials or call 866-652-5656.

The Society of American Travel Writers has polled its members for advice on how to save on the go.
Among the top suggestions: Travel in the off-season or on the edges of popular seasons; try bus or metro transportation during city stays; instead of eating every meal in restaurants, have a picnic; have your big meal at lunch, when prices are cheaper; make your first stop the visitors center and collect coupons, brochures, and free maps; stay in places that have free breakfast and a refrigerator to store snacks; visit less well-known destinations; try a home swap or home rental; in cities, stay at business hotels on weekends when there are often lower room rates and restaurant deals.
For details, go to www.satw.org.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

The city of brotherly love wants you. The two-night Philly Overnight Hotel Package, available at more than 30 hotels throughout the region at varying prices, includes free hotel parking (valued at $75), a Philadelphia Privileges coupon book, and a teddy bear. One hundred hotel package buyers who stay before March 16 will be randomly named Philly Guest of the Day and get a passel of prizes.
Visit www.gophila.com/love.

Put your thriftiness to the test at Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.
The Early Bird Special includes a $104 rate on lodging at Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge on Mondays through Thursdays, and breakfast for two. The offer is good April 12-June 25 at Skyland Resort and May 25-June 25 at Big Meadows Lodge.
The rate includes taxes, the utility surcharge, and meal gratuities. And as area residents will tell you, springtime, with its abundance of wildflowers and dearth of crowds, is the best time to visit.
Go to www.visitshenandoah.com or call 800-778-2872.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

A Vegas hotel room for $18? It’s possible, says Hotels.com, if you book by March 16. The $18 room is downtown at the Plaza Hotel and Casino, and several other hotels have nightly rates of $20-$70.
To get the lowest rates, there may be conditions such as minimum-stay requirements, and although the sale is for occupancy through March 31, the best prices appear to be until March 17. Visit this page on the site or call 800-246-8357.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter. Globe correspondent

Shell Vacations Hospitality has fireplaced suites at Crotched Mountain Resort in Francestown, N.H., for $109, which is $50 off the regular rate. The price is available until March 31.
Visit www.shellhospitality.com or call 603-588-2000 or 866-729-7182.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

JetBlue Airlines is offering a one-day sale (today only) with fares as low as $29 each way from Boston. Travel must be completed between March 10 and April 1, and fares are available only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Here’s a list of fares available to book under those parameters:

$29 to Buffalo, NY (BUF)
$29 to Charlotte, NC (CLT)
$29 to New York, NY (JFK)
$29 to Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)
$29 to Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU)
$29 to Richmond, VA (RIC)
$29 to Washington, DC (IAD)
$59 to Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
$59 to Orlando, FL (MCO)
$59 to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)
$59 to New Orleans, LA (MSY)
$59 to West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)
$69 to Cancun, Mexico (CUN)
$69 to Chicago, IL (ORD)
$69 to Long Beach, CA (LGB)
$69 to Oakland, CA (OAK)
$79 to Denver, CO (DEN)
$99 to Las Vegas, NV (LAS)
$99 to San Diego, CA (SAN)
$99 to Seattle, WA (SEA)

Who can afford new these days? But buying used can be difficult. And who, after all, wants to buy someone else's problems?
To the rescue rides venerable Consumer Reports with this year's listing of the most reliable used cars over the past 10 model years, based on a survey of subscribers' experiences. The survey covers nine categories but here are the winners in five:

Small Cars: Honda Civic, Toyota Echo, Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Pontiac
Vibe, Mazda 3, Mazda Protege, Subaru Impreza.

Family cars: Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Toyota Camry
(except ’08 V6), Subaru Outback (6-cyl.), Nissan Altima.

Minivans: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey.

Small SUVs: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Mitsubishi Outlander.

Midsized and large SUVs: Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX, Toyota Land
Cruiser, Toyota 4Runner, Infiniti FX35, Acura MDX, Infiniti QX4, Lexus GX, Hyundai
Santa Fe, Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Xterra (’05-’08), Toyota Sequoia.

Pictured here: 2008 Honda Civic

Mandarin Oriental, Boston has teamed with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem for a package that highlights the new museum exhibition ‘‘Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection.’’ The package, available until May 15, includes a night’s accommodations, breakfast at the hotel’s Asana restaurant, two tickets to the exhibit, and limo service to and from the museum. Prices begin at $605.
Visit www.mandarinoriental.com/boston and click on Tempting Offers or call 617-535-8880 or 866-526-6567.

The airfare war targeting Boston's transcontinental travelers is heating up. American Airlines, the largest carrier at Logan based on passengers served, says that it will give frequent fliers three times as many miles when they fly nonstop between Boston and San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego this spring. That means two round-trip flights will result in a third flight free. Three paid round-trip flights will earn enough miles for a free round-trip ticket between Boston and Europe.
No other routes in American's network qualify for triple miles. What ushered in this incentive for the Hub? The hip, discount carrier Virgin America, which last month started flying nonstop between Boston and both San Francisco and Los Angeles.
"We are competing very aggressively in this market with everyone else who flies out of Boston,'' said spokesman Ned Raynolds. "We intend to maintain and build our following here."
Logan is one of the most competitive airports in the country, where no carrier commands more than 20 percent of the market. American also competes with JetBlue and United on these transcontinental routes.
To earn triple miles, frequent fliers must book their tickets and travel between now and May 31 and register before flying at aa.com/bos3x.

By Nicole C. Wong, Globe staff

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, two of New York’s Kimpton Hotels are serving up deals. The Muse New York, steps from the St. Patty’s Day parade route, is featuring a You’re in Luck package throughout March, which includes the fourth night free with a booking of three nights, complimentary continental breakfast, Guinness beer upon check-in, and a map of the best local Irish pubs. Also, the 17th person to check in on March 17 gets that night free. Meanwhile, 70 park avenue hotel is offering 17 percent off the best available rate throughout March. On St. Patrick’s Day, guests will hear a harpist at the complimentary wine hour, and Irish food will be served at the Silverleaf Tavern. For both packages, rates start at $279 per night.
Call 800-KIMPTON and use rate code PLUC. The website is www.kimptonhotels.com.

American is putting most of its international destinations on sale, but you must purchase by March 10. Travel that must begin no later than May 16 for Europe and other destinations by May 17 and travel must be completed by May 20. Best fares are available Monday-Thursday, except for Great Britain where it's Monday to Wednesday. There are other restrictions and you can read the fine print on the website.
What kinds of prices are we talking about? For London in mid-March, I found round-trips starting at $372 and Paris for $404, not including taxes or fees. Not bad. If you've got the scratch and an itch to hop the pond, check it out.

The May Fair Hotel in London is promising luxury for less with its Advanced Purchase Program, good through August. The rate starts at about $200, a 20 percent savings on the best available rate, if you book at least 10 days before your arrival date, pay in full when booking, and understand that there are no cancellations or changes are allowed. No minimum length of stay is required.
Call 800-333-3333 or visit www.themayfairhotel.co.uk. Pick your dates on the website, and if you don’t see Advance Purchase Program, click on Show All Rates Results, and there it will be.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

March may yet come in like a lion (and a potential storm at the tail end of this weekend is doing its best to assure us of that), but Wildcat Mountain is roaring into the month with some of the best deals of the season thus far.

On consecutive Fridays next month, March 13 and 20, the Jackson, N.H. is offering lift tickets for just $9. As per usual, your next day at Wildcat is $39, should you choose to upgrade by 3:30 p.m., which means you can ski Friday and Saturday for $48, or $24 a day.

After last week's storms, Wildcat is in the best shape it's seen all season (Saturday was among the best days of the year) and with March - historically the Northeast's snowiest month - on the horizon, it seems only to get better.

Trump Hotel Las Vegas is extending its Suite Escape package, priced from $89 a night, through June. Guests stay in a studio suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and marble bathrooms, and also get a $50 credit at the Spa at Trump, good toward any massage or facial, including the aptly named Vegas Recovery Massage. They also get a 4 p.m. checkout.
Visit www.trumplasvegashotel.com or call 866-939-8786 and mention the Suite Escape.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Azores Express has air and hotel packages to Madeira, a sunny island 750 miles south west of Lisbon. Six-night packages, including round-trip air, hotel, and breakfast, start at $1,169. Flights depart and return on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Call 800-762-9995 to book. For more information, visit www.sata.pt and click on Air & Hotel.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Air France has slashed March fares but the deal only lasts till Thursday. This sale covers several European destinations with one-way fares as low as $231 from Boston to Paris, not including taxes and fees. The discounts are available for departures between March 1–31. And there are other terms. The fine print is here.
OK, it's not April in Paris but it's close.

The Millennium Bostonian Hotel’s new Faneuil Hall Marketplace Shopping Package, valid through March, puts you in a room overlooking the Marketplace market and gives you breakfast for two (including tax and tip) and a Festival Savings Card for discounts at marketplace shops and restaurants.
Rates start at $209 a night. Advance purchase is required.
Visit www.millenniumhotels.com/boston or call 617-523-3600.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

NYLO Providence/Warwick hotel is featuring a Spa Getaway Package beginning at $239. Guests receive overnight accommodations, breakfast for two, and a $100 gift certificate for treatments such as a Turkish Scrub or Moor Mud Wrap at Blue Sky; Hot Stone Massage or Pregnancy Massage at Rinnovo; or manicures, pedicures, and hairstyling at Eden XO. Book at least 48 hours in advance.
Visit www.nylohotels.com/warwick and click on Specials or call 866-391- 6956.

Winvian, an upscale resort in Connecticut’s Litchfield Hills, is featuring a Puddle Jumper package through April 30, which includes accommodations for two in a cozy cottage, all meals and snacks, all open bars (excluding wines) and an in-cottage wet bar; one spa treatment per person, a Winvian umbrella; and two tickets to a show at the Palace Theater in Waterbury. Rates per couple for a two-night minimum stay are from $2,200 midweek (a Sunday-Wednesday arrival) and $2,700 weekends (Thursday-Saturday).
Visit the website or call 860-567-9600.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Space, the final travel frontier -- and now 50 percent cheaper, sort of.
Upstarts RocketShip Tours and XCOR Aerospace say that the price of their flights, slated to begin as soon as 2010, will be $95,000, about half that of the ones being offered by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, which also hopes to launch as early as 2010.
"Our goal is to make space travel accessible and affordable to those who aspire to experience the ultimate adventure,’’ said Jules Klar, CEO and chairman of RocketShip in a statement.
It’s time to comparison shop. (Cue "Star Wars'' theme)

FULL ENTRY

How would you like to see 3,000 Picasso paintings illuminated on giant limestone walls in an underground quarry? The dramatic show is one highlight of a Provence Escapes seven-day, villa-based tour hosted by travel writers Judi Janofsky and Rich Steck and limited to 10 participants each trip. The dates are May 23-30 and May 30-June 6, and both tours include seven nights of villa accommodations, transfers from and to the Avignon high-speed train station, local ground transportation, breakfast and lunch or dinner daily, tours and admission tickets, wine tastings, a cooking class, and other amenities. The price is $3,175 per person. Book before Feb. 28 and get a discount of $200 each.
Visit www.provenceescapes.com or call 770-998-7800.

The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel has an escape for both parents and pint-sized travelers: the Kids Just Wanna Have Fun package. Included are room-service delivery of root beer floats for all the family, two adult and two children’s tickets to the Boston Children’s Museum, free dining for youngsters under 12 at the 606 Congress restaurant with two paying adults, an in-room movie, and use of the health club and lap pool. Rates start at $199 a night and the package is available through April 5. Reservations must be made 72 hours in advance.
Visit www.renaissanceboston.com or call 617-338-4111.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

JetBlue says it will give refunds to eligible customers who get laid off after purchasing tickets.
The offer is part of a push to encourage bookings as consumers shy from travel amid the economic malaise.
British discount carrier Flybe announced a similar program in January.
Under the JetBlue plan, customers who book between Feb. 1 and June 1 and lose their jobs after Feb. 16 may be eligible for a refund. JetBlue fares are generally nonrefundable. To qualify, travelers must request a full refund at least two weeks before the first day of travel. Customers can ask for a refund for as many as nine passengers traveling on one reservation.
Calyon Securities analyst Ray Neidl told the Associated Press that some car rental companies also are offering similar programs.

It actually seems to be an advance purchase sale. It runs till Nov. 10, and there are blackout dates (like spring break, for instance). But if you can work around those restrictions there are some good deals to be had.
For instance, you can score a room at Hilton New York for as little as $159 a night, with a 3-day advance -- depending on availability. Use promo code NYSALE. Or rates at Millenium Hilton start as low as $159 night with 7-day advance purchase. Promo code is NYSALE.

Thanks to Kitty Bean Yancey's Hotel Hotsheet blog for pointing us to this one.

Blue, the Inn on the Beach, may be nestled in the dunes of Plum Island, Newbury, but it takes its styling cues from the boutique hotels of Miami’s South Beach. This is the first year the inn is open year-round, so to encourage off-season visits, a 2-for-1 special is being offered through the end of March. Stay two nights and the second night is free, resulting in a nightly rate beginning at $122.50.
Visit www.blueinn.com and click on Special Promotions or call 978-465-7171.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Almost everyone’s heard of Robert Redford’s Sundance film festival, but mention the ski resort of the same name, and the response is often a quizzical one eye raised, huh? If you’re a skier or snowboarder, put this Utah gem on your must-visit list. Sundance is the yin to Park City’s yang, the antidote to overdevelopment and mine’s-bigger luxury.
With only three lifts, none of which are high speed, it’s easy to overlook Sundance in favor of its bigger neighbors. Don't. Sundance skis much larger than its stats indicate. Not that those stats aren’t impressive enough: 450 skiable acres on a 2,150-foot vertical drop from the 8,240-foot summit. Most of it is sustained vert, too. Unless you’re moving across the mountain on a cattrack, you’re making turns.
Now here's the sweetest part, Sundance is a bargain-hunter’s friend. Lift tickets are only $40, about half the price of those at other resorts. But wait, it gets even better: Become a Facebook friend, and ski Sunday through Thursday for $20 (subject to change, although plans were to continue it for a while). Better yet, visit between March 23 and April 5, book three nights, and stay in one of the cozy cabins for $189 per room, including a full breakfast in the Foundry Grill and daily lift tickets (based on double occupancy, tax extra, blackout dates may apply).

Photo by Hilary Nangle for The Boston Globe

With Norwegian Cruise Line’s Freestyle Resolution promotion, families who book a cruise through March 15 on many NCL sailings can take their children along at rates beginning at $99 each. (Among summer departures is the seven-day Boston-Bermuda cruise aboard the Norwegian Spirit, starting at $599.) Families will also get up to a $250 credit for shore excursions, specialty dinners, spa treatments, casino play, and other activities.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Last month I wrote about a promotion from lastminutetravel.com that promised to let visitors to the site score a room at any hotel in the site's 15,000-hotel inventory.

The catch was that the deals were only available for 15 minutes a day for one week, and, of course, they wouldn't divulge the magic times on any given day.

The promotion sparked some significant discussion and disagreement about whether the deal was too good to be true, with the most extreme folks speculating that perhaps the whole thing was a fake. There were, over the course of the week, folks who checked in to say that it wasn't bogus and that they had scored rooms.

But as it turns out things are a bit more complicated than that.

One reader wrote me to ask if this was a sale or a contest and whether she would have to pay taxes on her winnings.

I called Lauren Volcheff at Last Minute Travel and she confirmed that the company would be contacting winners to get their Social Security numbers so they could send them IRS 1099 forms. Basically, winners are liable for the difference between the amount they paid and the fair market value of the room -- in this case, according to Volcheff, what the room would cost on the site, which is a good bit less than the standard rate. Still if you scored a 3- or 4-star room for a week, the tax consequences could be significant.
Volcheff said if folks who had gotten rooms were concerned about the taxes they could just cancel and there would be no fee.
Seems straightforward enough. But it probably would've been useful to have this fine print somewhere on the site. And perhaps next time they will.
This from Volcheff on the confusion: "We do plan to run another campaign in the near future, and there are definitely learning lessons from this first one.''

An April 14 six-night sailing of the Queen Mary 2 from New York to Southampton, England, begins at $815 for an inside cabin (or even less for those who acted after receiving a mailing from Cunard). Remember that a cruise fare includes meals and entertainment, along with a host of amenities — not that there won’t be ample opportunity to spend more once onboard. For more information check the line's website or call 800-728-6273.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

Starting this week, Tripper Bus Service will launch regular service between D.C. and some of its suburbs and New York City. The fares on the buses, which feature reclining seats, power outlets, and free WiFi, begin at $1 and go up to $25. Any of this sound familiar, BoltBus and Megabus fans?
Why do you care? These guys are obviously chasing the same younger, urban crowd as Mega and Bolt and both of them first launched a DC-N.Y. run before heading here to complete the much-sought-after and lucrative Boston-N.Y.-D.C. transportation triangulation.
Anyway, I called Tripper yesterday and sure enough Jennifer Thomas, a spokeswoman for Tripper, says that company CEO Betty Unger sees Boston as a "target city'' and plans to expand here but that it will "be a couple of months before she begins this planning process.''
More competition. A good thing. Stay tuned.

