Orlando: Our nation’s favorite family vacation destination
And now it’s time again for one of our favorites. Eleisurelink.com’s Orlando special has not changed in two years and we’ve been covering it regularly. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ must be their motto.
And you won’t be either, broke that is, by spending from $343 a person for roundtrip airfare from New York or Chicago and a five-night stay at the Sleep Inn Maingate near the entrance to Disney World. To stay longer will cost you $18 per person per night.
But that alone would not make it one of the most popular U.S. deals that it is. But what does, is a five-day car rental without a limit on mileage, shuttle service to Disney Parks, daily continental breakfast, all of which are included in the package, which is good for departures between now and December 15. (Airport taxes are, unfortunately, not included.) As a bonus, you get a free discount coupon book that can save you some money on tickets to major Orlando attractions—Sea World, Wet ’n Wild, Kennedy Space Center—to name a few, and even some neighboring restaurants. If you need more information on Orlando theme parks, visit the Orlando Tourist Bureau website.
So why not go meet the Mouse, if you haven’t already, and have some fun—with or without the kids. Here’s a sample listing of add-on prices per person for departures from other major U.S. gateways:
- $49—Washington, D.C/Atlanta
- $59—Boston
- $149—Dallas
To put your vacation in Orlando into perspective, a roundtrip flight from New York starts at $152 (American Airlines) and the lowest rates for moderately priced hotels (comparable to the Sleep Inn Maingate) in the area run around $70 per night if you plan on traveling in April or June. These numbers do not include the car rental and other perks and are subject to the season and dates you choose to travel.
Deals on four wheels
Enough about airfares (at least for today). Finally, there is a wallet-friendly option for those who prefer to travel the way nature intended—on four wheels. Whether you’re up for a road trip or simply opt for your own set of wheels while vacationing, we found a way that might save you both money and extra miles on your car. As someone wise has once said: Why use your own, if you can use someone else’s?
Budget is letting you “borrow” their compact cars (typically a Ford Focus) for $18 a day on weekends—between noon on Thursday and midnight on Monday—but you have to be on the road for at least two days including a Saturday night stay. If you plan on a longer adventure, you, your car and your bank account might benefit from the $129 Budget weekly rate for rentals ranging from 5 to 14 days.
These are great money savers—which, by the way, end on May 15—for those living or traveling in the 300 some participating U.S. locations. But if you happen to be around the New York metro area, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Martha’s Vineyard or Hawaii, you’re out of luck. But here's the real snafu: Drivers are not eligible for this deal if they plan on picking up the car from an airport location, as this is promoted as a ‘neighborhood’ rental special. Budget must have ignored that fact that most people rent cars at airports.
Just to give you an idea of what you might or might not save, a four-day weekend rental in a participating location like Cleveland, OH, adds up to $72, while renting a car in New York City for same period might cost you $220 or $55 per day. For black-out days and other exceptions to the deal read the fine print carefully.
And speaking of black-out days, now through the end of the year, Hertz, otherwise notorious for the highest rental fees is in the industry, is eliminating the infamous black-out days on its ‘dollar-off’ coupons for rentals at airports, urban and suburban locations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, a ‘dollars off’ promotion is offered through the end of July, which saves renters $20 off of a weekly rental of an economy or full-size car, and $25 off of premium and more luxurious rides. Just be sure to include the promotion codes when making the reservation (PC# 966011 or PC# 966033).
It’s Vegas time!
Steve Wynn, one of the most prominent builders of what we know as Las Vegas today, will open his own hotel in Sin City on April 28. At an estimated cost of $2.7 billion, The Wynn hotel with its light-reflecting coppery bronze façade epitomizes the over-the-top Las Vegas luxury—and it is “the only [hotel] I’ve signed my name to,” Wynn reportedly said.
Here are some of the ways to join in on the glitz and glamour of one of the brightest, literally speaking, cities in the world – without forking over bazillions of dollars.
