Published September 1, 2010

With the exception of perhaps a few tiny tarballs it appears that the Florida panhandle beaches are back to their usual dazzle.  And to get you over there to see for yourself, the Pensacola tourism folks have put together a dazzling promotion.  When you stay and play there this September, they'll give you an American Express gift card for $100 for each night you stay, up to three nights.  They launched this promotion last week and it's already been so wildly popular that Pensacola Beach is sold out, but you can still stay anywhere else in Escambia county, including Perdido Key.  You must pre-register, and be sure to read the requirements carefully, but this extraordinary deal is well worth it. Think fast, I suspect it won't be long before this sells out.

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Published August 26, 2010

So other than a couple of excellent fares to Denver, the budget pickings to points out west have been pretty slim this summer.  But at last that may be changing. First Continental offered a $210 roundtrip fare from New Orleans to San Francisco (before taxes) on select dates into the fall. Now American has one-upped with a $178 fare. That's about $100 cheaper than what I paid earlier this summer. Look for seats with the flexible dates feature at www.travelocity.com.

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Published August 24, 2010

So they made a liar out of me.  Last month I opined that the amazingly cheap fares to Boston we've been enjoying all summer were starting to climb, from a low of $118 to $138 at that time, and urged you to grab a ticket right away because they'd never be lower. I was wrong.  Much to my astonishment USAir is now offering a $98 roundtrip from New Orleans to Boston, before taxes.  I've learned my lesson and am not going to speculate about whether or not that fare will go lower, but I've never seen it cheaper than this.  These cheapest seats are limited, but this morning I found two on a flight the last weekend in September, which would be just about the perfect leaf peeping time in nice crisp fall New England air.  While we're still "glistening" back here. For those of you who'd like to get out and about in New England, Assistant Editor Anne Craven lived in Massachusetts for several years and has fond memories of the picturesque and historic port town of Marblehead, just a few miles north of Boston. I found seats using the flexible dates feature at www.travelocity.com.

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Published August 19, 2010

So there I am wedged into my assigned middle seat for the long flight back from my California vacation earlier this summer, when the flight attendant comes on the PA and announces that there are empty seats in the coach cabin.  Including some that are not middle seats.  But these are PREMIUM seats and if you want one you'll have to fork over another $30 bucks. Credit cards only please.  Otherwise, we were instructed, please remain in our assigned seat.  It was pretty infuriating. But the reality is that airlines are flying leaner fleets these days, with very few empty seats. Especially those for which you don't have to pay extra.  So as you compare flight costs for your next trip, also compare the available seats on different airlines, to see if there's a decent one you can snag without an up charge.  To help you do this there is a nifty tool, www.seatguru.com, which shows  you the cabin configuration for every plane flown by each airline, and helps you figure out which seat is likely to be the most comfortable.

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Published August 9, 2010

This is such a deal I didn't even bother trying to come up with a clever subject line.  Beginning later this month you can fly roundtrip from Baton Rouge to Chicago on Continental for under $140 roundtrip and that includes the taxes. That's right, I said Baton Rouge, not New Orleans. I checked moments ago and you could even use this fare over the Labor Day holiday if you leave Saturday and come back Tuesday.  I'm one of those rebels who has always liked Chicago better than New York.  I'd go just for the improv theater. Or how about a Blue Man performance for just $44? Find available airline seats using the flexible dates tool at www.travelocity.com. Think fast, this could vanish any second.

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Not only is Berlin one of Europe's most culturally vibrant cities, it's also one of the most affordable. Which must explain why at the moment you can buy a vacation package there on select dates next January through March that includes roundtrip air from New York and five nights at a VERY nice Kempinski Bristol hotel for $799. Sure if will be nippy outside, but who cares when you're surrounded by great museums, art galleries, and restaurants. And when you have an astonishing indoor pool to lounge about at your hotel. The Berlin Wall Museum is worth the trip alone in my book. About $150 in airport taxes are extra, as is transportation to New York City, but you can expect some excellent airfare sales there come fall.   Get details in the package HERE.

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Published July 29, 2010

So we’re finally starting to see some discounts appearing in the airways and there’s this interesting cluster of airports in the Northeast, each of which happens to currently have a roundtrip airfare from New Orleans starting at $138.  Most of the attention will of course go to New York City, which is on the list. I on the other hand am more intrigued by the lesser-known airports, like the one at Islip on Long Island. From here you’re just down the road from summering with the rich and famous in the Hamptons.

Across the sound New Haven, Connecticut offers the pretty Yale University campus and its museums, while nearby the community of Milford hosts the Great American Sand Sculpture Competition on August 7.  A bit further inland the same fare applies to the Hartford, Connecticut airport, just minutes from one of my favorite spots in New England, Mystic Seaport. And then there’s Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, not exactly a tourist Mecca, but just minutes from the heart of the Pocono’s, a delightful (and affordable) summertime destination. I used the flexible dates feature at Travelocity.com to track down dates when the fares were available.

Published July 22, 2010

So let's, just for a moment, speak of the Gulf of Mexico, without referencing the topic that has weighed so heavily upon all of us.  Instead let's explore two of my favorite topics—high seas adventure and cheap deals.

As I've mentioned before, cruises from our part of the world are already an amazing deal.  You can set sail for four days headed for the Yucatan for as little as $189 a person from Mobile—just a wee bit more from New Orleans on a newer and bigger ship.  Through the end of July, Carnival cruise line is offering $80 per cabin in onboard credit for it's shorter sailings, $160 for weeklong cruises, and for whatever you don't spend on board they'll cut you a check before you disembark. The credit doesn't apply to the cheapest cabin categories, but means you can sail with a little more style for about the same cost as a bargain cabin. I particularly like the search tool at Orbitz.com.

Published July 16, 2010

This one won't be around long. My latest update from Airfare Watchdog had uncovered an unadvertised $118 roundtrip fare (before taxes) from New Orleans to Newark (one of the NYC metro airports) on Delta. Minutes ago I checked and found a flight over the Labor Day weekend at this fare, leaving Saturday, returning Tuesday. There's currently no end date identified, but these cheap fares usually pop up then vanish when the airline thinks its filled enough seats.

Published July 15, 2010

What’s on your list?  The one I suspect many of us keep, of places we’ve never been, but long to see—the list I pull out and mull over each time life seems a bit ordinary to get the serotonin flowing again. And at the top of my particular list is Barcelona—the Spanish city (well Catalan to be precise) famed for its museums full of Miro (my favorite artist), cutting edge cuisine and stunning architecture—most notably the whimisical modernisme structures designed by Antoni Gaudi.

The longing to see Barcelona has just been set aflame again in me by the discovery that a beautiful brand new hotel that carries on the city’s culture of edgy architecture has rates starting at $71, thanks no doubt in part to the weakened Euro.  And much to my surprise, roundtrip airfares this fall from New Orleans to Barcelona can be found for around $650 (including nearly $200 in taxes and security charges).  I found this fare midweek in late October, using Travelocity’s flexible date feature to narrow my date range, then Kayak to hone in on the precise dates.

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