CruiseCompete seeks to find the best deal at no cost to the traveler. After creating an account, you can anonymously request quotes on sailings you are interested in. Independent travel agents will respond with their best offers, and the website e-mails you when each new quote is available. You then pick which agent or agents to phone or e-mail for more information or to book.
By Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

This week, STA Travel is running a call-in contest promotion with 20 winners each day getting a chance to buy a round-trip ticket for travel through March 31 (think Spring Break) to New York, LA, Denver, Miami, or Chicago for $100, including taxes, fees, and any fuel surcharges.
The odds of scoring such a deal are obviously not good. Besides winners can only get one ticket and who wants to travel alone? So, STA will also be offering an online sale each day of a limited number of seats on flights to same destination city. What kinds of prices are we talking about? One way fares from Boston to New York $25; to DC $50, and to Miami: $75 -- plus taxes, fees, and fuel surcharge, according to Patrick Evans of STA. All these flights will be on American.
Evans said prices on Boston fares for the other destinations were not yet available.
This is the way the contest will work: On Monday-Friday, STA will announce that day's destination selected from the list above at 11 a.m. Today's is Miami. Starting at 1 p.m., the first 20 to call 800-360-9273 will be able to buy a $100 round-trip ticket from any departure city in the nation.
To qualify you must be a full-time student or teacher or under 26 years old and own or buy a $22 International Student (or Teacher) Identity Card or an International Youth Travel Card.

Posted by Paul Makishima, Globe staff

The Escape Romance Package from the Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine, Fla., offers accommodations in a newly-renovated room with a resort view. Couples get a choice of a bottle of champagne or wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, and breakfast-for-two daily. Rates are $154-$214 per room, per night. And because love isn’t confined to just the is not confined to only the month of valentines, the offer is good through May 19.
Visit the website and use promotional code LVU cq or call 888-740-7020.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

Attitash ski resort in Barlett, N.H., is saluting men and women serving in the armed forces with free lift tickets for active duty and retired military personnel and discounted tickets for their families Feb. 7-8 (valid IDs required -see the website for details). There will be a flag parade Saturday starting at the top of Attitash that includes the Marine Corps Honor Guard and ends with the National Anthem at the base area. Military personnel biographies will be exhibited in the resort’s lodges on both days. At each display, guests will be invited to write messages in journals, which will be sent to the respective soldiers. Non-military guests, who are encouraged to bring flags to participate in the parade, can get $10 of a lift ticket by bringing three approved donations to be sent to soldiers overseas. (Check this list of approved items.) In addition, Attitash Grand Summit Hotel is offering military personnel a 25 percent discount on slopeside lodging this weekend. Call 800-223-7669 for details.

Continental is offering an introductory fare of $777 for its new daily nonstop flight to Shanghai, China, from Newark Liberty International Airport, which is slated to launch March 25. The discount fare, which doesn't include taxes and fees, will also be available from Logan, but the flight will connect in Newark instead of being nonstop.
To be eligible, tickets must be purchased by Feb. 28 for travel beginning March 25-April 30. A seven-day minimum stay is required and travel must be completed by June 30.
For reservations and other details, check out the website.

With school vacation week right around the corner, families headed to Florida can score more than 50 discount offers by downloading an Orlando Makes Me Smile card.
The offers include accommodations, attractions, and dining, ranging from third-night-free and kids-stay-free hotel deals to free parking, free tokens in the game room, and free children’s tickets to attractions when an adult ticket is purchased.
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

Southwest kicked off a fare skirmish on Tuesday, offering one-way fares of $49-$99 for any day of the week on travel through March 31. This is a pretty unusual deal as it's not limited to travel on specific days of the week nor is the traditional spring break period blocked out.
Southwest's sale excludes travel to Florida, Orange County, Calif., and Washington Dulles. Flights must be booked before Feb. 6 and a 14–day advance purchase is required.
Now here's the really interesting bit. Turns out that American, Delta, Continental, Northwest, United, US Airways, and Alaska Airlines all matched the sale, according to Tom Parsons, chief executive of Bestfares.com.
Winter is the slow time for travel so sales are not uncommon. But with the economic malaise, I think we're going to continue to see unusual deals like these pop up a good bit this year.
I've said it before: If you can afford to travel, life will be pretty good this year.

Aer Lingus has just launched one of the first European spring-summer sales of the season.
The Irish carrier is offering a one-way fare of $251, excluding taxes, for travel from Boston to Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, or London from April 1 to June 15.
Too early in the year for you? The one-way fares for same destinations can be snagged for as little as $335 for travel from June 16-Aug. 22. Again, this doesn't include taxes.
To qualify, you have to book at the website through Feb. 15.

Throughout the month, Jupiter Beach Resort in Jupiter, Fla., has a Red Hot Love getaway beginning at $599 per night. Couples stay in an ocean-view king room adorned with rose petals and get a Champagne and Chocolate Decadence dessert at turn-down, plus a couple’s spa treatment or a choice of two 50-minute individual treatments. Visit the website and use the code REDHOT or call 800-228-8810.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

Thirty-five appears to be the magic number if you’re looking to get in some mid-week skiing.

Tomorrow, $35 will net you a day on the slopes of Attitash in Bartlett, N.H. That’s a $27 savings off the regular $62 weekday cost.

On Wednesday, head up to Stowe, where the Vermont resort is hosting “Woodchuck Wednesday,” to celebrate the “beginning of the rest of winter.” Stowe is slashing its normally $89 lift ticket down to $35, and offering up free Stowe Points Cards (normally $75), which allow you to buy discounted passes for the rest of the season.

If that’s not enough, find a pair of Golden Goggles somewhere on the mountain Wednesday, and you’ll be entered in a contest to win a new pair of skis or snowboard.

There’s a chance of snow Tuesday in Bartlett, and another chance of it in Stowe on Wednesday.

Looking to head to Europe soon? Air France is offering a $75 discount on March round-trips from the United States to several European countries. To score this deal, you must book by Feb. 17 on the airline website and use this code: MARCH442.

The way this winter has been going even the kids will need a break from the weather during school vacation week.
Enough with the sledding, skiing, and the like. Cape Cod's Ocean Edge Resort & Club has another idea: a week-long pool party.
For its No School, Only Pool getaway, valid Feb. 14 to 21, nightly rates start at $89 per room, per night, for a family of four. And, when accompanied by a paying adult, children 12 and under eat free from the kids menu.
The 335-room resort plans daily activities at the two indoor pools and family-friendly movies on select nights.
To book, visit the website or call 800-343-6074 and ask for rate code "No School.''
Then count the days.

The two-night Regent Romance package, available at the Regent Bal Harbour Feb. 13-16 in Bal Harbour, Fla., includes accommodations, a four-course Valentine’s dinner for two with wine pairings, in-room breakfast daily, a Bath Turn Down bath turndown with orchids, champagne, a cheese selection, chocolates, spa items, and other amenities. The package starts at $1,200. Visit the website and enter the reservation code VALEN if booking, or call 800-545-4000.

Posted By Richard p. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

If your idea of “rolling the dice” has less to do with a casino getaway and is more likely to involve taking a chance on decent golf weather, we present an opportunity in the Myrtle Beach area. The just-opened Towers on the Grove resort in the Cherry Grove section of “The Beach” is offering a three-round package with a trio of the most popular courses in the Grand Strand. The “chance” card involves the weather – the current 10-day forecast lists daytime high temperatures ranging from 48 to 62, with most days topping out in the high 50s. That certainly beats the heck out of our wintry mix, and the package prices reflect that it’s the chilly season in coastal Carolina. Through Feb. 25, a group of four golfers can stay at this oceanfront, Art Deco-themed resort in a three-bedroom condo with breakfast daily and a round of golf with carts for $104 a day each (if you can get there quickly, the rate is just $94 a day through Feb. 11). The courses for the package (three-round minimum) are Leopard’s Chase, Tiger’s Eye, and River’s Edge.
Collectively known as the “River Cats,” they are all located just over the border in North Carolina. River’s Edge, an Arnold Palmer design that plays along the Shallotte River, is No. 62 on Golf Digest’s list of the top 100 public courses in the US. Tiger’s Eye, which ranks 73rd on that same list, boasts 60-foot elevation changes and an island par-3. Both it and Leopard’s Chase were designed by Tim Cate and are part of the Ocean Ridge Plantation in Sunset Beach, N.C. A deposit of $100 per person is required, and holiday and weekend rates may be higher. With luck, the temperatures will be higher, too. Call 888-905-3001 or go here for more information or to book the package.

Face it, skiing on Super Bowl Sunday hasn’t exactly been an attractive activity this past decade, what with the Patriots frequenting the big game four out of the last eight years. Sure, you could get back home in time for the 6:25 kickoff, but you’d be forced to miss 18 hours of predictions and player profiles. Or, at the very least, a few hours of pre-game snacking and imbibing.

But this year, with the Steelers and Cardinals set to face off, New England areas are doing everything they can to entice local skiers and riders to make the day about the mountains instead of the couch. With no Patriots on the horizon, check out Liftopia.com, which has released some of the deals it will be offering this Sunday, its second annual Super Bowl sale.

Here’s the list of deals for New England and Quebec:

Jay Peak Resort, VT - $32.50 - save 50%
Crotched Mountain, NH - $21.99 - save 57%
Wildcat Mountain, NH - $39.99 - save 38%
Jiminy Peak, MA - $36.99 - save 34%
Ragged Mountain, NH - $42.99 - save 27%
Black Mountain, NH - $29.00 - save 26%
Bolton Valley, VT - $43.99 - save 25%
Smugglers Notch, VT - $48.99 - save 21%
Sunday River 2-Day Pass, ME - $107.00 - save 20%
Wildcat Learn to Ski Package, NH - $55.00 - save 20%
Stoneham Resort, QC - $32.00 (USD) - save 21%
Mont Sainte Anne, QC - $39.00 (USD) - save 20%

For the skier-football fan who insists on both, we’d like to point out that Crotched is just 60 miles from Boston (65 from Worcester). For the skier who could care less about the game, Jay Peak at 50 percent off isn’t so bad, no?

If you thought Wildcat Mountain’s $9 lift ticket was a sweet deal last Friday, you might want to try and find a way to Mad River Glen tomorrow.

To celebrate the mountain’s 60th anniversary, Mad River Glen is offering lift tickets at the original 1949 price of $3.50. A high of only 19 degrees is predicted in Waitsfield, but at that price, there’s not much more to lose.

This offer, of course, is not applicable for boarders.

The Big Deal about this Southwest offer of $49-$99 one-way fares to most of the carrier's destinations is that it is for travel any day of the week. Typically, such sales limit travel to Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
Here's the deal: You must book before Jan. 27 online for travel through March 11, and a 14-day advance purchase is required. For all the details: http://"> details head to the website.
A new development: The AP is reporting that American and Continental say they are matching the Southwest fares. And Delta has just posted a systemwide fare sale on its website that runs through Monday -- same as the Southwest sale.
I just love competition. Don't you?

STA Travel, a student and youth travel company, is looking for two interns for this summer.
What do they want you to do? Video-blog a trip around the world to 15 different countries. On their dime. That's right. For free.
To apply you must be between 18 and 26. You do not need to be a student. Applicants must make and upload a video to YouTube explaining why they deserve the job -- the popularity of your video (reflected in the number and kind of comments and views) will be a factor in whether you advance. You can scope out some of the competition here.
The top 20 applicants will face a phone interview with contest judges, and the 10 finalists must submit a second video giving the judges a tour of their hometown.
Entries will be accepted through the STA Travel World Traveler Internship website until March 8 and winners will be annointed by mid-April.
What is the itinerary? Winners must be free to travel from June 1 - Aug. 20. The odyssey will start with two weeks in Fiji volunteering at a school and enjoying a little R&R. Then it's off to Australia, India, Kenya, and Tanzania, before heading to Berlin, Poland, Denmark and Russia. The trip finishes with a backpacking adventure in Scotland and tour of Ireland.
Sweet, yes? Much better than interning at your Uncle Greg's law firm, methinks.

Amid the slumping economy and with February school vacation week looming, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism has just launched a program that offers savings of at least 25 percent at more than 300 Bay State hotels, restaurants, and attractions from now till March 31.

To look at a list of participating lodgings, restaurants and attractions, you must go to the agency's website and print out a Mass Value Pass. To redeem discounts, consumers must show the pass at points of purchase and be sure to mention the Pass when booking hotel reservations.

What's that? You say you're really strapped and can't afford to get away? Well, perhaps you and yours will be looking to go out to dinner or hit the theater -- dare I say it, a staycation or perhaps a naycation. Being able to shave a few bucks off is never a bad thing.

I love a good hotel package, and the Hilton properties in the Boston area have a promotion called "And Baby Makes Three" to help prospective expectant couples become actually expectant.
Packages at the four participating hotels start at $169 plus tax and include: an overnight stay, a romantic CD ("Your Heart and Soul'' by the incomparable love meister Barry White), champagne and chocolates, and a copy of "The Everything Getting Pregnant Book.''
To book, you must contact the hotels directly: Hilton Boston Back Bay, 617-236-1100; Hilton Boston Logan Airport, 617-568-6700; Doubletree Hotel Boston-Downtown, 617-956-7900; and Doubletree Guest Suites Boston-Waltham, 781-890-6767.
And one last thing: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, most babies are born in July, August, and September and on Tuesdays-Fridays (if that sort of thing matters to you).
Here's a little Barry to get you thinking.

It doesn't get better than this: Lift tickets will cost $9 this Friday at Wildcat Mountain in Jackson, N.H., The special price celebrates 51 years of lift-serviced skiing and 75 years since the Wildcat Trail was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Why $9? Because that's what it cost back in 1958 for 10 gondola rides. There will be plenty of apres-ski events this weekend (DJs, chili, music, and giveaways) and you can upgrade your ticket before 3:30 p.m. for the next day for $39. For a video update on current conditions, (15 inches of new snow fell this past weekend) check out Wildcat's blog.

Southwest has launched a three-day sale to Seattle with one-way fares from Providence as low as $95 for travel from Feb. 3-May 31. To score the discounts you must book from now through Jan. 22 either here or at southwest.com, using the promotion code SEATTLE.

Denverites like to boast that their city gets more sunshine than Florida — more than 300 days’ worth, in fact. That’s a good thing because by this summer, 500 bikes will be stationed around the city and available to locals and visitors. Here’s the kicker: they’re free, as long as you bring yours back by 10 a.m. the next day.
Thanks to the city’s new bike-sharing program, Denver B-Cycle, bicycles will be placed at 40 to 50 bike stations throughout the city, near popular spots like museums, the convention center, light rail stations, campuses, and hotels. You can swipe your credit card, grab a bike, and head off to sightsee, and then return the bike and get your deposit back.
A pilot program was held here during the four-day 2008 Democratic National Convention, when riders made 5,552 trips around the city and covered an impressive 26,416 miles. (Too bad Boston didn’t do the same for the 2004 DNC, but it’s never too late!)
Metro Denver has more than 850 miles of off-road, paved bike paths. If you have the time and energy next time you’re here, check out Cherry Creek Bike Path and the South Platte River Trail, two 40-mile-long paths that converge at the spot where Denver was founded as a gold mining camp 150 years ago. Just don't overdo it. There's a reason why Denver is called the "mile-high city," which your legs and lungs will deeply understand.

New England's ski areas want you -- badly. It's not too hard to find good midweek, two-fer, or half-day deals. But with the price of full-day adult lift tickets costing anywhere between $45-$89 on weekends, something's got to give. Enter Liftopia.com. Buy discounted lift tickets online at up to a dozen or so New England ski areas. For instance, a lift ticket for Jan. 25 (a Sunday) at Wildcat Mountain is regularly $65, but on Liftopia it's $28.99. (If you're good at planning ahead, click on "Flexible Dates" for an overview of prices throughout the ski season.)
So what's the catch? Your name will be given to the ski resort. When you pick up your tickets you must bring along a printout of your Liftopia comfirmation receipt and a show a photo ID. And, the tickets are nonrefundable -- they get your money even if you back out. But with this season's bounty of snow, it may be worth it to get a good deal.

In yet one more reflection of the soft leisure travel market (read good for those who can afford to travel), Alamo Rent A Car has announced a new airport promotion offering $10-per-day rates Thursday through Monday through Memorial Day weekend.
To take advantage of the deal and for all the details, customers should go to the website and click the $10 A Day Weekend Rentals button.
There is a four-day limit on rentals, which range from economy to premium-size cars. You can commence your rental as early as 9 a.m. on Thursdays and the terms of the discount require an overnight Saturday rental. Nonparticipating locations include, but are not limited to, Denver, Aspen, and the New York Metro area.

If you travel with kids, check this out. AT&T Cruisecast and RaySat Broadcasting Corp. are teaming with Avis and Budget to make satellite TV available in rental cars at select locations in the second quarter.
AT&T Cruisecast and RaySat will launch their consumer auto satellite TV system at the end of March, according to a RaySat spokesman.
The Avis-Budget service will cost $8.95 per day or $62.65 per week.
For consumers, the system will plug into any rear-seat LCD entertainment system and the monthly subscription fee is expected to be about $28. The suggested price for the antenna and receiver -- not the monitor -- will be $1,299, and the systems will be available at car dealerships and stores that sell and install auto entertainment systems.
Both car-rental and consumer systems will pull in 22 TV channels -- more will likely be added later -- and 20 satellite radio ones and are geared toward families.
The TV line-up will include the Disney Channel, Disney XD, Discovery Kids, Animal Planet, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network Mobile, USA, Comedy Central, MSNBC, CNN Mobile Live, and CNBC.
Satellite TV has been available for a couple years but a major problem has been reception: Picture and sound would freeze every time you passed any obstruction, say, a telephone pole or a building. Early reports suggest that the new AT&T-RaySat system represents a significant improvement in the technology.
As a kid I always thought the car of the future would have TV and auto-pilot steering. So, now we're nearly half way there.