Southwest Airlines Vacations offer a two-night stay at the Stratosphere Hotel with roundtrip air starting from $114 when flying out of Phoenix. The special is valid only for Monday and Tuesday departures from March 21 to April 12 and from April 21 to August 1. To book a reservation online and to get information on additional gateways go to their website. Some of the other participating US gateways included in the package for a bit higher price tag are:
- $139 – Los Angeles
- $184 - Seattle
- $259 – Oklahoma City
- $259 - Orlando
- $299 – Chicago
- $319 – Austin/Houston
Free car rentals....sorta
From the department of “why not,” Avis announced today that it would be giving away vouchers for free weekend rentals to anyone who rented a car for five consecutive days (including a Saturday night) before June 25. While we'd never tell you to choose Avis just because of this freebie—80 percent of these types of coupons never get used—if you are planning a five-day or longer rental with Avis, it might behoove you to sign up for a Wizard number with the company (a requirement for getting the free weekend). Some cities are excluded from the deal so check the Avis website before making a booking.
As we said before, “Why not”?
All aboard, juniors! Amtrak makes college visits easier
It's that time of year again. High school juniors are pounding the quadratic equation into their heads, sweating out the hours until their SAT showdowns. That's the stick. But the carrot is a pretty nice one: now's when high schoolers do their college visits, trying to narrow the field by visiting classes, taking campus tours, and yes, doing their first “keg stands” and funneling beer.
With all this in mind, we've got great news for parents and bad news for teens. Now, Mom or Dad can accompany junior on his next campus visit, paying absolutely nothing for transportation. Amtrak has relaunched its campus visit promotion, which gives a free ride to parents when accompanying their juniors or seniors on their search. Younger siblings, under the age of 16, pay half-price using Amtrak's everyday kid's discount.
It's interesting that Amtrak is subsidizing parents in this kind way at a time when its subsidies are being threatened. The Bush administration's latest Budget withdraws all support for the nation's railway, a move which will push the rail line into bankruptcy. Critics contend that the move will force Amtrak to restructure in a more logical way. We here at Savings Sleuth think the effect will be much more drastic. If Amtrak survives (and there's a very good chance it won't), it will be on a much more limited basis; and many rural communities that depend on these trains will be bereft of service.
But the big question here is: in this era of record-high fuel prices and ever-increasing gridlock (according to USNews.com, the amount of time Americans spend in traffic has increased 236 percent since 1982) why are we undermining the nation's most fuel efficient, ecologically sound form of transportation? With the exception of Britain, which privatized its rail system with disastrous consequences (poor track maintenance caused major disruptions of service in the past few years, along with injuries and a few passenger deaths), every other Western country grants huge subsidies to its national railroads. The meticulously maintained, well-priced railroads of France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Holland, Japan and Canada are the pride of these nations, and a boon to the local tourist industries.
If you're worried about the fate of Amtrak, we urge you to contact your congressperson and senator and urge them to say no to the Bush budget. It's more important than ever.
Phone home free from across the US
Congratulations to Microtel Inns and Suites (and to all travelers who prefer not to pay for their phone calls home). Yesterday, the motel chain announced that it had completed "Project Reveille" which retrofitted every hotel in the chain to allow free internet access to its guests as well as free local and long distance telephone calls. Every "shout out" is now a freebie, with the exception of international calls. Microtel Inns is the only hotel chain in the US to offer this amenity at every single one of its properties.
From the Windy City to the Sinning City: Deals on Vegas air
With one of the most dismal on-time records in the country (in 2004, according to the FAA, planes, were delayed between 20 and 25 percent of the time); and security lines that can stop travelers in their tracks for over 40 minutes (avoid checkpoint #1 at the United terminal!!), O'Hare Airport in Chicago can be a nightmare for travelers. Flying out of Midwest ain't much better (the Chicago Sun Times recently clocked security line waits at 53 minutes in some terminals).
But until today, Chicagoans who wanted an affordable flight to Las Vegas had no other option: United and America West both hubbed at O'Hare, Southwest flew out of Midway and their flights were consistently among the cheapest on the market.