Here's the deal: Lastminutetravel.com has just launched its World for a Dollar promotion.
Starting in late January, visitors to the website will get a chance to book a room for up to seven consecutive nights for $1 per night at any of the 15,000 hotels in the site's worldwide inventory.
What kinds of hotels? To give you some idea, in Boston you could pick the Onyx Hotel, Nine Zero, or Boston Park Plaza, among many others.
The catch(es)?
Reservations can only be made during one 15-minute period each day, Monday - Friday, over 2 weeks. And they won't reveal in advance what day the promotion will begin or which 15-minute period in any given day. The only way to find out is to keep checking the site.
There are a few more conditions: You can only score a cheap room once during the campaign; the booking must be made online and must be completed within the 15-minute time frame.
Sound hard? You can register on the website for clues to help you out.
Why is Last Minute Travel doing this? The idea is to promote the site's transition to becoming an "opaque" one, like Hotwire, in which you make an offer for a hotel stay, car rental, air flights etc without knowing what specific hotel or company you are dealing with. Thus their interest in having you return to the site multiple times to check things out.
A hassle, yes. But a cool hotel room for $1? With a deal like that maybe you can afford a winter vacation, even in a lousy economy.

American has just launched a sale to select destinations in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Sample fares include: Boston-Miami for $94 each way (based on round-trip ticket), Boston – Dallas/Fort Worth, $124, and Boston – London Heathrow, $186.
Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 16. US travel must begin between Jan. 26-March 1 and be completed by March 4; Caribbean and Mexico trips must commence Jan. 12-March 10 and be finished by March 12; Europe flights Jan. 19-April 1 and completed by April 29; Asia travel Jan. 19-March 31 and completed by April 30; and South America flights Jan. 12-June 27 and completed by June 30.
Other restrictions may apply. For full details, hit the website.
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Joan Rattner Heilman, author of "Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re Over 50, 2009-2010'' (McGraw-Hill; January, 2009), has a deal for you.
Looking for discounts on car rentals, lift tickets, even greens fees? Heilman can help you get the best price. Plus, she includes information on tour operators that focus on the 50 and older set.
Here are a few tips from the new edition:
--"If you’re planning on traveling abroad, always check with your destination’s tourist office to see if there are any senior discounts or travel passes you may be entitled to.''
--"Many cruise lines offer senior discounts on top of their already reduced pricing.''
--"An America the Beautiful Pass costs $10 but lasts a lifetime, and gets those 62 and older free admission to every national park in America.''
Says Travel and Leisure, “Those who fit the bill will find this trove of packages, discounts, and special tours invaluable.”
And the best part: The book is available on Amazon for $13.22.

Amid the global gloom British regional discount carrier Flybe is offering a kind of free fare insurance. If you book flights, car rentals and hotels through them in January for travel before Oct. 24, you will be automatically covered by their Book with Confidence program in case of job loss.
That's right. If you get laid off, you can cancel your trip, and they will make you whole for everything you've prepaid, including government and airport taxes and fees.
Why the largess? Flybe is just doing its bit to "keep the economy moving'' during rough economic times, Mike Rutter, chief commercial officer says.
But it probably has as much to do with the fact that it's getting tougher to lure customers. International Transport Association says global carriers suffered a 13.5 percent drop in cargo traffic and a 4.6 percent decline in passengers in November, and North American airlines saw a 14.4 percent drop in cargo and nearly 5 percent slide in passengers.
It could also be that Flybe has developed a greater sensitivity to the plight of victims of the financial meltdown as their insurer for this program, AIG UK, is the British unit of insurance giant American International Group. You remember them? They're the beneficiaries of an $84b US bailout deal. A sad tale that.
Still, all cynicism aside. It's not a bad idea. Are you American carriers paying attention?

JetBlue has launched an online sale with fares from Boston starting at $49 each way. Other destinations include: Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond or Washington, D.C, from $69; Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach from $89; Nassau or Chicago from $109; Austin, Denver, Las Vegas or Seattle from $139; Cancun, Oakland or Long Beach from $149; and Aruba or Bogota, Colombia from $159.
The fine print: Sale deals require up to a 7-day advance purchase, and travel must be booked by Jan. 14 and completed for most destinations by April 1, but dates vary. And there are other restrictions. Go here for all the details.

Need a getaway to ring in the New Year? If you've got your eye on Las Vegas as a destination any time between Jan. 13 and March 11, you might want to book airfare before the clock strikes midnight.

Southwest Airlines is offering 50 percent off all flights to Las Vegas in its two-day sale which ends today. A quick search for one weekend in January found a non-stop flight from Providence for as little as $75. A Sunday return flight, however, was a bit more difficult to find - at any price. If you're looking to hit the strip for Super Bowl weekend, however, you can secure a non-stop, roundtrip Thursday departure, Monday return for just $159.

Score.

Everywhere you turn someone is talking about a stimulus package, and now it's the restaurants in Times Square.
Throughout January, some hot spots in that prime tourist zone will offer discounts — from a three-course lunch at Havana Central for $19.95, to Bar 10’s 30 percent discount on bar dining.
Times Square Alliance will eventually publish the entire list but here is a preview, courtesy of Newyorkology:

Azalea’s $24 prix fix three-course lunch
B. Smith’s 15 percent discount on all menu items, lunch and dinner
Bar 10’s 30 percent discount on bar dining
Bourbon Street Grille’s “10 items for $10” lunch
Ciro Trattoria’s $28.95 prix fix dinner
Havana Central’s $19.95 “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” three-course lunch
Joshua Tree’s 10 percent discount on all menu items, lunch and dinner
Le Rivage’s $22 three-course Prix Fixe
Pergola Des Artistes’ 10 percent dinner discount
Playwright Celtic Pub’s 20 percent discount on all menu items, lunch and dinner
Rosie O’Grady’s $29.95 prix fix dinner
Shula’s $35 prix fix dinner
Two Times Square’s 15% discount on all menu items, lunch and dinner

JetBlue, which has just cut a deal multiyear deal to become the official charter airline of the Red Sox, is throwing a 9-hour online sale of fares from Boston to the American League cities the carrier flies to, with one-way fares as low as $9 to Buffalo (as close as JetBlue gets to Toronto), $29 to New York, $49 to Chicago or Tampa, and $99 to Oakland or Long Beach, Calif. (which is outside LA).
The sale began at 9 a.m. Friday and ends at 6 p.m. There are some restrictions: Travel dates are Jan. 6-Feb. 10 with blackouts Jan. 15-19. Friday and Sunday travel is also excluded.
But few sales work for everyone -- or even most people, these days.
By the way, the significance of the number 9 (as in hours) is that it was Ted William's number.

With all this year's excitement about Bus 2.0, with the arrival of BoltBus and Megabus to Boston, many have forgotten the old stalwart Greyhound and its regional partner Peter Pan.
The two companies are making a grab for attention with an offer of a 75 percent discount off the regular adult walk-up fare with an 10-day advance purchase. The bus partners will sell 250 discounted tickets daily.
Besides that deal, the companies are also offering these others:
* Friends and family: Up to three companions can travel at 50 percent off with the purchase of one adult standard walk-up fare. A three-day advance purchase is required.
* Holiday Bounce-Back Coupon: For all tickets sold in terminals during the holiday period (Dec. 15 – Jan. 5), customers will receive a coupon for 20 percent off their next trip during the redemption period (Jan. 6 – March 31).
These discounts are available online and in terminals. But the companies also say that those who book online already will find many fares priced at a 20-percent discount off the adult standard fare.
For all these deals there are no blackout days and, currently, there is no time limit (that is, said a Greyhound spokeswoman, until we decide to end it.)
Some restrictions may apply. For more information visit the website.

Let's face it, booking a hotel room can be a crap shoot. If you'd rather avoid getting a room next door to the ice machine, try TripKick. (Thanks to Travellious for guiding us here.) The website offers up little-known facts about particular rooms in hotels - mostly in larger cities. For instance: did you know that Room 1100.006 at the Library Hotel in New York is the only suite with an outdoor balcony and is available by request only? Or that the Grand Hyatt San Francisco will be renovating all guest rooms in 2009, but two rooms (Rooms 2523 and 2524) are already done and have new decor, standalone glass showers, and 42-inch flat-panel TVs? Or that it's best to avoid odd-numbered rooms at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay because the even-numbered rooms have better views? TripKick's list of hotels is not exhaustive and focuses on higher-end accommodations and chains, but there's lots of insider tips and reviews that could come in handy before you book.

JetBlue detailed what it called the first step in its Logan expansion plans with an increase of a total of 11 flights to 12 US cities starting May 1.
Besides its previously announced plans to resume flights between Boston and San Francisco with seasonal service, the discount carrier says it will add second daily flights to Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago O’Hare; Pittsburgh; and Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; a third flight to Buffalo, N.Y., and Long Beach, Calif.; sixth and seventh flights to Dulles; and a ninth and 10th flights to JFK.
JetBlue said in October that it was planning to increase its Logan presence.
Analysts have characterized the growth in Boston as very smart as it targets gaps left by other airlines, which either have dropped routes or are no longer serving them as well as they might.
Boston is already JetBlue's second-largest city, behind New York, and the carrier offers service to more destinations than any other at Logan.
Sebastian White, a JetBlue spokesman, said that he was not sure when the airline would disclose further expansion but expected that there would be more news in the first couple months of 2009.

Spirit announced Tuesday that it will launch nonstop daily service from Logan to Atlantic City, N.J., starting May 1.
To mark the event, the discount carrier is offering one-way fares as low as $9 today and tomorrow on its website.
The special deals are only good on a half dozen days in May, and to get the $9 rate you have to be a member of the carrier's $9 Fare Club, which entitles you to at least $9 off the price of any fare -- but to join you either have to pay a $39.95 annual membership fee or get a Spirit MasterCard and charge at least one item a month on it.
Non-Fare Club members can buy tickets under the deal for $18.

American is going to announce this week that it will reinstate nonstop service between Boston and San Diego on April 7. The carrier stopped running the once daily transcontinental flight in September after the summer's record-high fuel prices made long-haul routes less appealing than shorter ones.
American cut domestic seat capacity by 12 percent this year, and it has slated a 6 percent reduction for next year. But in addition to bringing back the profitable and popular San Diego flight, American also plans to begin offering on April 7 a third daily flight between Boston and St. Louis, a fourth daily flight between Boston and Los Angeles, and a ninth daily flight between Boston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Starting May 1, American plans to offer a third daily flight between Boston and London and resume its daily seasonal flight between Boston and Paris.
But with the deteriorating economy, it's hard forecast how long these additional flights will remain viable.
"This is the first time people don't know what kind of demand we're going to have two to three months from now," James K. Carter, vice president for American's Eastern sales division, told a roomful of the carrier's Logan International Airport managers during a meeting detailing the service changes.
By Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

At long last. Delta will start offering in-flight Internet service starting Tuesday.
The service, dubbed Gogo, will be available initially on five MD-88 aircraft flying between New York's LaGuardia and Logan and Washington's Reagan airports, and on one Boeing 757, which will fly different domestic routes.
Next year, the airline will charge flat fees of $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on longer trips. The service will be free through the end of this year.
Delta expects 10 aircraft to be in service by the end of this year and to have its entire fleet outfitted by late 2009. And the airline says passengers should see Internet access on planes operated by its Northwest subsidiary by late next year.
Competitors American Airlines offers WiFi on flights from New York to Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Air Canada and Virgin America expect to have the service soon.

See the world (or at least parts of the USA). Meet new and interesting people. Drive the Wienermobile.
Who knew it was a real job?
Oscar Meyer is taking resumes until the end of January for one-year spots as Hotdoggers. As an official company ambassador, you'll set up, publicize, and attend promotional and charity events in the oh-so-stylin' Wienermobile. And you may need to do radio interviews or make television appearances.

What are they looking for? First, it helps to have an upbeat, bubbly personality. They'd also prefer that you have a BA or BS in communications, PR, journalism, advertising, marketing. But if you really think you're Hotdogger material they'll consider other majors.
If you get hired, the gig comes with a "competitive'' salary (What does this mean? Are there legions of other Hotdoggers out there who might be making more or less than Oscar Meyer pays?), expenses, benefits, and clothing.
They send you to Hot Dog High in lovely Madison, Wis., for training on Oscar Meyer's products, how to run your own PR operation, and, most importantly, how to drive the Wienermobile.
You'll get teamed up with one other Hotdogger and have responsibility for a region. After six months, they'll give you a new partner in a new region so you get a chance to see a bit more of the country.
But be warned. Competition is fierce -- the company typically gets more than 1,000 applications for 12 spots. Statistically, you've got a much better shot at getting into Harvard (although if you make it, odds are you will have much more fun than if you'd ended up in Cambridge).
How to improve you chances? Crank up that perky quotient. Judging from the site, the ability to pun doesn't hurt, and if you habla espanol they seem to like that a lot.
For those who are interested, here's a link to their official Flickr group and to their blog.
It's nice to know that even in a down economy there are still dream jobs out there.

(Thanks to The Lost Girls for pointing us to this one.)

Have you always wanted to experience New York City at Christmas time, but found the idea daunting and outrageously expensive? We’ve found two ways to combat those fears, courtesy of a company called Untours and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the city’s Tribeca neighborhood. First, Untours, which likes to bill itself as offering independent travel, with support. Untours has a group of local experts to help you plan a day suited to your tastes. For $99, a life-long New Yorker will devote two hours to planning your day and helping you on your way. That's $99 total, not per customer, so bring family and friends. The locals can help you figure out how to navigate the city and savor the holiday splendor, find the bargains and avoid the hassle. They will help decipher which of the outdoor markets suits you best, which museum’s display is best tailored to your taste, which department store’s windows will provide the most cheer. They can help you take a backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera or Radio City Music Hall for a song. To take the One-Day Untour, just get to the city and join the expert for coffee to start your day, or plan the itinerary with them ahead of time. Once you’ve finished the chat, you and your friends are on your way to travel as you please. Call 888-868-6871 for more information about the Christmas in New York Untour, available through Dec. 31. Untours also offers a one-week New Your “Untour,” which includes an apartment. Not interested in a week’s stay? The Cosmopolitan Hotel, at 95 West Broadway (at Chambers St.) has rooms available for $169 a night, most nights, through the holidays and to the end of February (except for the two nights leading up to New Year’s Eve). We have stayed there and can vouch for the location and the cleanliness of this value hotel, which has also earned plaudits from Frommer's. Go to cosmohotel.com or call 888-895-9400. You can feel good about working with Untours: in 1999, it was awarded the Newman’s Own/George Award for having the "Most Generous Company In America." Hal and Norma Taussig, owners of Untours, donate nearly all of their company’s profits to the Untours Foundation, which in turn provides low-interest loans to projects that create jobs, build low-income housing, and promote Fair Trade.

Amid the slumping economy, another travel deal.
OAT, which specializes in adventure itineraries for the over-50 traveler, is halting single supplement fees for all land tours and some small ship cruises for 2009. To get this deal travel must be booked by Jan. 31 and is limited by availability.
Still for single travelers, this is a big deal as it can amount to savings of hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the trip.
According to USA Today's Cruise blog, this is part of a larger plan to market to a key audience segment: single women.
An executive of the Boston tour operator that said that single women account for 70 percent of the firm's business, up from 50 percent a few years ago, and that this year OAT expects about 47,000 women customers.
In fact, the company says that it plans to launch a women's only line of vacations soon. So stay tuned.

Everyone "loves" their in laws (really, honey, I do). Dinner with them? Cool. Picnics? Even better. Holidays? I'm so down with that. But staying with them, like at their house, under their roof, 24-7?
Yes, Mr. and Mrs. America, you are not alone. According to a new survey by Hotel Indigo, 36 percent of Americans would rather stay in a hotel than with family and a whopping 97 percent would prefer to avoid camping out with the in-laws.
To wit, Indigo is offering an Escape the In-Laws package through Jan. 14. It starts at $129 a night and includes breakfast for two and a Family Decompression Kit -- aspirin, aromatherapy oil, and a bottle of wine (I'm not sure but I don't think an upgrade to tequila is available).
Indigo currently has 19 hotels in the Americas, including in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, Scottsdale, Ariz., Nashville, Buffalo, Rahway and Baskin Ridge, N.J., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., St. Louis, Miami and
OK, you ask, what if they're coming here to visit you? It just so happens that there is an Indigo in Newton. So be generous. Let the in laws have the house. And the kids. Escape. That's just the way we roll.

At the beginning of the season, Boston sports fans certainly expected that one of their football teams would be heading to Tampa, site of Super Bowl XLIII, for a championship game. The surprise, however, is that while the Patriots are still fighting just to get in the playoffs, it's Boston College that's on its way to Raymond James Stadium this Saturday for the ACC Championship game against Virginia Tech.
Fans wanting to cheer on the Eagles can get tickets and hotel reservations through Boston College. Ticket prices range from $57 to $120. BC is also hosting a pre-game hospitality tailgate with unlimited food and beverage for $50 per person.
Delta and JetBlue offer nonstop flights from Logan Airport to Tampa, and weekend flights on those airlines are running $450 and up. One-stop flights can be found for under $300. In addition, Southwest flies direct to Tampa from both Manchester and Providence, and don't rule out flying into Orlando, which is only a 90-minute drive from Tampa.
If you're sticking around Tampa on Sunday, the New England Patriots Fan Club of West Central Florida is gathering to watch this Sunday's Pats game at KD's Pub at 13949 West Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa. Patriots fans certainly hope it's not their last chance to catch their team in Tampa.

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Globe travel correspondent Christopher Klein writes his own blog, HubTrotter, and is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston."