Enter the airline that has traded wings and tail fins for good 'ole T&A: Hooters Air. Hooters announced via its website that starting Feb. 3, it will be flying non-stop from small, stress-free Rockford, IL to Vegas for just $99 each way. The flight is non-stop, and yes, those famed "Hooters Girls" will be onboard, shivering away in the plane air conditioning, as appropriate a start to a Vegas vacation as any we can think of.
For those willing to risk delays for a lower cost, Southwest Airlines is currently putting many of its flights from Midway on sale, including Vegas (starting at $79 each way). Other $79 Chicago based flights: Oakland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and Seattle. A fourteen-day advance purchase is required, but these rates are potentially getable for flights through June 6.
Fair ways: Putt for less green in Arizona
It’s not often we’re able to point you, dear reader, in the direction of a golf deal. The sport of swells—first played by bored shepherds with sticks and rocks on the moors of Scotland—has grown up from its humble roots to be the quintessential sport of the wealthy. Needless to say, the words “budget” and “nine iron” are almost never uttered in the same sentence.
However, there are ways to not spend a fortune to play golf, like playing off-season, going to budget golf meccas like Myrtle Beach, SC, or teeing off at one of the US’ 16,000 public courses. One offer we recently caught wind of enables large groups of golfers to book their tee times during prime golfing season at some of Scottsdale's snitziest golf resorts months in advance, and save at the same time.
Scottsdalegolfing.com, a site launched by Arizona golf guru and entrepreneur Fred Mercaldo, allows golfers to save up to 50 percent off of golf fees at some the most exclusive golf resorts in Arizona. It also has golf packages, which are available to individuals, corporate groups, charity organizations alike.
“Because of our long-standing relationships with Scottsdale’s best golf courses, scottsdalegolfing.com is able to offer tee times at discounted rates—even during peak season,” says Mercaldo.
Now until April is considered “high season” for golfing in Arizona, a time of year when a round of golf can go for as much as $300 ($25-$75 in the off-season), but through Scottsdalegolfing.com, rates can drop to as low as $75 for a round of golf on some of the finest courses in the country.
The website also has golf-accommodations packages. While it does book travelers at major resorts, Mercaldo says that the most affordable bets are with the condo stays they offer. A five-day, four-night condo stay with tee times can go for as low as $599 per person (a true bargain considering the pricey area), and that condo stays alone are priced from $75 per person per night—a number that contrasts sharply with room rates at surrounding resorts. Visit Scottsdalegolfing.com to peruse its current packages.
Because the company releases highly desirable but unsold tee times from 24-72 hours in advance, Mercaldo suggests that his site is a great resource for locals, those visiting for a month+, and for last-minute golfers. That said, if you’d like to take a swing, here’s a sampling of some airfares to Phoenix for travel mid-February:
- $161—Chicago (Frontier)
- $177—Seattle (Alaska Airlines)
- $205—St. Louis (America West)
- $207—New York City (American)
- $223—Baltimore (Frontier)
The low-down on underdog Indie Air, and the airline’s gamble on Vegas
The trials and tribulations of the airline industry are something we write about frequently in the Sleuth. Much of last year was devoted to covering gloom and doom of the rising cost of jet fuel and the financially embattled major carriers’ efforts to keep up with the discount airlines.
This year, however, things seem to be turning around: Delta’s restructuring has resulted in a 300 percent increase in its bookings, and now Independence Air, one of the newer discounters that quickly ran into financial trouble and was on the fast track to reinventing itself as a regional “runner” airline for United, has just announced it too would restructure in order to ensure its place in the skies.
On Tuesday (Jan. 11), the airline made public its first significant steps to combat its biggest problem: a massive looming lease payment. In the deal, GE Commercial Aviation Services will take back 10 of its leased planes this quarter and just as many next quarter, as well as loan the airline nearly $20 million. This will leave the low-cost carrier with leases on 27 aircraft. However, Indie Air won’t be in the clear until the company finds other lenders to restructure its remaining lease payments. For the time being, hopeful Independence Air is flying, continuing to deliver decent fares, and is even adding new cities to its roster of gateways.
Beginning Mar. 1, Independence Air will kick off service to Las Vegas, offering introductory each-way fares of $89 from its D.C. hub, and $119 from other markets. These airfares are available for booking starting Jan. 18, and will last until Jun. 6.
Indie Air has said that it plans to add other West Coast destinations in the coming months. Given that its bookings were up in December, perhaps there’s hope for the airline yet?
Weekend escapes via rental car for less than $10/day
Enterprise Rent-a-Car is making a dramatic bid to try and lure consumers to their off-airport locations. From now through May 23, it will be dropping weekend rental prices (for Friday pick-ups, Monday drop-offs) to a low $9.99/day exclusive of taxes, insurance and all of those other unforseen extras that the rental car companies always getcha with. It's a stunningly low rate, especially for high priced markets such as Minneapolis, where the next cheapest three-day rental costs a total of $78 at Hertz (as opposed to Enterprise's price of $34.68). While the deal is not doable at all of the rental offices (New York, Chicago, Boston, DC and San Francisco are notably not included in the promotion), most of the 5,000 neighborhood Enterprises will be participating. The $9.95 rate is for compact cars only; upgrades are available in increments of $5 per car category.
The promo is only the latest salvo in a bitter war between the big rental companies to expand and draw new customers. Since there are limited slots at the airports, many of the big renters are getting into the market once cornered by local mom and pop rental agencies: neighborhood offices. It will be interesting to see whether the biggies will be able to make these locations popular beyond the "my car is in the shop" crowd. Deals like this one will surely help.
The fares are dropping! The fares are dropping! New domestic airfare cuts
As we predicted yesterday, an airfare war is looming and we've just witnessed the opening shots. Spurred by Delta's announcement that it would simplify its fare structure and trim prices, Northwest and US Airways have begun their own slash and burn operations, matching discounted fares in the markets where they compete with Delta. According to the Wall Street Journal, walk-up fares from Los Angeles to Charleston have dropped from $2,200 to $998 today on both Delta and US Air, to give just one example.
Whether or not this grows into a fully fledged sky battle, we have only to wait and see. Keep watching the Sleuth for more updates!
Flying Southwest Airlines...to Hawaii?!
It just keeps growing and growing and growing. The Wall Street Journal [subscription required] today reported that mega-discounter Southwest Airlines will be bringing prized Hawaii into its cheap-fare fold through a code-sharing deal with bankrupt ATA Airlines. Southwest will soon be offering non-stop flights to Honolulu from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Seattle; and to Maui from Phoenix, San Francisco and LA. There will also be one-stop flights to Honolulu from Chicago. Just when this codeshare will start is still up in the air, but an anonymous source told the Journal that seats should go on sale in early 2005.
If you can't wait until Southwest gets all its contractual ducks in a row with ATA, there are some pretty good deals to be had now on Hawaii from all of the usual suspects. Foremost is from Pleasant Holidays which is using the slow midweek traffic in January to drop rates to just $100/day, including airfare and hotel, for mini-vacations in the islands. Three-night packages from San Francisco and Los Angeles start at just $299 for Oahu; $319 from Maui. Just how good a deal is this? If you "create your own package" on Expedia you'll pay over $100 more ($432) for airfare from LA and three-nights at the Ohana Maile Sky Court, the exact same hotel used in the Pleasant promotion. The Pleasant deal is also available from Seattle and Portland ($419 for Oahu, $439 Maui); Dallas ($585 Honolulu, $605 Maui); Chicago ($605 Honolulu, $625 Maui); and New York ($589 Honolulu, $609 New York).
Those in Northern California should also look into the weekly specials offered by local company SunTrips. This week, SunTrips has slashed week-long Oahu stays, with airfare from Oakland, to just $599 for certain dates in January. Maui was just $200 more.