Call us curmudgeons but we refuse to think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. Now that the turkey is picked clean, we’re considering the Yule. Waterville Valley Resort’s trying to get families into the holiday spirit this year with a package from $84 per person (quadruple occupancy) for a weekend that includes riding on a horse-drawn sleigh out to White Mountains Christmas Tree Farm to pick out the family tree, and free skiing on one day of the weekend stay. The offer is good for December 5-7 and 12-14. Full details on the Family Holiday Tree & Ski package are available on the ski area’s web site, www.visitwatervillevalley.com, or by calling 1-800-GO-VALLEY.

Posted by Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

The Hot Stove League may just be warming up, but it's never too early to start planning a baseball pilgrimage for next year. The World Baseball Classic returns in March and offers the perfect excuse to combine a trip to the ballpark with a visit to some of the world's great cities.
Tickets are now on sale for first-round games in Tokyo, Mexico City, Toronto, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Red Sox fans may be particularly interested in the games in Tokyo. Japan won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, and the tournament served as the coming-out party for Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K and Hideki Okajima haven't committed to pitch for their home countries yet, but even if the Sox hurlers don't take to the mound, the atmosphere in the Tokyo Dome will still be electric when the home team plays.
While in Tokyo, seamheads can visit the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and Boston fans can also make the three-hour bullet train ride to Kyoto and drop in at the Sox-themed Fenway Park bar while visiting the city's ancient shrines and temples.
If you'd rather stay closer to home and head to warmer climes, second-round games will be played in San Diego and Miami, with the finals in Los Angeles. Tickets to those games go on sale December 8. Major League Baseball is offering travel packages to some of the tournament cities.

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Globe travel correspondent Christopher Klein writes his own blog, HubTrotter, and is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston."

Megabus, which offers fares as low as $1 and free WiFi, just announced that it will give away 100,000 seats.
“Americans are doing all they can to stretch their dollar in the current economy and these free tickets are megabus.com’s way of helping,” said Dale Moser, president and COO of megabus.com.
The fares can be booked on the company's website for travel from Jan. 14 through March 18. To score these freebies you must enter the promo code greenbus.
So how will this work? First come, first served? Sort of. Moser says that the company has set aside seats on each of its Midwest and Northeast routes to 29 cities, every day of the promotion and if you happen to be the first one trying to book it you win.
I never took statistics in college, but I'm guessing that the odds of scoring one of these is likely better than winning a call-in radio contest.
So if you've got a little time to kill and you'd like to score a freebie to New York, it might be fun to roll the digital dice.

Southwest put fares on sale for the second time in a week to boost business in the slow periods after the holidays.
The three-day sale begins today and ends Nov. 20 for travel from Dec. 9 through Feb. 28. Sale fares are available only on the website, with the cheapest days being Monday through Thursday. Sample deals from Providence: Baltimore-Washington Intl. $49 one way, LA $99, or Chicago Midway $89.
``It is pretty obvious that there are more than a few empty seats hanging out this winter, even with the substantial seat cutbacks,'' Rick Seaney, CEO of ticket-research firm Farecompare.com, told Bloomberg News.

Still thinking about trying to fly home for turkey day?
Southwest just announced a sale that only requires a three-day advance purchase for travel Nov. 22-Dec. 2. Travel must be booked on the website by Nov. 29.
Now these fares are not systemwide. So you'll need to go to the website to see whether this will be useful to you. But a quick scan suggests that many of the deals look pretty good: $106 one-way to Philly; $107 to Baltimore/Washington Int'l; $251 to Portland, Oregon.
And while there are no official blackout dates, Southwest notes: "Seats are limited and won't be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods.'' So it's a pretty safe bet you won't net a discount seat for a flight out on Wednesday Nov. 26 and back Sunday Nov. 30.

So has it finally sunk in that we are in a recession? Are you brown-bagging it and foreswearing those Starbucks lattes till the economy turns around? If you are like me, you need a reminder every now and then to spend less and save more.

The folks at WeJustGotBack.com have a great list of 20 recession travel tips aimed at families. My favorites include: Always haggle for a hotel room (you'll usually end up paying less if you negotiate, or at least get a free breakfast thrown in), and get accommodations with a kitchen so you can fix at least one meal a day of your own food (an easy -- and possibly healthier -- way to save money over the course of your vacation).

Sure, we're in a recession, but the good news is that the deals are out there. And if you're vigilant, do your homework, and get a little creative, there are numerous ways to save money.

Discount air service Direct Air, which will give Greater Boston travelers a taste of Virgin America service, is offering $140 roundtrip fares to two Florida and one South Carolina cities to mark the launch of its service from Worcester Nov. 22.
The sale will begins Friday Nov. 14 on the company’s website and will run through Nov. 21. Travel must be completed by Oct. 31, 2009, and the fare certificates are transferable. Customers will be limited to 20 certificates.
Direct limits baggage to two pieces per passenger and there is a prepaid fee of $20 per bag per direction, $25 if paid at the airport.
Ed Warneck, president of Direct, said yesterday the air service will reserve 10 percent of seats on flights for the special fares, ‘‘and will obviously let more in if we have available seats on planes.’’
Direct, based in Myrtle Beach, S.C., will fly on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays into and out of Worcester Regional Airport, which hasn’t had regular commercial service since Allegiant Air, a discount airline and charter company based in Las Vegas, pulled out in 2006. The schedule calls for one arrival and one departure daily to its Florida destinations: Punta Gorda, near Fort Myers, and Sanford, outside of Orlando. Service to Myrtle Beach will take place on Thursdays and Sundays. Flight are nonstops.
Direct is an air service, which means it doesn’t own planes but leases them. For its Worcester service, it plans to use Virgin planes and flight crews for its Florida flights at least through spring of 2010 and USA Jet Airlines for trips to Myrtle Beach.
This will give local travelers who have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Virgin an opportunity to sneak a peek at the airline, which has garnered attention for its luxury approach to lower-fare travel, with its leather seats, satellite TV, on-demand movies, streaming radio, and selection of MP3 music files.

FULL ENTRY

Lower-fare carrier AirTran joined the major legacy airlines in adding a $15 fee for a first checked piece of luggage on flights starting Dec 5.
Delta, American, United, and Continental all charge for first, and subsequent bags.
Discounters Southwest and JetBlue allow at least one free checked bag.
The move by AirTran reminds us that even the discounters, once thought to be a bit more insulated from the pressures plaguing the industry, haven't completely escaped the drag of the sagging economy and slowing travel demand.

Our friends at Priceline have released their annual holiday calendar of the most fiscally prudent days to travel, and there aren't any surprises: The cheapest days are Nov. 23, 24 and 27 for Thanksgiving, and Dec. 22, 23 and 24 for Christmas; the priciest are Nov. 21 and 26; Dec. 19, 20 and 28; and Jan. 3 and 4.

While those general guidelines are useful, they don't necessarily shed a whole lot of light on the key thing here: what you will need to pay.

But the travel website does offer a Best Days To Fly tool that I find more useful. This is the way it works: Go to the site and click on the Best Days To Fly box on the right hand side of the screen. A dialog box will pop up. Enter your departure and arrival cities. This will generate a calendar showing the lowest published ticket price found by Priceline customers for days around the holiday, and you can use this info to help you figure out when to fly and whether you're getting a good deal.

Brian Ek, a Priceline spokesman, says the site will continue updating the info.

Good morning, travelers. The sale deals by both discounters won't help you with Turkey Day -- in one case the day is blacked out and the other requires a 21-day advance. But if you can travel in the windows they offer there are some pretty good fares to be had. Here's the rundown:
For the first times in months, Southwest is offering systemwide discounts, with fares as low as $49 one way. Travel must take place between Dec. 2 and Feb. 11 and require a 21-day advance purchase. Lowest fares are available Monday through Thursday, and Saturday, and must be booked through the site.
JetBlue is offering 10 percent off a number of flights, but you have to book through this page on the site and enter the promotion code: 10offNov. This deal is good for travel between now and Feb. 10, with blackout dates of Nov. 25-Dec. 2, Dec. 16-Jan. 7, Jan. 15-19, and all Sundays.
Both offers are only good through Thursday and there may be other fees and restrictions. But what else is new?

Don’t get me wrong. I like the newest and coolest discount bus services to New York, BoltBus and Megabus.
But let’s say you’re in the market for a bit more ... more.
LimoLiner, the old-school luxury bus service, is offering a special $49 one-way fare, basically half off the standard $80 price, for those who book at least two weeks in advance for travel through Jan. 31. There are some restrictions, the biggest being that it’s not valid for travel on Fridays, Sundays, or holidays and tickets are nonrefundable and nonchangeable.
This fare obviously doesn’t compare favorably to the $10-$15 tickets available for the Chinatown buses, Fung Wah and Lucky Star, or to the lowest possible fare on Bolt or Mega -- $1 (although it’s worth noting that my pal Nicole Wong wrote a story last week pointing out that the top end for Bolt is now $23; Mega, however, is charging as much as $40-$80 for a popular Friday night trip).
But Limo’s deal is that it offers some luxe appointments: leather seats, free WiFi, food and beverage service, live satellite TV and radio, and first-run movies. Yes, it’s a bit more. But choice is good.

Every traveler I know here can't wait for the arrival of Virgin America.
Why? To begin with, it's a discount carrier with very competitive fares, but it's also cool: leather seats, free satellite TV, on-demand movies, streaming radio and a selection of MP3 tunes, power plugs for your laptop and soon,on-board Internet.
Virgin America plans to move into the Boston market in the future. But what if I told you that you could effectively fly the airline to Florida now?
Starting Nov. 22, Direct Air, based in Myrtle Beach, S.C., will begin flying three times weekly from Worcester Regional to Fort Myers/Punta Gorda and to Orlando/Sanford. This is the interesting part: Direct Air, which is essentially a charter company, is leasing Virgin planes and crew for at least the next two years for this service. So, basically, you get all the Virgin toys.
What about the discount part? Direct's fares are competitive: They start at $99 each way and are nonstop. Just as a comparison, I booked a hypothetical round-trip from Worcester to Punta Gorda departing Feb. 1 and returning Feb. 8 (these guys fly into and out of Worcester only Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays) and got a rate of $267, including tax and fees. I then got on Kayak and the best I could do nonstop was $319 on JetBlue and with one stop $250 from Continental -- both were Boston-Fort Myers.
OK, so what is the downside? First, you will be flying from Worcester, which hasn't had regular service since Allegiant pulled out in 2006, and into secondary cities. But if you already live in the western suburbs, going to Worcester and skirting the traffic and hassle of Logan is worth it -- particularly with the Virgin amenities. (Never mind parking fees: At Logan, a week in the economy lot will set you back $108; at Worcester you park in front of the terminal for $42.)
Direct CEO Judy Tull said that the flights are envisioned as year-round but the carrier would make adjustments after they get a better fix on the strength of the Worcester market. She said that most likely Orlando/Sanford would not change but the flights to Punta Gorda may be seasonally substituted for another destination.

Face it, when you think about classic Cowboys-versus-Indians movies, Monument Valley is the scene — thanks to actor John Wayne and director John Ford — that comes to mind. And when it comes to booking a room in Monument Valley, Utah, it's all about the view.

Don't miss out: Plan on staying at The View, which is slated to open on Dec. 31. The new hotel, which edges a canyon rim, is the only lodging within the boundaries of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. It lives up to its name, delivering mesmerizing and jaw-dropping sunset views over Monument Valley's iconic rock formations, the setting for so many classic Westerns.

The closest alternative lodging is Gouldings, a historic lodge and trading post that's just over 5 miles distant. It, too, provides sweeping sunset views of the monument-peppered desert made famous by director John Ford and actor John Wayne, but Goulding's views are less in your face. What Gouldings has is a museum on the property that celebrates the historic trading post and its role in bringing Hollywood to Monument Valley and a small theater that screens John Wayne flicks nightly.

The benefits of staying at The View include staying at a tribal property, being within the park, and views that are far less distant than those at Gouldings. But for fans of the Johns, Wayne and Ford, Gouldings can't be beat.

Either way, you can't go wrong. Prices are reasonable, especially this time of year, and the food available in the restaurants is abundant and good, but not fancy. If you visit, be sure to sample a Navajo taco, a yummy concoction made with fry bread topped with spiced beef, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

United, teaming with FedEx, is offering to ship a passenger's bag overnight for as much as $358 round trip, $228 more than it would cost to check two bags even under the carrier's updated, costlier baggage rules.
Clearly, these guys are betting that anyone who would opt for this door-to-door service would not be doing so for economic reasons but to avoid having to schlep bags around the airport and sing "Kumbaya'' around the luggage carousel with The Rest Of Us.
United expects about 1 percent of passengers to use the service, Robin Urbanski, a United spokeswoman, told Bloomberg News.
The new service will be available to passengers on United flights in the 48 contiguous US states. The cost is $149 a bag each way for flights of less than 1,000 miles and $179 on longer routes.
The updated baggage rules kick in Nov. 10. They call for passengers to continue to pay $25 each way for a first checked bag but it doubles the fee for the second bag to $50.

Continental says it will waive the $15 fee for a first checked bag for Continental Airlines Chase credit and debit card members. Continental Airlines Presidential Plus holders will be able to check up to two bags without paying a fee, a savings of up to $40 each way.
Passengers traveling with card holders also will be eligible for waivers if they're listed in the same reservation and check in at the same time. The new policy is effective immediately.
More than 1 million people carry a Continental credit or debit card, the airline said.
Carriers instituted the baggage fees this summer to help offset high fuel prices. Among the major legacy carriers only Delta doesn't assess a first bag fee.

To celebrate its new JFK home in Terminal 5, JetBlue has launched an airfare sale.
What kinds of deals are we talking about? Fares from Logan are as low as $59 to Buffalo or NYC, $69 to Washington, Charlotte, or Raleigh, $94 to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, or West Palm, $109 to San Juan, Puerto Rico, $149 to Vegas or Seattle, and $169 to Long Beach or Oakland.
You must book by the end of the month and complete travel by Jan. 14. As usual, there are other taxes and fees and blackout dates. To get the special rates you have to book online. Here's the link.

Now that Red Sox fans have had a few days to lick our wounds, at least we can take solace in the fact that while the Sox were still playing baseball in October, the Yankees were off playing golf or leaf-peeping. Plus, next year we'll get to return to our historic ballpark to cheer on our team, but Yankees fans will not.
This season was the last for venerable Yankee Stadium, home of the pinstripers since 1923. But while the season is over, it's not too late to get a final glimpse of The House That Ruth Built. The Yankees are still offering daily tours of the old ballyard, at least through the end of October. A few tickets are still available through the Yankees website, and others are for sale through resellers such as StubHub.
The one-hour tour takes you through the press box and clubhouse, onto the field, and into the dugout. The highlight of the tour is Monument Park, filled with plaques honoring Yankee greats, who were also among the best to ever play the game. Even the most ardent Yankee-hater can readily acknowledge it's pretty impressive to see Babe Ruth's retired number sandwiched between those of Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. The $20 ticket price is a little steep but worth it for a last look at the baseball cathedral before it meets the wrecking ball.

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Globe travel correspondent Christopher Klein writes his own blog, HubTrotter, and is the author of the forthcoming book, "The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston."

The rest of America is finding out what New Englanders have known for a long time. Portsmouth, N.H., is one of the best cities of its size in the country. Its Seacoast location, historic downtown, and abundance of dining and shopping options have lured folks for decades -- we discovered it in the early 1980s and from what we can tell, it has only gotten better. Now the national honors are rolling in: No. 4 on Outside magazine’s Top 20 Towns in America; one of the dozen “Distinctive Destinations” for 2008 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation; one of “America’s Prettiest Towns” by ForbesTraveler.com. Here’s a perfect excuse to return to the “Port City”: Restaurant Week Portsmouth, from Nov. 10-16. This city of about 21,000 boasts 252 restaurants, giving it one of the highest concentrations of restaurants per capita in the nation. Restaurant Week will feature three-course prix fixe menus: $16.95 per person for lunch and $29.95 per person for dinner, which does not include beverages, taxes, or gratuity. Reservations are recommended, but not required. To book reservations, diners must contact the restaurant of their choice. For a list of participating restaurants, visit restaurantweekportsmouth.com or call 603-436-3988. Part of the proceeds will benefit Seacoast Local, Inc., a non-profit that promotes “Buy Local” and “Eat Local” initiatives. The Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel is offering a package that includes two Restaurant Week dinners in Harbor’s Edge restaurant and overnight accommodations starting at $199 (sheratonportsmouth.com). Organizers plan to repeat Restaurant Week in March 2009, but why wait?

Megabus, they of the free WiFi and tickets from Boston to New York starting at $1, plans to expand in the Northeast.
Initially, the growth will turn New York City into a hub, and passengers will be able to book trips from The Apple to Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, and Niagara Falls, starting Dec. 4.
But next year, according to Bryony Chamberlain, director of operations for Megabus's parent Coach USA, the discount bus operator is looking at launching more links from the cities it serves. In the East, Megabus goes to Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Buffalo, N.Y., Atlantic City, N.J., and Toronto.
Besides New York, Mega also has a similar hub setup in Chicago. But, I think it's safe to say, the geography of the Northeast lends itself to more and quicker development, given how close major population centers are to each other here.
With airline service shrinking and prices rising, this is pretty good news.

The presidential campaign season is finally winding down. That's the good news. The bad news is you don't have much time to take advantage of some intriguing -- but not necessarily bargain -- election-themed hotel promotions. (Thanks to the folks at Travel + Leisure for compiling the list.)

A few examples:

The Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island in Florida is offering an Election Night package with overnight accomodations in the Presidential Suite, a chartered helicopter ride, champagne, cigars, fireworks, a commemorative flag display case, a massage, and a round of golf. All this for $15,000 (taxes and tips not included).

On a more serious note, the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston will give you accommodations and two tickets to the Kennedy Library's exhibit called "The Making of a President,'' which explores what motivated John F. Kennedy to become the 35th president. Rates start at $339.

Guests of KSL Resorts can take their pick: with the McCain Supporters’ Vacation Package you'll get a bottle of "red state" wine, a room tax cut (up to $25), and "family values" amenities for the kids. The Obama Supporters’ Vacation Package offers blue martinis, a $25 "buy American" resort credit, and a $25 ''green'' golf or spa discount. The packages run from $224–$650 per night, depending on the location (the chain has hotels in California, Virginia, Texas, and Colorado). Packages must be reserved by Nov. 4 (Election Day) and used by Jan. 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day).

Nothing eases the sting of disappointment over the Sox like a free taco. You know. Like the kind mom used to make.
With the Phillies-Rays series opening tonight (yeah, yeah, who cares, right?), Taco Bell is launching a Steal a Base, Steal a Taco promotion, in which they plan to give out free tacos to mark stolen bases. This is the way it works:
If a player on either team steals a base in Games 1-4 on Oct. 22, 23, 25 or 26, customers can score a free beef taco on Tuesday Oct. 28 from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. at any participating store. If there's a stolen base in Games 5-7, Oct. 27, 29 or 30, the redemption day is Monday Nov. 3 from 2 to 6.
Yes, it's a promotion and, yes, there's there's no shortage of fine print, but if you're jonesing for a free taco . . .
Not sure where the nearest store is or perhaps planning on being on the road on the redemption days? Here's a store locator.

Always wanted to cruise Norway? Hurtigruten is now offering a deal to let you do it at a pretty good discount. This from the folks at The New York Times:

Hurtigruten is running a two-for-one sale on its 12-day sailings between now and Dec. 14 for bookings made through Nov. 30. Featuring stops at the university town of Trondheim, the Lofoten archipelago, and Alesund, a city known for its Art Nouveau architecture, the cruise usually has starting rates of $2,299 per person, but that price will instead be applied to two people (who must stay in the same room). The same discount is good for the six- and seven-day itineraries, which have starting rates of $1,299 (per couple). All cruises leave from Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city.

If the recent debates and political drama have you yearning for something a little less contentious, it may be time for a visit to the City of Brotherly Love. The Loews Philadelphia Hotel is offering a National Constitution Package starting at $199 that includes overnight accommodations for two and two tickets to the National Constitution Center, six blocks away on Philadelphia's Independence Mall. The center's exhibits explore the Constitution and allows visitors to take the Oath of Office and sit on a replica Supreme Court bench. A timely (and thankfully nonpartisan) exhibit called "Headed to the White House'' examines the electoral process, the issues, and the candidates. There's also a circle-in-the-round performance called "Freedom Rising" every half hour at the center. The Loews deal is available through Nov. 30.

So you travel a lot for work. I know it's hard to make time to exercise, and you can just barely squeeze out time for the dentist a couple times a year and the doc once (note to self: schedule the annual physical).

Flu season is nearly upon us. Clinics for shots seem ubiquitous, but they're always in places you don't go -- like the drugstore or the mall -- or at times that aren't convenient. Thinking about blowing it off? Don't. The flu is not what you think it is. Most people say they have it when all they really have is a simple virus or a cold. If you get the real flu, you could easily be down for a week or more.
So what to do? This year about 21 airports are offering shots, up from about a dozen or so last year, owing to the popularity of the service. Some of the airports have contracted with commercial providers while others have enlisted local hospitals or public health agencies. Besides Logan, the list includes most of the biggies and hubs: Hartsfield in Atlanta, O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, LAX, JFK, Philly, and San Francisco. Hours vary, but most are open at least during regular business hours, and the cost runs from $20 to $35 (actually in Phoenix and San Diego they're free while supplies last).


The good folks at USA Today, have put together this complete list with details. No excuses now. Roll up that sleeve.

Boston isn't cheap.
Residents and visitors alike know that whether they're finding a permanent home or just a place to lay their heads for the night, the cost of sleeping is expensive.
The town of Bedford, however, has found the formula for cost-effective hotel stays in Greater Boston. Visitors willing to stay nearly 20 miles outside the city will find the best rates in Eastern Massachusetts.
According to travel websites offering hotel service, such as Hotels.com, Travelocity, and Expedia, two Bedford motels are among the least expensive places in the region to get a room: the Bedford Motel and the Bedford Plaza Hotel.
Leading the way is the Bedford Motel, which is almost always the lowest-priced per night, with rates between $55 and $60.
"We aren't a part of any franchise, so we don't have the overhead," said Sheila Patel, general manager.
The 40-room motel is family-owned and has four employees. The only amenity offered outside the rooms is Internet access, so the motel doesn't have to spend money on upkeep of a pool, restaurant, banquet hall, or exercise room.
The Bedford Motel does offer in-room necessities such as shampoo, soap, and other bathroom amenities, but those are available only upon request, so savings can be passed on to guests.
Despite low rates, the Bedford Motel has vacancies in the summer, which is its busiest time, along with October, when motel visitors tend to be Boston tourists and sightseers looking at fall foliage. However, on some weekends in those busy times, the occupancy rate nears 100 percent .
For the visitor looking for more than a bed, bath, and TV for the night, the Bedford Plaza Hotel offers a step up at still low rates.
Unlike the no-frills atmosphere of the Bedford Motel, the Bedford Plaza Hotel offers the room plus an indoor heated pool area, an exercise room, Internet access, banquet facilities, free breakfast, and a lounge. This time of year, rooms for two start at $89 but room rates vary with the season.
The Bedford Plaza is also independently owned -- by Jalaram Kutir Inc. -- so its rates aren't dictated by a franchise.
Its busy season, much like the rest of the Boston area, runs April through October, but it never reaches full capacity.
"It is difficult because people judge us from the look on the outside, which isn't as nice as what is on the inside," said Patel, who is not related to the Bedford Motel's Sheila Patel.
The Bedford Plaza Hotel is a triangular-shaped building with two sides flush against the busy streets and the third against a McDonald's parking lot. The parking is underground and at a lot across the street.
To improve the image of the hotel, Patel plans renovations to the outside of the building in addition to what is being done inside.

Posted by Brad Kane, Globe Correspondent

Amid declining oil prices, Carnival, a leader in adopting fuel surcharges, plans to halt those levies on new bookings of 2010 cruises starting at the end of the month. Instead it will raise base prices, according to The Miami Herald.
The fees were unpopular with consumers, who complained that the levies made it difficult to determine the actual cost of a cruise (maybe the airlines should start taking notes here).
Carnival also says passengers sailing on 2008 and 2009 voyages -- as well as those already booked for 2010 -- will eligible for reimbursement in the form of an on-board credit if oil closes at $70 or less per barrel for 25 straight days five days before a traveler's departure.
The latest move will apply to the company's Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and The Yachts of Seabourn
Carnival did not say how much it would raise prices after the fee is dropped.

Let’s hear it for Wachusett Mountain for wisely predicting long before the first flakes fall that skiers and snowboarders might be tightening their purse strings this winter amid an uncertain economy. To help ease our pain, the Princeton ski area is offering:

Incentives for those who carpool: If you buy four lift tickets for the same day online, you’ll get free parking (that’s $12).
Early discounted price for a season pass: You can buy a pass at last year’s rate through Oct. 29.
Discounts for college students: Wachusett’s UPass has the same benefits as the Bronze Century Pass, which goes for $209.
Deals on lessons: One-day with rentals, lesson, and lower-mountain lift ticket is $74; two days, $124; three days, $199.
Health plan reimbursement: Fallon Community Health Plan members can use their $300 family fitness reimbursement toward lifts, lessons, and season passes.
‘‘Three-Peat’’ cards: For $99 you get three days of skiing (the days don’t have to be consecutive) anytime during the season. The card can be reloaded after the three days are used.

Kids can get in free at nearly 130 children's museums around the nation through Oct. 26 when they are with a paying adult.
The deal comes courtesy of the Association of Children's Museums and Nick's Parents Connect. Here's the list of participating museums and the coupon.
A couple things to bear in mind: This is a one-paid-adult-one-child-free deal so to get two kids in you'll need two adults. And not every children's museum in America is on the list. For instance, in Massachusetts the museum in Boston is not participating but the one is Easton is.
If you're looking already planning to travel, however, in the next few weeks, say, to Portland, Maine, it might be worth checking out. You could hit the museum there or if you're going to Bangor you and the kids might pop into the Maine Discovery Museum.

Among the things I like best about JetBlue and Virgin America are their in-flight media offerings. But as I fly around I increasingly see travelers listening to their own iPods or MP3 players and watching films on portable players or laptops.
I guess the folks at Hudson News have noticed as well. The ubiquitous-in-airports Hudson chain in September started selling (renting, really) Flexplay self-destructing movie DVDs for $6 at most of its 350 newsstand locations.
Why self-destructing? The big advantage of this system is that you don't have to remember to return anything. Once you open your DVD's sealed pouch, a chemical process kicks in, which will allow you to watch the film as many times as you want for at least two days. After that, the quality degrades. Once the DVD is kicked, you recycle.
Each Hudson store will offer about two dozen DVD titles, refreshed with new films every week or two, according to Laura Samuels, a Hudson spokeswoman. Currently, Flexplay has licensing deals with Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment, and DreamWorks.
You can also order online from Flexplay and have discs mailed to you for $4.99, which includes shipping. Flexplay discs are also available at Staples.
The new Hudson/Flexplay system is convenient and "Mission Impossible'' cool, but it's not the only option for airport DVD rentals.

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Welcome to the land of bizarre travel ads. Please fasten your seat belt and make sure your seat-back and tray table are in the secure upright position for takeoff.
There's a theory among some ad guys that anything that brings attention to your brand -- good or bad -- is good. The people at Extended Stay Hotels must be adherents.
A new commercial by them is popping up around the Net. The commercial features a series of shots of various people engaged in fairly innocuous, routine activities in hotel rooms, all to a jaunty operatic score. The single commonality? They all appear to be passing gas.
That's right. The whole ad is one visual fart joke. And the tag line? "No place makes you feel more comfortable.''
I dunno. Do I want to feel comfortable in my hotel room? Sure. Do I want to be thinking of how others have been "comfortable'' there too?
I leave it up to you, my good friends. Loosen your belts and enjoy the show.

There will be shore excursions aplenty when Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria depart in January 2010 on their world cruises. Queen Mary 2’s Royal Route of Exploration will chart a new eastbound-westbound route for 101 days featuring 19 maiden ports of call, and three overnight stays (Hong Kong, Sydney, and Cape Town). Queen Victoria’s 99-day Voyage of Discovery includes 11 maiden visits ports of call and three overnights (Sydney, Hong Kong, and Dubai). Fares begin at $21,666 for the 101-day cruise and $21,276 for the 99-day sailing. Those who book by Feb. 28 get a 10 percent early booking discount. It is also possible to book just a segment of either cruise. Optional excursions vary in price.

Delta, which offers 30 flights daily between Logan and LaGuardia, says it will start giving Shuttle customers the option of going first-class starting Dec. 1.
The carrier will offer 14 first-class and 128 economy seats per flight. First-class shuttle seats will be priced about $100-$250 above economy depending on the route, according to Susan Chana Elliott, a Delta spokeswoman. Besides flying between Boston and New York, the Shuttle also hops between LaGuardia and Reagan National in Washington.
SkyMiles Medallion members will be eligible for complimentary upgrades and the carrier's open-seating policy will remain for both tiers.
First-class customers will get a wider selection of options for snacks and complimentary cocktails, along with bigger, more comfortable seats. Delta will continue to offer all Shuttle customers complimentary snacks, wine, beer, coffee, teas, and soft drinks.
By the Dec. 1 launch, some of the Shuttle fleet's MD-88s will be equipped with WiFi, which the carrier plans to have on its entire domestic fleet in spring, Elliott said.

We’ve heard rumblings about temperatures falling into the 40s over the next few nights, and that doesn’t bode well for those hoping to maximize their golf activities. The Carolinas are sufficiently south of here that the game is playable well into late fall, and a couple of South Carolina resorts are offering deals specifically for women foursomes.
Wild Dunes Resort is 20 minutes from downtown Charleston, a lovely city worthy of a standalone trip. The resort itself is on the Isle of Palms and has two standout golf courses. Its “Putt and Pamper” package includes three nights’ accommodations, one round of golf on each of the Links and Harbor courses, breakfast daily, a 50-minute massage per person, and a Burt’s Bees gift basket for $164 per person per night, based on four people staying. Visit the Wild Dunes website or call 843-886-2255 to learn more about other custom packages such as golf and fishing, unlimited golf, golf/tennis, and the “Dudes on the Dunes” guys’ getaway, which includes the obligatory post-golf poker, beer, and snacks.
The Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort on Hilton Head Island, near Savannah, Ga., is offering the Girlfriends’ Golf Getaway package, which includes four days and three nights for four in a resort villa, two rounds of golf at your choice of three championship courses, court time at the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center, a massage, and a one-day bike rental to explore the beach and resort. The package starts at $189 per person per night and is valid through November. Go to the resort website or call 800-827-3006 for more information.

The wonders of a modern cruise ship can sometimes rival the wonders on shore. To this end, Princess is offering The Ultimate Ship Tour, a three-hour look that goes beyond the public areas with visits to the ship’s engine control room, medical center, print shop, laundry, photo lab, bridge, and other places typically seen only by the crew. Participants will also receive themed mementos at many of the stops along the route. The tour will be offered once or twice per cruise on an at-sea day and costs $150 per person. The program will debut in November aboard the new Ruby Princess (at right) and eventually will be introduced on all Princess ships.
Posted by Richard C. Carpenter, Globe Correspondet

It looks as though airlines might be starting to turn the corner, but for those looking to travel this holiday season it would still be wise to start strategizing.
In this morning's Globe, there was a story about how American, Delta, and Northwest are forecasting that, by at least one important measure, they will see financial improvement this quarter. The carriers say so-called unit revenue, or the amount they get paid for each passenger flown one mile, will climb about 10 percent in the period, according to Bloomberg News.
The reasons? The decline in the cost of oil, reductions in schedules, rise in fares, and all those very special fees. In fact, we're beginning to detect the slightest trace of a smile on the face of many industry analysts. This from Bloomberg:

JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Jamie Baker said Wednesday that [airlines'] 2009 operating profits may be the best ever.
The airlines' forecasts "are on the high side of what anyone expected," said consultant Robert Mann of R.W. Mann & Co. in Port Washington, N.Y. "You have the possibility of a break-even or better fourth quarter. It could be an extremely good sign for 2009."

Now, as things improve, do you expect fares to fall right away or fees to go away? Of course, they won't. So, those planning to fly for the holidays should keep in mind that they have a better shot at scoring cheaper seats on specific days on and around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Here's a list, from my pal, Rick Seaney, who has a comprehensive database that allows him to track prices and schedules, both current and historical.

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So I get up this morning and am trolling travel sites. I run into this bit on Nancy Brown's What a Trip:

Where in New York can you find a hotel room, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, for $38 a night? For a limited time, the Broadway Hotel and Hostel, located at 101st and Broadway, will offer this rate to those who book their reservations directly on the website.
What's the catch, you ask? The hotel is also a youth hostel and the rooms offered are one of four bedded dorm rooms. But this isn't your ordinary cheap New York hostel. In fact, the website bills itself as New York's first and only boutique hostel.

FULL ENTRY

It's all in the numbers. Take a look at this graph by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which comes courtesy of Chris Elliot's blog.
Hotel occupancy is falling and growth in average daily rates and revenue per available rooms are getting soft. Basically, because of the soft economy and high gas prices, fewer people are staying over, and the hotels, which are getting squeezed, are not able to charge as much as they'd like. PwC, an auditor and financial consultancy, sees a “substantial slowdown” in the industry.
What does this mean? Hotels, which have been advertising deals all summer, are going to have to dig even deeper. Bottom line: Bad for them; good for travelers.

Massachusetts-based Cape Air will begin service from Lebanon, N.H., to Boston in November. Cape Air will provide six daily roundtrip flights from Lebanon Airport to Logan.
The New Hampshire municipal airport will stop providing Colgan Air service to LaGuardia Airport in New York after research showed the Boston market has the potential to grow.
Cape Air has a partnership with JetBlue and is expected to offer $54 one-way fares from Lebanon to Boston. (AP)

Holiday Inn is running this new promotion. Book the Stay to Fly Rate at participating hotels either online or over the phone (800-465-4329) and stay anytime now through the end of the year, and they send you a flight voucher for a $198 round-trip ticket between 198 US cities or a $298 roundtrip to Canada and Mexico. (A $99 discount is offered on current airfares to/from Alaska or Hawaii.)
Your voucher will arrive via email to the address provided in the hotel reservation within three weeks of your stay.
Flights will require a Saturday night stay and 21-day advance purchase. Here is all the fine print.