It's an expensive "World" after all—Disney ups prices again
For the second time in less than two years, DisneyWorld is raising the cost of a single day's admission to DisneyWorld. The increase—a whopping 9 percent—will take effect on Jan. 2, making the gate price a gasp-worthy $59.75. Since children visiting the Magic Kingdom magically achieve adult status at the age of 10, this rate applies to anyone in the double-digits. The rate for children 3 to 9 is now $48.
To soften the blow, the Mouse has lowered prices for longer stays (hmmm...that's an interesting way to battle the growing popularity of Universal Studios). Week-long passes will now cost $199 (a week for the tots is $160).
Still, this is very bad news for Orlando-bound travelers. Some suggestions for keeping costs low:
- Visit
- Look into an air/hotel package to cut costs on those big-ticket items. Currently
- Pack your own snacks. A hot dog at DisneyWorld will cost as much as a steak in many other places, so get out the tinfoil, the skippy and the white bread.
- Don't buy memorabilia onsite. Up and down International Drive you'll find stores selling the same souvenirs for half the price.
One final tip: go left! Since time is money in the World of the Mouse, it's important to avoid the crowds. So as everyone else is instinctively making their way in a rightward pattern around the park, buck the trend and duck the lines.
Runway confidential: Who's paying the most for airfares
Mea culpa! We apologize to all the readers we've tortured in these past months with news of great sales and ever-lower airfares. As we've said in the past, not every gateway is sharing in the bounty of cut-rate flights and today the Wall Street Journal [subscription required] put out a study naming the losers and winners in this never ending fare war.
The Journal reports that nearly two-thirds of all domestic flights fell into the $200 to $400 range during the second quarter of this year. But despite "brutal competition" some 50 routes still have average fares of over $500. Among the shockingly high fares are last-minute Boston-Minneapolis flights aboard Northwest (the only non-stop option) for $1,700 biz class; Dallas to Boston from as much as $1,100 for a non-stop flight).
Gateways that are afflicted with the highest fares include Charlotte, Dallas, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Boston (though experts predict prices will start dropping in Beantown once JetBlue starts expanding there).
Not all the news is dire in the Wall Street Journal's study. They've found that the cost of business class seats have been dropping steadily; and as we said earlier, the vast majority of airfares have been driven down by competition spurred by such low-cost wonders as Southwest and JetBlue (combined these two account for roughly 25 percent of the domestic market, up from 16 percent just four years ago).
The Journal recommends looking at flights with layovers to cut costs; and “mixing and matching” carriers, through such booking engines as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. Flexibility on departure times can also dice prices (try an aggregator site such as Kayak.com to see all the different options at various times of the day, and from close-by alternate airports).
Aloha cheap Maui airfares (from San Diego)
The cheapest place in the country, bar none, to hop a flight to Hawaii from is Los Angeles. We've seen legs drop into the double digits (at $99 each) in the past, and round-trip fares routinely hover below $300 for fliers savvy enough to book 30 days in advance, for midweek flights. Fly from any other gateway in California, or the country for that matter, and you can pay two or three times as much.
But that's all about to change thanks to an Aloha Airlines expansion, which will bring San Diego into the fold. To celebrate new service between SD and Maui, Aloha will be dropping fares to a reasonable $149 each way, beginning on Dec. 15. That shaves about $100 off the average costs of a flight now. In addition, Aloha offering a cheapo jaunt from San Diego to Reno: $69 each way.
Rates are based on availability and are much easier to get on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday flights. According to Aloha, these fares will be available all the way into June of next year.
See the city at your leisure, and save time and money to boot
CityPass, which is available in some nine cities/regions in North America, is now available in four major US cities—New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Seattle—through the winter. Until now, visitors (and locals too) would have only nine days to take advantage of the pass from the date of purchase. Now, sky’s the limit. Well, sorta—in these four cities you have between Dec. 15 and Mar. 31, 2005 to use the pass in full. And, if you don't stamp your pass immediately, you'll have two years from the date of purchase to use it.
In a nutshell, the pass guarantees hassle-free entry to six major sights and cultural institutions like the Guggenheim Museum, New England Aquarium, and the Space Needle. And the math is simple: Buy in bulk and your admission is reduced. While the pass costs $42 in NYC ($34 for kids), for example, it actually has a value of $100—if you go to all the sites. (Although after Nov. 20, the price will be jumping to $50.) Right now, adults save $50 if they visit all the sights on the list, and kids (or their parents) save $40.50. As a pass-holder you get to skip lines completely, and in places like NYC, that can be a godsend, especially on or around Nov. 20 (ah, that date again), when the much anticipated reconceived Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53 Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) re-opens to the public. Warning: A mob scene is expected to eyeball Yoshio Taniguchi’s new design.
As we mentioned earlier, CityPass will no longer have a nine-day limit and can be used throughout the fall and winter. One trick is to not have the Pass validated if you know you want to use it at a later time, or if you plan to give it as a gift. We think it’s not a bad holiday gift for some hometown residents.
You can buy CityPasses online, or at the sights themselves. Below is a list of prices and sights covered on the expanded CityPass:
New York City: Adults ($42), kids ($34)
Boston: Adults ($36.75), kids ($25.50)
Philadelphia: Adults ($36), kids ($23)
Seattle: Adults ($36), kids ($23)
Horizon Air and Alaska Air get rid of the nasty fine print
Simplify, simplify, simplify—that's the new and, we think, very positive mantra being adopted by airlines nowadays.
A few weeks ago, Delta straightened out its fare structure out of Cincinnatti in the hopes of winning back customers. It put a cap on ticket prices (no more sky high fares for last minute flights) and instituted a seven-tiered pricing system for airfares.
Other airlines followed suit, and today middleweight Horizon Air/Alaska Air announced their own "modifications". Although generally these fliers had very competitive prices, they've made themselves even more attractive by eliminating the Saturday-night stay-over rule (meaning travelers can qualify for a discounted ticket without having to spend the weekend), gotten rid of maximum-stay restrictions and folded their fuel surcharge into the announced ticket price. We especially like the last change as it eliminates that nasty little surprise at the end of the booking process.
Ways to “capitolize” on the opening of the Museum of the American Indian
A tom tom drum roll please….Washington's newest museum officially opened today. The fanfare surrounding this ground-breaking institution, the National Museum of the American Indian, is unparalleled, its heartfelt ambitiousness summed up in following quote by the MNAI:
“The opening of this museum marks a unique cultural achievement as Native Americans from North, Central, and South America realize a long-awaited dream to share and honor their vibrant cultures with visitors from throughout the world.”
Hundreds are expected to flood into town for the debut. (This Sleuth’s parents will even be flying in to D.C. to take a gander.) The National Museum of the American Indian, which is located on the National Mall, will normally be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily (except for Dec. 25). For its opening week, hours will be as follows:
The museum (4th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., 202-633-1000) will be open continuously from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21, to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
Thursday, Sept. 23: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 24: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 25: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 26: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
While admission to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian is free to the public, but due to the extraordinary number of visitors expected to visit the museum in Washington, D.C., it’s issuing timed entry passes. Detailed visitor information can be found on this web page. If you’d like to partake in the festivities or see the Native Nations this weekend, dear travelers, we’re here to help. Below is a round-up of the lowest airfares on offer this weekend from various major cities around the country to the nation’s capital:
- $116—New York City (Continental)
- $122—Boston (United), Miami (United)
- $156—Chicago (ATA)
- $255—Denver (Northwest)
- $295—Dallas (ATA)
- $304—Los Angeles (America West)
- $321—San Francisco (America West)
- $353—Seattle (Northwest)
As for accommodations, we’ve pinpointed some 55 properties in and around the D.C. area that have rates under $100/night. Here’s a small list, broken into budget categories, of ones we’ve unearthed for stays this coming weekend:
$55—The Alexandria Days Inn (110 S. Bragg Street) is not in Washington, DC itself but located at the corner of 1395 and Rt 236W, not too far from the capital and historic old town Alexandria. Rooms are newly decorated and clean, if impersonal. Included are: fitness room, restaurant, outdoor pool and free parking.