What a guy. On his blog, Bill Marriott says his company is offering 20 percent off weekend rates at more than 2,500 of his Marriott hotels now through Dec. 21.
To get the discount, you need to book online before Sept. 22 and use the promo code F5X. This deal is good at participating Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites, SpringHill Suites in the continental United States, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

TNT Vacations is offering Boston to Bermuda flights at $99 each way on scheduled nonstop JetBlue and Delta planes. To get the price, however, you must stay at least four nights at the Fairmont Southampton or the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. Rates start at $199 at the Princess and $236 at the Southampton. Travel must be booked by Sept. 27 and completed by Sept. 30.
Posted By Richard C. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

So you’re headed to New York for a weekend or even a week and you need a lower-cost alternative to hotels -- and a less annoying alternative to some hostels.
One possibility is to try to suss out something on Craigslist, but that can be difficult, particularly if you’re looking for just a day or two.
Another option is try AirBed & Breakfast or the just-launched Roomorama, both of which pair people with space to rent with those looking to rent a place. The quality of the offerings varies with the price. One day last week I noticed you could snag a bed in a spare room or space on a couch in Boston or New York for as little as $20-$40. If you’re willing to spend a little more you can score a whole studio, a one- or two-bedroom apartment, or even a house. (And, of course, location counts -- steps from Times Square will probably be more expensive than, say, Queens.)
After looking around on the sites, though, it’s apparent there are some pretty good deals in every price range. Roomorama claims that the average price of a hotel room in Midtown East is $305 and that its listings average $102 and $173, for shared and not-shared accommodations, respectively.
The sites work basically the same way. You fill out an online form, noting which dates you need, in which city, and for how many people, then you get a list of possibilities. Once you decide on a place, you’ll need to create a profile and launch a booking inquiry. If accepted, you make a payment using a credit card or PayPal. Both sites will assess a service fee -- 5-to-12 percent in the case of AirBed and 8 percent for Roomorama -- on top of the rental.
While they largely work the same way, there are some differences. AirBed offers listings in a number of cities and sometimes your deal comes with breakfast. Roomorama currently is just in New York but plans to be in Boston, Chicago, and Toronto soon (actually there are some Boston listings on the site already, but they haven’t staged an official launch). And Roomorama allows you to filter your search by price and according to amenities (WiFi, TV, air conditioning, kitchen, parking, etc); it also has a “Shoutout” feature for prospective renters to post specific requests.
Worth checking out.

My pal, Rick Seaney of Farecompare, reminds us that the best time to start looking is Monday at 3 p.m. through Wednesday.
This is why. Domestic carriers can file information about fares to the reservation systems three times a day during the week -- and once a day on weekends (International carriers can file as many as five times a day).
Airlines typically put sales up Monday morning at the 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. periods, and those prices go live about two to three hours later.
In the next 24-hour period, other airlines start matching the sales prices -- or sometimes they don't. But if they do that's when you'll find the best prices. The sales tend to expire late Friday.
OK, that's the best time. When is the worst? Airlines usually file fare increases late Thursday and Friday so shopping at the end of the week through the weekend tends to be less advantageous.

Hotels.com has extended its Summer Drive & Save program through Oct. 5, if bookings are reserved by Sept. 15. For each booking of three nights or more, guests will get a $50 prepaid MasterCard. Valid properties at the discount site include traditional hotels, vacation rentals, all-inclusive resorts, and bed-and-breakfasts.

Posted by Richard C. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

This is Day 3. Each day, JetBlue is posting special one-way sale fees to specific locations on specific days. Today, you can book a $49 seat online from Boston to Dulles for Sept. 17.
At first glance it just seems goofy but if you take a closer look it's potentially a win-win for us and them. Let's say you book a $49 seat to DC on Wednesday Sept. 17 and plan to make it a long weekend, returning on Monday Sept. 22. You can get a return seat on JetBlue for $74, and the total for the round-trip is $144, including taxes.
I plugged the same dates into Kayak and the best deal I could come up with was $178 on United.
It's clearly a win for us, but what's in it for JetBlue? Sebastian White, a company spokesman, says, "Certain routes on certain days may have more empty seats on one leg than
the reverse leg. Directional fares are a good way to smooth out demand for flights
throughout the week while offering an excellent deal to travelers.''
Anyway, if you've still got itchy feet and aren't quite ready to switch out of vaca mode, this could be a pretty good deal.

Sounds unbelievable but it's true. CityFlitz, a auto-sharing start-up, will make vehicles available for use in Greater Toronto for $1 per day starting Sept. 1
How are they managing to do this? CityFlitz wraps their Mini Coopers and Clubmans and Smart cars in advertising -- charging companies about $400/day. So basically CityFlitz partners pick up the tab.
How does it work? You must be older than 23 and a licensed driver, pay a $30 one-time administrative fee to join, a $350 fully-refundable security deposit, and a $7 monthly usage fee -- remember this is an auto-sharing deal. Users must agree to drive at least 19 miles a day and can get cars for as long as a week at a time. All autos come with a full tank and must be refueled.
CityFlitz is launching its service in Toronto with 10 cars and plans to expand to Vancouver and eventually throughout Canada.
Admittedly this program is set up primarily for Canadians but it's not hard to imagine that some American travelers could also benefit.
Wonder what it would take to get these guys to Boston?

The price of gas goes up and comes down -- but not that far down. According to the AAA, a gallon of regular in Boston will set you back about $3.61, but you can do a bit better if you shop around.
With the $2/gallon days over, everybody seems to be looking to score a hybrid. But the folks at Bankrate.com say that if you're really looking for economy focusing on just fuel efficiency is short sighted because it ignores other costs like repairs, maintenance, and financing.
They talked to Joe Spina, an analyst for Edmunds.com, which tracks the total cost of car ownership over a five-year period, and came up with this list of the least expensive cars to own.
1. Honda Fit (at right)
2. Chevrolet Aveo
3. Hyundai Accent
4. Toyota Yaris
5. Nissan Versa
6. Scion xB
7. Pontiac Vibe
8. Toyota Corolla
9. Kia Rio
10. Suzuki SX4

The Wyndham folks are offering this 50 percent off deal through the end of the year. This is the way it works: This discount is available Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and you must stay at least two consecutive nights. The offer is subject to availability, and blackout dates apply.
What you get? Half off your second night or half off additional room on the same night (a useful option if you happen to be traveling with, say, teenage kids and would not mind getting them into their own room for a night). You can book either through the website or
by calling 877-999-3223 and requesting the Weekender package.

An update on this week's military baggage fee fiasco.
AirTran, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United said they would start waiving all or most of their baggage fees for active members of the US military on official travel.
And earlier this week, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air dropped their levies to check a third bag for active service members.
What triggered this largess? An outpouring of generosity and patriotism for our guys in uniform perhaps?
Try a protest letter sent by the Veterans of Foreign Wars to the Air Transport Association, which represents the airline industry, asking for a break for service members -- a note that was followed by a few others from a handful of influential members of Congress.
The VFW sent its billet doux in response to a story in the El Paso Times recounting the experience of a pair of Texas Army National Guard Soldiers who were charged for extra baggage as they headed for training before deploying to Iraq later this year.
It's no secret that the this year the airlines have had to raise fares and impose new and higher luggage fees to offset surging fuel costs. But, guys, come on. Slapping baggage fees on folks in uniform preparing for battle? Ever hear of PR?

It's all about doing the right thing. And the smart thing.
American says it will no longer charge active members of the military to check a third bag. Some peers, however, appear to be dragging their feet.
American's decision comes a couple of weeks after a story in the El Paso Times recounting the experience of a pair of Texas Army National Guard Soldiers who were charged for extra baggage as they headed for training before deploying to Iraq later this year. This year airlines have been raising fares and imposing new and higher luggage fees to offset surging fuel costs.
American has never charged military personnel fees for first and second checked bags. The carrier was, however, hitting them with a $100 fee for the third bag, a levy for which service personnel could be reimbursed by the government.
"We always understood that soldiers traveling on duty were reimbursed by the military for the fees on required excess baggage. However, after recently hearing of the burden the military reimbursement process put on soldiers traveling to war zones, the choice for us to forgo payment for a third checked bag from the Department of Defense was clear,” said Tom Del Valle, American’s senior vice president for airport services.
This is all a good thing but what about the other carriers?
Rick Seaney, airline blogger extraordinaire, says that United plans to drop its 3rd checked-bag fee in wake of American's move and that Southwest had already done so earlier this year.
Northwest, Delta and US Airways had not yet responded to inquiries but Continental told him: “This is a pricing matter -- we can’t discuss future plans.”
Come on, guys. This should be a no-brainer.

Ellen Creager spends a good bit of time on the road so has come to appreciate the not-so-subtle relative qualities of reasonably-priced chain hotels. The Detroit Free Press writer says her criteria for rooms are simple: night-time quiet and darkness; cleanliness; free Internet, free breakfast, and a comfortable bed.
While on a recent road trip, she tried out four different business hotels, each of which averaged $114 per night with tax: Marriott Courtyard in northeast Atlanta, Country Inn and Suites near the Nashville Airport, Hampton Inn in Bardstown, Ky., and a Holiday Inn Express outside of Cincinnati.
The winner? Country Inn and Suites. But she concludes that all of them beat her expectations. Here's her story.

Wanna get away -- and play some golf?
There are deals to be had over the next several weeks, particularly in places where late summer qualifies as the “low season.” The LaQuinta Golf Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif., has two noteworthy courses designed by Pete Dye, and through Sept. 18, the golf vacation provider Worldwide Golf Vacations is offering an outstanding three-day deal for $489 per person, double-occupancy. The package includes three nights in a resort casita, a $50 dining credit per room per night, three days of unlimited golf on-site, a shared cart and pre-booked tee times, plus a three-day rental of a midsize car with unlimited mileage. The aforementioned courses include the Mountain Course, ranked among Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 You Can Play.” This scenic layout is carved into the Santa Rosa Mountains, and it has hosted the Senior Skins Game and golf’s World Cup competition. The resort’s Dunes Course (above) has a Scottish flair and demands accuracy off the tee. It has hosted the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying six times, and is on Golf Digest’s “Top 75 Resort Courses” in the US.
Another deal is a bit less expensive and closer to home, but requires you to move a little more quickly. Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is offering a three-day package at $439 per person through Aug. 31, based on quad occupancy. The deal includes three nights in a two-bedroom villa, three rounds of golf, carts and pre-booked tee times, and a three-day minivan rental with unlimited mileage. For more information on these deals, and to view other available packages, go to the Worldwide Golf Vacations website, or call them at 800-946-5318.

Now you've got no excuse not to try to plan a vacation.
This is the deal: The promotion runs each night beginning at 8 p.m. from Aug. 8-15. The first 800 to make a reservation on super8.com each night starting at 8 can get a room for one night at a participating US or Canadian location for $8.88.
The fine print: You must book on the site, and your stay must take place no later than Dec. 30.
Limit of one room and one night per person. Here are the complete rules.
Start your engines.

Most people I know waive insurance when renting a car. But do you know what kind of coverage your card offers? Or how much? Are you even positive that your card does offer coverage?
Most people assume that if they have a gold or platinum card they are covered and that appears to be true. But did you know that Visa offers coverage to all its customers?
Also were you aware that most cards exclude coverage on certain types of vehicles? In some cases this means exotic or expensive cars; in others it means trucks or certain vans.
The folks at credit card.com have put together a list of the coverage offered by the credit firms. To see the list, keep reading.

FULL ENTRY

It wasn't all that long ago that it seemed as if fare and fee hikes were raining down daily. And then it stopped. But it looks like it could be starting up again.
On Tuesday, Delta doubled fees for a second checked bag to $50. A big deal, yes, but for consumers not huge since the first is still free.
Today, airfare guru Rick Seaney, who has access to fare databases, is reporting on his website that Wednesday night Northwest jacked up domestic round-trip prices by $80 on more than 4,000 city pairs, less than two-thirds of its route system. This is apparently the first time Northwest has initiated an airfare hike this year.
Bloomberg News is quote Seaney as saying many of the affected routes are to and from Detroit, one of Northwest's three domestic hubs and that "hardly any'' are for flights its Minneapolis and Memphis hubs.
But the big question is: Will there be more?
It's tough to say. Seaney says part of the reason we haven't had any for a while is due to the fact that oil prices have fallen back below $130 a barrel. But a good part of the reason may be that the airlines feared customers might've been reaching a tipping point. Or as Gary Kelly, Southwest chief executive, put it last week: "We have some evidence … in the industry with our competitors where they feel like they’ve pushed fares too fast.''
So we'll see what happens next.

OK, so many of us are staying put this summer. Thank god we happen to live in a place full of fun and touristy things to do (if you don't believe me just ask any one of the thousands of men wandering aimlessly around town with cameras around their necks, clad in pressed shorts and white socks with cellphones holstered and strapped to their belts).
Most of us who've lived here forever have never been to many of these places, unless you got dragged there as a child or by a child. Now is your chance.
Three of the biggest purveyors of packaged discount deals for local tourist sites are Boston Explorer Pass, Go Boston Card, and Boston City Pass, and the first two of the three are currently running sales. And this is the way they work:

FULL ENTRY

JetBlue has just launched its fall "Jetters Will Play'' sale starting now through Wednesday Aug. 6.
One-way fares start as low as $39 -- although most are not. From Boston, you can get to Buffalo (but why would you want to?) or New York City (now you're talking) for as little as $59. How about Fort Lauderdale or Orlando? As low as $94. Oakland or San Jose? Try $179.
All of these fares must be booked through the site; there are blackout dates; and the dates by which travel must be completed vary according to destination. Also, you'll note that you'll generally have more success getting the best rates by trying to book midweek.
If you go to the site, you can also register for a sweepstakes that will be held from now through Aug. 6 to win a pair of round-trip tickets to a different destination every day.

James Bond's spy-gadget-equipped Aston Martin DB5, which first appeared
in the 1964 film "Goldfinger,'' on display at the International Spy Museum.

Orbitz is offering up to 30 percent off hotel rooms in a number of cities around the nation.
What does this mean? Maybe you want to get your Sean Connery on and go check out the International Spy Museum in Our Nation's Capital? You can score 30 percent off for stays of three nights. This translates into rates starting at $129/night (And this is no dive if TripAdvisor's reviews can be believed: They give it a 4 out of 5).
The only catch is that you have to book by Aug. 31, and your carriage turns back into a pumpkin Nov. 24. Worth a look.

Greetings from Barbados where my arrival coincided with Budget Day, when the prime minister reveals to the people what's in store for the new fiscal year. Barbadian PM David Thompson had some news for us too: a 1,000 percent increase in the visitor driving permit, from $10 to $100. Other tax hikes included liquor licenses and alcohol, up 50 percent. "We simply cannot absorb this increase," a car rental agency was quoted in the Barbados Free Press.
The planned increase raised such outcry that the House of Assembly returned to the budget drawing board. No figures were given but the increase for short-term visitors will be more modest, the House said.
While the Caribbean may not be top-of-your-mind in July, it might be worth checking to see how high the fees are before your next winter visit if you plan to rent a car.

Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent

The clock is ticking on JetBlue's 10 percent or $10 off sale, which will expire Friday at midnight.
This deal covers flights between Sept. 3 and Dec. 16, with blackouts apparently from Oct. 9-14 and Nov. 25 - Dec. 1.
To avail yourself of the savings you need to follow this link to a special page, where you can select where you want to go, and then use either JET07 to save $10 off a flight ($20 for round-trips) or JET17 for a 10 percent discount in the promo code box.
Think of it. Enjoying the vibrancy of fall in Oakland. Or Long Beach.

This summer, Iceland’s hot. Iceland Experience has a travel package timed to coincide with the July 11 Hollywood premiere of a movie starring Brendan Fraser based on Jules Verne’s novel, ‘‘Journey to the Center of the Earth.’’ Iceland Experience is quick to point out that while its fly-drive tour will not really take you to the center of the earth, it will bring you to the starting point for the adventure that took Verne’s travelers deep into the earth (Snaefellsjokull Glacier ). There are daily departures year-round. Starting at $909 per person, the package includes:

• Three nights’ lodging (with breakfast) in Reykjavik
• Four nights lodging (with breakfast) in the countryside
• Five-day vehicle rental with unlimited mileage

You may not see many celebrities, but you will see lots of geothermal activity. Stops include Sellfoss, in the center of hot springs and waterfalls; Gulfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall; and the Geysir, an erupting hot spring.

Besides celebrating a movie premiere, things are really hopping in Reykjavik. The Gay Pride Parade is Aug 7-10 ; Reykjavik Cultural Night is Aug. 23; and the Reykjavik Marathon also is Aug. 23. Tourists in the know will pick up a Reykjavik Tourist Card, which provides admission to all the thermal pools in the capital, city buses, the National Museum, the Reykjavik Zoo, and more. It comes in increments of 24, 48, or 72 hours and costs about $20-$39.

If the mountain won't come to you... go on a three-day rock-climbing getaway in New Hampshire. REI (yes, the outdoor clothing and camping supply company) has put together a great selection of outdoor adventures, many of which are right here in New England. The rock-climbing adventure takes place at Rumney Rocks, about 8 miles outside of Plymouth, N.H., and the introductory course is perfect for those who have never before gripped a crag with a be-chalked hand. For trip dates (including women-only climbs), go to rei.com/adventures or call 800-622-2236. Posted by Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

With more people vacationing close to home, short road trips are becoming more and more popular, even in the face of rising gas prices. AAA Southern New England offers their members some great "Drive Vacation" packages, which include admission tickets, lodging, driving directions, marked maps (with trip irritations like construction zones and congested areas highlighted), tour books, and discount partner listings. There are 30 destinations from which to choose, some as close as the Berkshires (starting at $170 per person for two nights) and the White Mountains (about $590 for two nights for a family of four), others as far away as Montreal (about $90 per person per night) and Pennsylvania Dutch Country (about $450 for two adults for three nights). For more information, call 888-222-4619 or visit aaa.com/travel.
Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

Good morning, travelers. One of the cool things about living in the Northeast is that there are great places to visit, a relatively short car ride away.
You want beaches? We got the beaches. You want mountains? Got 'em.
How about major cities? Try Beantown, New Jack, the District, and Philly.
Anyway, if you're planning a trip to one of these metropolises and need parking, check out bestparking.com. It's very simple to use and compares rates on parking lots throughout each city, broken down by neighborhood, time of day, and whether you need it daily or monthly.
You can also access the site from your mobile. And it's all free. Park on.

The “gas-back” deal was bound to happen.

You’d better move fast if you want $2.99 gas for a visit to the Bethel Inn Resort. The Maine resort is giving vacationers who book with the resort for at least two nights between June 15 and Sept. to get 15 a break on gasoline prices. But the catch is that bookings must be made between June 13 and July 4.

Here’s the deal (sort of). When you check in, the staff calculates your round-trip mileage from any point within 300 miles and figures how many mpg your vehicle gets. The spread between $2.99 and the price you paid at last fill-up is credited to your account. That’s a good deal if you’re driving a Suburban, less so if you’re in a Prius. Say you average 25mpg, paid $3.99 for gas, and are coming from 300 miles away. That’s a credit of $24.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Orbitz is offering a very interesting deal right now. If you book on the site and pay their $7-$12 service fee they promise to reimburse you the difference if the fare for your flight drops before you take off.
This is the way it works: Orbitz will track prices from the time you buy your ticket until the day of the flight and will issue qualifying refunds of $5 to $250, according to details on the site.
There is, however, a good bit of fine print involved. Two big things to keep in mind. First, the reimbursement won't apply if your carrier goes under. And the second involves the way Orbitz keeps track of fare decreases: Specifically, another customer must get a lower priced fare on Orbitz for the exact itinerary you have. So, if a lower fare is available, say, through a carrier's own website it doesn't count. And since Orbitz only sells a fraction of the tickets for any flight (the folks at Online Travel Review put their estimate at about 7.5 percent on average) and since flight prices tend to go up as you get closer to departure the odds that they'll need to pony up a reimbursement seem a little low.
Orbit's plans were first reported by the WSJ.
A little complicated but what a concept, yes?

You could miss a great stay if you believe everything you read on the Web. I was reminded of this when I went to book a single night at a B&B through its booking engine. Although the night I wanted was clearly in “high season,” the availability calendar showed that every room at the inn was open. But when I went to book, I got the “two-night minimum for this check-in date.”
So I called. The innkeeper couldn’t have been nicer, apologizing for the software. “We usually start getting our heavy summer bookings about then,” he said, “so we only take two nights or more on the Web.” Could he make an exception? You bet he could.
I’ve been a “content provider” for about as long as there’s been a Web, but even I know better than to believe everything I read.

Posted by David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Can you stand the heat the past few days? Well, it is probably comparable to what you would run across in Florida this summer... my point being that a famed PGA Tour course in the Sunshine State is offering a series of deals to play its hallowed ground this summer at greatly reduced rates. Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, the home of a World Golf Championship event won by Geoff Ogilvy and Tiger Woods the past two years, has three events planned that will likely leave most players begging Doral’s famed Blue Monster course for mercy. The first is the Summer Solstice Slam on Wednesday, June 18, the longest day of the year. From dawn to dusk, golfers can play 54 holes on Doral’s Blue Monster and Great White courses with food and beverage provided (think hydration!!) for $175 per person. That is a savings of more than 50 percent over regular greens fees on those courses. OK, so maybe a three-round day on demanding courses isn’t your idea of fun. Doral will also host the Blue/White Aggregate Tournament on Thursday, Aug. 28, where players can take on the Blue Monster and the Great White in one day for $150, including continental breakfast and lunch, a savings of 60 percent over regular rates. Prizes awarded at this event will include a three-day/two-night Doral golf package for two, complimentary tee times for four on the Blue Monster and Great White courses, and gift certificates for closest to the pin, longest drive, and most improved score. Finally, on Blue Monster Day, Monday, Sept. 29, golfers will have the chance to play the tournament course from the pro tees, with a chance to “Beat the Pro” on the 9th hole, a 169-yard par 3 over water, of course (why do you think they call it the Blue Monster?). When you play No. 18, a 467-yard par 4 (shown above), you will be tackling what has ranked statistically as the toughest hole on the PGA Tour two of the past four years. Might be a good idea to bring your “A” game. Room rates start at $149 per night. For more information, go here or call (800) 71-DORAL.

The Today Show had a very cool story about this eatery in Biddeford, Maine, Dan's Restaurant, that lets customers negotiate prices a bit. This is the way it works: Let's say you want a scallop plate; it costs $18, but you only have $10 on you. So you tell the waitress, and she brings you $10 worth.
Apparently Dan's has been doing this for a couple months now. The whole thing started when an elderly woman stopped in a bit ago and after eating said she really enjoyed it and would come more often but couldn't afford it. So, an idea was born.
Obviously, the policy has drawn a good bit of attention. And a waitress there said that she's been told it will go on indefinitely -- particularly given the current tough times.
Bon appetit.

Times are tough. The travel wise guys say with the weak dollar, rising airline fares, and rocketing gas costs more of us will be traveling less. And those who do venture out will be looking to stay closer to home.

Many are rethinking what kind of cars they are driving. Might be time to trade in that old tuna boat SUV. But new is so expensive. Thank goodness the folks at Consumer Reports have come out with their list of the most reliable and fuel-efficient used cars (Trust me; used is the new black).
In the vehicles under $10 grand category:

Auto........................................overall mpg
2000 Honda Insight (manual)..................51
2001-02 Toyota Prius.................................41
2000-05 Toyota Echo.................................38
1998-2002 Chevrolet Prizm........................32
1998 Mazda Protegé LX.............................32
1998-2000 Toyota Corolla CE/LE............32/31
1998-2001 Acura Integra LS (manual)....32
2004-05 Scion xA (manual/automatic)...31/30

If you want the list of the pricier cars, read on.

FULL ENTRY

Vermont’s capital city puts a green spin on this summer’s outdoor art project. “SculptCycle 2008” selected Vermont artists to create 25 original sculptures using discarded bicycles and parts as a way to show off the local talent and Montpelier. Placed on sidewalks, plazas, and storefronts all over downtown through Oct. 4, the sculptures are unveiled officially June 7 with a sculpture tour parade followed by an opening

Lochlin Smith & Ward Joyce's "Squashed Bikes" under construction

reception with music and food on the State House lawn. “SculptCycle” culminates with a live and silent/online auction to benefit the artists and the Montpelier Downtown Community Assn. Challenge yourself on foot or bike to find all 25 works without using a map. Visit www.sculptcycle.org for full calendar of related events, artists’ information, and a map.

By Jan Shepherd, Globe Correspondent

So who would know better than an out-of-town theater critic about how to find hotel bargains in midtown? The Chicago Trib's Chris Jones offers nine tips and they're really pretty useful.
Among them, he suggests not being a snob about seeking our chains because they can often offer a much nicer and more economical stay than "boutique" hotels as the franchises have to adhere to corporate standards so they tend to have bigger rooms, better service, and more amenities.
He also points out that there often is not a whole lot to be gained by booking way in advance at the chains as prices on the Web can drop the nearer you get to your arrival day -- except during peak periods.
And remember, Sunday is your friend. Hotels tend to be cheaper then and most expensive on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Be aware that rates go through the roof during the high-traffic times of March spring break and fall weekends as hotels fill with student groups and Europeans on shopping sprees. Instead, focus on January, February, late April, May, or perhaps the summer.
Finally, when you get to midtown and you are looking for theater tickets don't forget TKTS which specializes in day-of-show surplus seats at discounts that often hit half off. TKTS has booths outside the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and at the South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John streets, near the rear of the Resnick/ Prudential Building. If you get there about an hour before the booth opens, good things will happen.

Not that you necessarily need a huge incentive to want to lounge on an unspoiled beach on Curaçao, an eclectic little tropical island with Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and African influences off the north coast of Venezuela, but through November Continental Airlines is offering round trips to the island (just from Newark, sorry) starting at $378 with a $140 credit toward your vacation. Details at curacao.com.

While you're there, be sure to check out the Curaçao Ostrich Farm, one of the biggest such farms outside of Africa; the Curaçao Seaquarium, where you can snorkel or scuba dive in tanks and hand-feed stingrays, sea turtles, and sharks; and Dolphin Academy, where you can meet and swim with dolphins.

The endlessly, shamelessly self-promotional Dennis Hof, owner of the notorious Moonlight Bunny Ranch in Carson City, Nevada, says that the American Traveler has endured enough.
Hof says that the brothel, moved by American Airline's recent announcement that it would begin charging $15 for even a first checked piece of luggage, will give a $15 rebate to its fly-in customers who show a claim stub upon entering the establishment.
"As long as the airlines keep sticking it to the consumer," Hof says "we feel obligated to help. And we won't ask what's in your luggage, although the girls may be curious."
Ouch. What a mensch.

Good morning, travelers. We keep hearing that this summer many will be looking for travel opportunities closer to home. And we are listening.

Six Flags, which has a park in Agawam (a bedroom community of the metropolis of Springfield), says if you buy admission tickets online you can get them at the children's rate of $29.99. Or if you're the type who has trouble planning ahead, they're offering special summer tickets at the gate in Western Mass. for just $39.99.
Besides the rides and the water park, Six Flags is planning summer concerts (including their Kiss 95 kick off with Bow Wow and Simple Plan and one special Thursday night show with Raven Symone) as well as a new Glow in the Park Parade, featuring state-of-the-art floats (I think we're talking glow sticks on steroids here) and Cirque Du Soleil-type music.
Cool. Somebody queue the music and let's bring back the creepy, fake-bald, dancing dude.

Let Rick Steves be your guide as you listen to his walking tours of Italy's popular attractions, including Michelangelo’s David, the Sistine Chapel, or St. Mark’s Square.

Download the tours for free from his website or from iTunes.

More than a million tours have been downloaded since Steves introduced his France series last year.

Combine tickets to the Red Sox and a day of discount shopping and it's a perfect getaway for many. That's just what Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets are offering with their "Short Stop and Shop" Package.

Although they tout this for international visitors, it's available to all. Included are:
- three-night or four-night accommodations for two
- two tickets to Red Sox game
- round-trip transportation for two from the hotel to the outlets, for a day of shopping
- one $25 Chelsea Premium Outlets gift card
- one $5 VIP Chelsea Premium Outlets discount coupon book

Four-night package dates:
- July 5-9, with tickets on July 7 or 8 (Boston vs. Minnesota)
- July 25-29, with tickets on July 28 or 29 (Boston vs. Los Angeles)
- Aug. 31-Sept. 4, with one set of tickets on Sept.1, 2 or 3 (Boston vs. Baltimore)

Three-Night package dates:
- Aug.17-Aug. 20, ith baseball tickets on Aug. 17 (Boston vs. Toronto)

The four-night package price is $919; three-night $739 (including tax; excluding alcohol, parking, and gratuities). Availability is limited. For reservations, call 1-800-228-9290 and ask for promotional code ZJL.

Free food, travelers. Let's plan our day. From 7-10:30 this morning participating Mickey D's gave free Southern Style Chicken Biscuits if you bought a medium or large drink. Then, from 10:30 to 7 this evening they're giving away free Southern Style
Chicken Sandwiches -- again if you buy a drink.
Still thirsty? Our pals at Dunkin' have declared this Free Iced Coffee Day. From 10 to 10 you can walk into any participating store, sidle up to the bar, and score a 16-ouncer.
Free food and coffee is a sweet thing -- and the whole experience is only enhanced if you manage to sneak out of work to get it.

The LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in Naples, Fla., bills itself as rivaling Miami’s South Beach in ambience, and it has landed on Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice list of golf resorts three years running. It offers a testing golf course along with a private white-sand beach resort, an elegant day spa, and fine seafood dining. And from May 26 through Sept. 30, the resort is offering its “Golf Away the Summer Days” unlimited play package to sweeten the deal. Rates start at $229 a night ($299 on weekend nights) and include accommodations, complimentary valet parking, resort fees, fitness center access, and unlimited golf for two. The Robert Cupp-designed, par-72 course is set up to offer a firm, fast playing surface similar to a true links layout, and 14 of the holes play around or over water. Rates do not include taxes and gratuities, and note that the golf course is closed on Mondays. For more information, call 800-237-6883 or visit laplayaresort.com.

How refreshing to find a hotel "deal" that is actually a bargain! Shell Vacations Hospitality is offering family-friendly summer deals at some of its resorts in the US and Canada. Included are a $15 gas card (OK, that's not even half a tank these days, but at least it's something), room rates ranging from $68-$189 for guests staying four nights or more, and a gift pack of beach games for the kids. Packages are valid from June 2 until Sept. 5 and can only be booked online through Shell's website. Shell's resorts include:
Peacock Suites, Anaheim
Orange Tree Golf Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Legacy Golf Resort, Phoenix
Starr Pass Golf Suites, Tucson
Desert Rose Resort, Las Vegas
Carriage Ridge Resort, Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
Mountainside Lodge, Whistler, British Columbia
Waikiki Marina Resort, Oahu
Kauai Coast Resort, Kauai

You have until midnight to score this. Southwest is offering a sale for travel May 8-31, with prices as low as $48 one way. From Providence, $48 gets you to Baltimore/Washington Int'l, $83 to Columbus, Ohio, $66 to Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and $94 to West Palm Beach. Blackout dates are May 22, 23, and 26 and all reservations must be made on the site. Other fees apply. These are pretty good rates, but it's always wise to shop. In this case quickly.

We like deals. Like 'em a lot. Bank of America has been running its Museums on Us program in May -- which is National Museum Month, for those of you keeping track -- a few years now. Bank customers got free admission to a bunch of museums by showing a check or credit or ATM card. First it was just regional and later it was expanded to the Northeast.
B of A now has decided to take it nationwide and change it from the month of May to the first weekend of every month (like this weekend, say). What does this mean? Well, besides museums like the MFA and DeCordova and others around here, you could hit the Met in New York, or perhaps the DeYoung in San Francisco. Ever been to the Art Institute of Chicago or the Houston Museum of Natural Science? You get the idea. There's a museum locator on the website.
Besides the B of A deal, Baskin Robbins -- they of the 31 flavors back in the day -- are offering a 31-cent scoop night (from 5-10) at all 2,700 locations nationwide as a benefit for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. So we're talking three scoops for less than a buck. And you get to help Jakes. Here's the store locator.

This offer from Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel is pricey, but if a Sox fan is willing to pay $175,000 for a once-buried, torn Ortiz jersey, this might seem like a bargain.

Here's the deal: The Waterfront Luxury Suite Baseball Package costs $1,200.
It includes: two field box seats to a Sox game at Fenway (seats are six rows from the field, on the third base line,section 31, Box 78, Row D); overnight hotel accommodations on the evening of the game, in a new Waterfront Luxury Suite; breakfast for two the next morning at Oceana Restaurant; and complimentary overnight parking for one car.

Check the website for games dates (no Yankees games on the list).

You have to pay in full at time of booking and the fee is nonrefundable. Availability is limited, so if this would make the perfect Mother's or Father's Day gift, act now.

The Eurail Pass is not valid in Great Britain, but if you're between the ages of 16 and 25, ACP Rail and BritRail have a deal for you: Purchase any Eurail Pass and get a 50 percent discount off the regular adult price of a standard class BritRail Consecutive Pass, BritRail FlexiPass, BritRail England Consecutive Pass, or BritRail England FlexiPass.

The offer is valid throughout 2008. Phone 1866 938 RAIL and order your Eurail Youth and your BritRail Pass. If you already have your Eurail Pass, log onto BritRail.com and choose the Eurail Pass Tab on select BritRail passes. The Eurail and BritRail Passes must both be in your possession at the time you travel in Britain and they must both be valid for travel.

BritRail Passes are available for as few as 4 days and up to a month and can be used on 19,000 daily train departures to more than 2,500 destinations.

With the tumbling dollar this could be just the ticket.

The latest Caribbean Travel & Life on newsstands today lists the top 25 affordable hotels chosen from more than 1,000 in the region.

Included are Blachi Koko in Bonaire "situated just 50 feet from some of the Caribbean’s finest diving and snorkeling'' and Mafolie Hotel in St. Thomas (at right), where in "you can be 800 feet above sea level, overlooking the port of Charlotte Amalie.''

Here’s the lineup:

$105 or Less
Hotel Playa Colibri, Dominican Republic
Velero Beach Resort, Dominican Republic
Da House, Puerto Rico
Blachi Koko, Bonaire
Kariwak Holistic Haven and Hotel, Tobago
Jake’s, Jamaica
Frigate Bay Resort, St. Kitts
Admiral’s Inn, Antigua

$105 to $145
Mafolie Hotel, St. Thomas, USVI
Sibonné, Turks and Caicos
La Sagesse Nature Center, Grenada
Mary’s Boon, St. Maarten
Rockhouse, Jamaica
Greenbank Guesthouse, Bermuda
Harmony Studios, St. John, USVI
Cooper Island Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
Sea Foam Haciendas, Barbados

$145 to $200
Coco Palm, St. Lucia
Grand Case Beach Club, St. Martin
Manchebo Beach Resort, Aruba
Shangri-La Caribe, Mexico
Ti Kaye Village, St. Lucia
Plein Soleil, Martinique
Kú, Anguilla
Village St. Jean, St. Barts

Good old-fashioned bubbles, in ginormous quantities: What's not to like? TravelZoo has flagged a last-minute deal good through April 30. It's not exactly huge, but you can get $10 off a regular ticket for the "Gazillion Bubble Show" in New York. I've heard this show appeals especially to kids 9 and under. Visit broadwayoffers.com and enter code ZQQNWS.