$65 for shared bath, $100 with private bath—With no phones in the rooms, hand-me-down furniture, and sepia family portraits all over the walls, the Kalorma Guest House (1854 Mintwood Place, NW) is a funky, fun place to spend the night. The staff is terrifically friendly, breakfast is included in the rate and you're in the heart of one of the most happening neighborhoods in DC—young, trendy Adams Morgan. Highly recommended.
$95—Sure, the Hotel Harrington (436 11th St, NW) has seen better days. The walls are occasionally scuffed, paint may be peeling in the hallways, and the lighting is dim. That being said, rooms are clean, the staff helpful and heck, you're staying just a few blocks from the White House for less than $100.
$100—A genteel option in the heart of the restaurant-rich Dupont Circle neighborhood, the Embassy Inn (1627 16th St., NW) is located in a historic Federalist home, with an imposing marble staircase at the front. Free sherry and cookies in the evenings and a fairly lavish breakfast spread add to the appeal. Rooms are spotlessly clean and nicely decorated in forest greens and burgundies.
And, when you tire of meandering the exhibition halls at the newly minted NMAI, there’s plenty else to do in the capital, from perusing the boutiques in historic Georgetown to visiting our country’s great landmarks. Following are links to the best of the best:
- White House (1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; 202-208-1631; Free) NOTE: Tours are scheduled for school, youth, military, and veterans groups. However, the nearby White House Visitor's Center (open to the general public) has information and exhibits.
- U.S. Capitol (545 Seventh Street SE; 202-225-6827; Free but tickets are required)
- Lincoln Memorial (W. of the Mall in Potomac Park at 23rd St. NW, between Constitution and Independence Aves; 202-426-6842; Free) *Best viewed at night.
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Across from the Lincoln Memorial, between 21st and 22nd sts. NW, Washington DC; 202-426-6841; Free)
- Jefferson Memorial (South of the Washington Monument on Ohio Dr., At the south shore of the Tidal Basin, Washington DC; 202-426-6841; Free)
- Washington Monument (South of the White House, at 15th St. and Constitution Ave. NW; 202-426-6841; Free; purchase advanced tickets for a fee)
- Smithsonian Institution (1100 Jefferson Drive SW; 202-357-1500; Free) The world's largest museum (and research complex) is comprised of 15 specialty museums, and now the Museum of the Native American.
- National Air and Space Museum (Sixth and Independence Ave., SW; 202-357-1686; Free) The most popular of the Smithsonian museums.
- U.S. National Arboretum (3501 New York Ave. NE; 202-245-2726; Free) Established in 1927 with 446 acres of flora.
- The Mall (Constitution Avenue; 202-673-7660; Free)
Greyhound takes the Northeast bus battle to the streets
In what looks like an attempt to stem the flood of passengers now boarding “Chinatown buses” for travel between the Northeast’s biggest cities, Greyhound has greatly reduced its fares between New York City, Boston, Philadelphia. The busline’s recently announced “Big Apple Bargain” means each-way tickets to/from Philly are selling for $12 (a price that’s valid seven days a week), and $15 to/from Boston for weekend travel (add $5 more for midweek rides). While you can reserve your seat in advance, these prices are also valid as walk-up fares on the day of departure. And, the promo, as of today, has no specified end date.
Compared to its previous fares of $20+ each-way, Greyhound’s new prices are a great improvement for the bus-bound budget traveler. They even match the most popular and dependable of Chinatown buslines, Fung Wah, which also has $15 each-way tickets between the Big Apple and Beantown. The benefit of hopping a Fung Wah bus? They are plentiful—one leaves every half-hour. Oh yeah, and they make stops at McDonald's too.