In an attempt to help offset (let's all say this together) the rising cost of fuel, US Airways says that it is going to give passengers the "option'' of paying at least $5 a flight for a "choice'' aisle or window seat in the first several rows of coach. The airline's elite frequent-flier members, however, will be able to book these seats for free.
USA Today's Ben Mutzabaugh says that the program will kick off May 7 and initially be offered just to travelers using Web check-in at the carrier's site. Eventually it'll be made available during airport check-in too.
The Choice Seats option will apply to all flights except the Shuttle and Colgan-operated Saab 340 aircraft.
May 7, huh? I know I can't wait.

We have heard great things about San Antonio, but it remains on the list of "places we'd really like to get to someday." The Alamo is a major lure, and the city also boasts a growing reputation for superb wine and cuisine. Plus there's the River Walk, with hotels, restaurants, shopping, and historic landmarks along two miles of paths that border the San Antonio River. The latest incentive -- for us, anyway -- is the local twilight golf program. Several area courses have joined forces to offer reduced greens fees in the afternoon and evening on some outstanding courses. An ambitious player might even squeeze in 36 holes in the p.m., since some of the specials begin at 1 o'clock, and darkness doesn't typically descend until 8:30 or so between May and July. Dozens of award-winning courses are offering specials that include carts, and there are even discounts off the reduced rates for golfers 55 and older. Courses range from historic municipal layouts to championship venues and world-class resorts. Pecan Valley Golf Club hosted the 1968 PGA Championship, won by Julius Boros by one shot over Arnold Palmer and Bob Charles, and the classic J. Press Maxwell design received a $5.5 million renovation 10 years ago (the 152-yard 3rd hole is pictured). Another highlight is the Westin LaCantera Resort, nestled in the Texas Hill Country just north of the city. Its two courses (the Resort and Palmer) offer gorgeous views of the city, waterfalls, and dramatic limestone outcroppings, and the Resort Course is the longtime host course for the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open. Not to worry: there are five sets of tees, so you won't have to play it from the same lengths as Justin Leonard did when he took the title for the third time last fall. To find out more about golf around San Antonio, go here.

Talk about a bad weekend.
My buddy, Bob, was supposed to fly out to Columbus, Ohio, weekend before last for a convention. He had gotten a fabulous deal on Skybus tickets. Strike One.
Once he'd learned the discounter had fallen down and couldn't get up, he also discovered that it would be mondo expensive to get another flight at the last minute (you might be surprised to learn how sparse the service is between Boston and Columbus -- or then again you might not care) and that local friends who also had Skybus tickets opted to make the 12-hour drive but had already left. Strike Two
And then there was the matter of his hotel canceling his reservation. That's right. They tossed him because they had overbooked. Strike Three.
Ouch. Seems Bob got this letter from a Ramada in Columbus saying that they weren't going to have room for him but they'd found him a replacement room across the the street -- at a slightly higher price.

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The sign outside Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy (AP Photo/Luigi Costantini)

If the depressing exchange-rate has you staying stateside more than you'd like, there's a bar in Venice that wants to ease your economic travel woes. Harry's Bar, which was frequented by libation-loving scribe Ernest Hemingway, is offering a 20 percent discount to American travelers in the restaurant portion of the eatery. Now the only thing left to do is figure out how to say "Another round please" in Italian…

After splurging last summer on a family trip to San Diego, I thought we’d be staying closer to
home this year. Or will we? TripAdvisor conducted a family travel survey of more than 2,400 respondents and came up with its top 10 family-friendly bargain hotels. Here’s the list — heavily geared toward California and Florida — with each hotel’s average nightly rate.

1. Dunes Village Resort, Myrtle Beach, S.C. ($139)
2. Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Orlando, Fla. ($104)
3. Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Anaheim, Calif. ($105)
4. Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, Orlando, Fla. ($151)
5. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Orlando, Fla. ($103)
6. Marriott’s Grande Vista, Orlando, Fla. ($156)
7. Homewood Suites Anaheim-Main Gate Area, Anaheim, Calif. ($121)
8. Staybridge Suites Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, Fla. ($155)
9. Comfort Suites Maingate East, Kissimmee, Fla. ($98)
10. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Orlando, Fla. ($102)

AirTran joins US Airways and JetBlue in offering a standby deal for passengers holding tickets for Skybus, which shut down Saturday.
AirTran's offer is much like the ones offered by the other two, which I wrote about Saturday. It's $50 per flight plus taxes and fees; to set it up you need to call the reservation line 800-247-8726. You'll need to show your original Skybus ticket receipt or e-ticket confirmation when you check in, and all travel must be completed by April 15.

Another one bites the dust. Discounter Skybus shut down today and plans to file for bankruptcy protection next week, croaked by the rocketing cost of jet fuel and the crumbling economy.
Dearly departed Skybus launched just last year and made a splash by offering 10 seats, each for $10, on every flight. They saved money by charging for EVERYTHING: water, checked bags, pillows. They also shaved costs by flying into places that don't get used much--or at all (but are sort of close to places where you might want to be). In New England, they offered a "Boston" option, which meant you were flying out of and into Portsmouth, N.H. They also flew from "Hartford" (Chicopee, Mass., really). From either, you could get to Greensboro, N.C., and Columbus, Ohio; from "Boston" you could also go to the Fort Myers and Jacksonville areas in Florida.
OK, but that's ancient history. You're holding tickets. What to do? You have a couple of choices. First you can try to chase your credit card company for a refund. And I wish you good luck with that.
Your other option is to grab the standby lifelines being thrown out by US Airways or JetBlue.

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Bargain bus riders don't need to wait until BoltBus launches service April 24 with its Boston-New York $1 fare deal. Lucky Star said that starting today it, too, will offer one seat per bus for just a buck.
The family-owned Chinatown bus company is facing tough new competition from corporate giants Greyhound Lines, which runs BoltBus in several East Coast cities, and Coach USA, which on May 30 will add the Boston-New York route and the $1 fare to its MegaBus subsidiary's 30-city empire.
Lucky Star said it isn't sure how long it will be able to maintain this price war -- especially with rising gas prices -- but it's trying to hang on to customers.
Lucky Star already matches pioneering competitor Fung Wah Bus in pricing each seat on the 57-passenger bus at $15 one-way. Now, weekday one-way tickets purchased online will go for $1 to $15 each, plus a 50-cent transaction fee. The walk-up fare will still be $15.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

Now I ain't sayin' he's a gold digger, but hip-hop star Kanye West has started a travel business, which aims to offer lower-cost airfares, hotels, rental cars -- all the usual suspects (according to Advertising Age, the venture is linked up with Travelocity).
Obviously, this thing looks to tap into Kanye's platinum-size fan base. Right now, the travel site is linked to Kanye's main site but there are no trips tied to concert tours or appearances. Apparently, that will come in a later phase.
Other celebrities have tried similar marketing deals but met with less that stellar results.
But Kanye? Get down man, go 'head get down.

A couple days ago my pal Nicole filled us in on the details of BoltBus's April 24 launch of its Boston-New Jack City run.
And Bolt is, as we've mentioned before, just one of the many services vying for our buck (and I do mean buck as both BoltBus and its big rival MegaBus -- which will pull up in Boston May 30 -- both offer seats starting at $1).
I love competition over me.
Anyway, our friends at The Washington Post -- where Bolt just began service -- kicked the tires and wrote about it. So here's what they thought:

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BoltBus will launch service between Boston's South Station and New York's Penn Station vicinity on April 24. Tickets go on sale April 7 on the company website. At least one seat on every bus will cost just $1 one way, plus a 50-cent booking fee, and the remainder will be priced according to market demand. Fares will rise the longer passengers wait, with walk-up tickets purchased from the driver before boarding priced at $20. BoltBus, which will have 12 daily departures on this route on weekdays and more on the weekends, will be the first low-cost carrier on this popular route to offer free WiFi. MegaBus, another new entrant to this competitive market, will also offer $1 seats and free WiFi once service starts May 30. BoltBus is celebrating by offering every seat between April 24 and April 27 for $1. MegaBus has done one better by offering every seat for free during its first week of service.
Posted By Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

I’m all for vacationing for the sake of a good cause. Even if it’s just for a little overnighter. Boston’s Seaport Hotel, which has teamed with the nonprofit literacy program Reach Out and Read, is offering an overnight stay for four, tickets to the Boston Children’s Museum, and use of the health club and indoor pool. The package starts at $169 per night plus tax. Nice touches for the kiddoes include cookies and milk upon arrival and a small toy from the hotel’s treasure chest. Guests can make a personalized bookplate to give to a child in need, and the hotel will make a donation to Reach Out and Read. The package is available on Friday nights throughout the year.

As if Steve Jobs hadn’t created something for hipsters and technology buffs to lust over with last year’s iPhone, Austrian designer Peter Aloisson has gone and one-upped him.

With his new diamond-encrusted iPhone Princess Plus, Aloisson has lifted the bar for costly cell phones even higher.

Retailing for $176,400, one of the phones has been promised to a Russian businessman who ordered the gizmo back in October. Those not looking to mortgage their home for the device can purchase a more “modest” version of the Princess for the price of $66,150.

Complete with 318 diamonds, (that’s 17.75 carats, for you jewelers out there) and an 18k white gold rim, the phone is the world’s most expensive iPhone -- obliterating last year’s record, $41,225, set by British designers, Amosu.

Aloisson, infamous for creating diamond-encrusted Nokias and Motorolas in the late ‘90s, is no stranger to the extravagant. In 2005, Aloisson unveiled a platinum-covered phone with eight rare blue diamonds. That phone -- available for $1,300,000 still holds the record for the world’s most expensive.

Not exactly something you’d want to drop on the sidewalk.

Posted by Chris Brook, Boston.com

One of the nation’s leading maritime museums, with more than over 300,000 annual visitors, will serve up drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and stories surrounding Bill McCoy, the infamous Florida boat builder turned Prohibition hero.

This Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea Mystic Seaport and its co-sponsor, Flat Hammock Press, invites lecturer and editor, Robert McKenna to discuss, ‘‘Rum Runners, the Prohibition Battle and a Sip of the Real McCoy.’’ Behind the infamous phrase, ‘‘It’s the real McCoy,’’ lies a legend of a man who built a bootlegging empire worth millions of dollars during Prohibition by promising quality liquor and fair business practices.

The lecture will look at the profound effect on American culture and business of those rum-running days. Prohibition started the same year women were given the right to vote and helped bolster the US Coast Guard, which was a leader in the in fight against rum runners. The period from 1920-33 also brought technological advances to marine engines and improvements to hull design.

Enjoy a drink from the cash bar with liquor made famous by McCoy, including Gordon’s gin and White Horse scotch. Arrive early and peruse the bookshop’s offerings on rum running, offering 6 published books on rum running and dine at the Seamen’s Inne with a 20 percent discount. Admission is $15 for museum members and $18 for nonmembers.
Posted by Kimberly Sherman, Globe Correspondent

And then there were four. Discounter Megabus plans to start offering trips between Boston and New York starting in late May. They will be going head to head with Boltbus, which is launching its service in April.
Both services have a similar pricing deal: It begins at a $1 for a seat if you reserve in advance and gets more expensive the closer you get to departure. BoltBus will offer WiFi and power outlets; Megabus plans to have WiFi but no power outlets. BoltBus will be shoving off from South Station; Megabus from 700 Atlantic Ave.
And both companies are locked in a Texas Death Cage showdown with the Chinatown bus services, Lucky Star and the sometimes-mechanically-challenged Fung Wah, which offer potentially lower cost service without amenities or the guaranteed seating.
The BoltBus-Megabus Battle in Boston is part of a larger war between the Scottish owner of BoltBus, FirstGroup PLC, and Scottish rival, Stagecoach Group, which runs Megabus. A kind of Scottish Battle Royale for the hearts and minds of the Backpack Brigade.
Still all this fighting over us. I'm thinking it's a good thing.

We just went to the forecast and found that the temperature is expected to range between 59 degrees and 72 degrees over the next week in Bermuda. Combine those conditions with the “Ultimate Tee Time Package” and you have a nice re-entry into golf after a dormant winter. Perhaps we’ll see 70 degrees once or twice around here next month, if we’re lucky!
The tee awaits at two Fairmont properties on the island, the Fairmont Southampton and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, and there are two comfortable ocean-view courses on which to ease into the swing of things. The Southampton course is a challenging par-3 layout, with 18 holes ranging from 110 yards to 216 yards. The Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club, the oldest private course on the island and a short ride away, is open to hotel guests and plays 5,800 yards to a par 70. If the muscles ache, the adjacent Willow Stream Spa is right on site with options that include a golf facial, the “up to par" body experience, and the golf performance treatment massage. This treatment, which is designed to improve balance and swing rotation, is endorsed by instructor to the stars David Leadbetter and PGA Tour star Charles Howell III, though I don’t suspect anyone is guaranteeing you’ll hit the ball like Howell after your massage. The package starts at $476 per day, double occupancy, and includes unlimited play on the par-3 course or one round daily at Riddell’s Bay, one night’s stay, plus taxes, tip, and resort fee. A two-night stay is required, and guests must be over 18. The package is available through December 31, 2008. For reservations or more information, call 800-441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.

Dude. Not really, but sort of, so keep reading. This is the story. A little bird (actually TheAirDB) told me that Skybus is going to start offering service from "Boston" (Portsmouth, N.H., really) to "New York" (Newburgh, N.Y., which is really about 80 miles north of Manhattan for all of you geographically-challenged types).
What? You've never heard of Skybus? (You're so ignorant sometimes you're like embarrassing to hang with.) They're the guys who started up last year and they set aside 10 seats for $10 on every flight. And the real fares are pretty low, too. How do they do it? Well, first of all they fly into places that don't get used much or at all (but are sort of close to places where you might want to be). And they charge for EVERYTHING: Water costs $2 a bottle; checked luggage $5 a bag per flight; and pillows $12 each. My pal Nicole Wong wrote a cool story last month about what it's like to fly with these guys.
OK, so you don't care about the "Boston" to "New York" deal. Well, they're also planning to start flying from Springfield (you know, like Western Mass.? Like Basketball Hall of Fame?)
to Punta Gorda and St. Augustine, Fla.
Ultra-cheap flights to Florida. Hmm. Sound better? OK, now, you CAN'T get these deals just yet because, well, they're not soup yet. But I'm predicting in the next few days....(so shake yourself and start paying attention to Current Events, OK? Sha.)

All right, I'm warning you: This is going to hurt. With crude prices sashaying toward $110 a barrel, US gas prices hit a record $3.227 per gallon today, up 27 cents in a month and topping the old high of $3.2265 set in May.
Around here, the average was only (only?) $3.103, off the record $3.214 set in September of 2005 (yes, all pain is relative). Want a little salt for that open fleshy wound? Last year, we were paying $2.506.
All these figures are courtesy of our pals at AAA.
The auto club says that folks in some parts of the country could be ponying up $4 by this summer (although our good friend Art Kinsman of the New England branch says we'll likely be paying closer to $3.50-$3.60). Let's hope most of those $4 folks are Yankee fans -- or Californians or Floridians (or anywhere else where people are wearing shorts when we can't).
Getting ready to swear off car travel? Airlines are no better.
United, American, Delta, and Continental have just raised round-trip ticket prices by as much as $10 amid surging jet-fuel costs, which hit a record $3.17 a gallon last week. The airlines have already tried pushing up fares about a half dozen times this year. So what's the total damage? As much as $50 in total fuel surcharges on certain US round-trip flights.
It could be a tough travel year, my friends. Seems like a good time to go fashionably green and maybe take up bicycling.

Need to catch the Brewers home opener April 4? Or sample some of the beers that made Milwaukee famous? Then Midwest Airlines may have a deal for you.

Through Friday, the airline is offering some discount fares for future travel, including some flights between Boston and Milwaukee. So for travelers who want to get a good look at Brewers slugger Prince Fielder (right), this may be an opportunity to check out.

The special fares cover some Midwest Airlines flights from April 1 through June 11, and one-way fares based on round trip purchase include such starting sample prices as Milwaukee to Boston for $79, Midwest said.
For locals interested in cricket and a different kind of royalty than Prince Fielder, British Airways is offering a summer sale that includes round trip fares from Boston starting at $769. Ticket purchases must be made by the end of Thursday, and the summertime rate is available for travel from May 26 through Sept. 3, the airline said.

As always, conditions apply to both Midwest Airlines and British Airways offers.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)

OK, I won't say I told you so. Last week, I peered into the bottom of my cup, read the coffee grounds and predicted that BoltBus would begin offering low-cost bus service between Boston and New York soon.
Today, the company said that the service would begin in April and that buses would run out of South Station.
BoltBus, a division of Greyhound, specializes in lower-cost fares (they start at $1 one way and go up as seats fill until they hit regular rates) and guaranteed seats, and it offers WiFi and power outlets. It's the same kind of service Vamoose started to launch last year until it ran afoul of ordinances in Boston and Cambridge.
Both companies are looking to compete with Lucky Star and the sometimes-mechanically-challenged Fung Wah, which offer service for a couple bucks less but without the amenities -- or the guaranteed seating (a not insignificant perk).
Dustin Clark of BoltBus says the company hasn't yet determined exactly when the service will begin or how many trips a day it will make.
The Daily Telegraph of London reported this morning that the move by BoltBus was part of a larger battle between the Scottish owner of Greyhound, FirstGroup PLC, and another Scottish rival, Stagecoach Group, which runs the lower-cost Megabus service in the Midwest and West Coast.
So now it appears you will soon have a choice. Competition. Markets. Cheaper ways to get to New York by bus. Isn't that what makes life here in the US of A so wonderful?