Reno divorces itself from high prices; gets hitched to Southwest Airlines Vacations
Prices are getting downright lilliputian in the “Biggest Little City in the World” thanks to new sale recently launched by Southwest Airlines Vacations. It's a follow-up, of sorts, to SWA's still current (and still amazing) $69 for two nights and air in Vegas promotion, and while the lead price of $104 is not quite as much of a gasp-inducer, it is a good rate for Reno. Remember, Reno has many fewer hotel rooms than sibling Sin City; the tour operators who book hotels therefor have much less wiggle room for discounting than in Las Vegas.
That lead rate of $104 is from Boise and Salt Lake City, of all places, and covers two-nights digs at the Sands Hotel and Casino. As with all Southwest Vacations deals, departures are available from anywhere the airline flies, so you could get this same deal for $124 (from Los Angeles), $259 (from Chicago), $144 (from Phoenix) or $284 (from Louisville) to name a few. You can also pick from a plethora of hotels.
Why go to Reno? Well, lovely Lake Tahoe is right nearby (Southwest has deals there too) and it's likely to be much less crowded than Vegas, especially at the tables. Reno has been suffering a big drop in visitors ever since the opening of the Thunder Valley Casino, a native American venture in Northern California, in 2003.
Reader tip: Independence Air give residents of Knoxville and Columbia a cheap, direct flight to Disney
Name: Dan Coates
Hometown: Knoxville, TN
OK, yeah, there's been a ton of Independence Air news in the last few days, but I think it's worth mentioning that Indie just broke away from its own hub and spoke model and did it in a very interesting way. Starting in October, Independence air will start flying NONSTOP from Knoxville and Columbia, S.C. to Orlando. Not only is Orlando a new city for FlyI, but they're not even serving them from Dulles yet (although plans are in the works to fly A319s there towards the end of the year.)
Hooray for Knoxville and Columbia, whose residents can now fly to Orlando for an unheard of $39 each way (intro fare sale). That's about $97 round trip including taxes.
Reader response: Cheap air found
Name: Adam Shartzer
Hometown: Arlington, VA
I'd been looking for tickets from the D.C. area down to Huntsville, AL for a wedding in October. Cheapest fares were about $192 round trip out of BWI—nearly an hour away from here. Fares out of IAD and DCA were starting in the $275 range.
Independence Air recently added Huntsville, AL to their list of cities to service starting October 1st. One-way fares are $39, and United has not even made an attempt to match the fares on this trip out of IAD. Combine the cheap ticket with the $25 off promotion for joining the frequent flier club and the price for the round trip is about $72 round trip. I think I got a great deal on an expensive route out of the D.C. area and thought I should share for the other readers out there.
TSA gives the ETA for security lines with a new site
The old adage “time is money” may be clichéd, but it certainly is true when it comes to vacation time. You've paid for every moment, so getting an extra hour or so at the beach or on the slopes before rushing off to the airport is money saved.
Enter the federal government. Today, it launched a new web service that gives travelers a better idea of when they should get to the airports to brave security lines. While the site can't give “real time” reports on how long lines are currently, it does give travelers a good idea of what the scene will probably be like when they check in for their flights.
Travelers log onto to http://waittime.tsa.dhs.gov and then pick which state or territory they will be traveling from. The site drops down a list of airports for each state, and asks you to submit the date and time of day you'll be traveling. Then, the site gives average and maximum wait times (based on data collected in the previous month). For airports with more than one concourse, it gives individual estimates for each concourse.
The time estimates are based on tests done by TSA supervisors, which the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) in its article on the new site, noted could be flawed. The Journal found that the site was reporting a 26-minute wait in Atlanta at 7am in the morning, but recently waits have been a good ten minutes longer. The TSA defends the system, saying it's based on cards given to passengers at the end of the line, which are then marked when they get to the front.
Only time will tell if the TSA can tell time. But we here at the Sleuth applaud the effort. It's better to have some idea of what awaits, than no info at all.
Orlando magic: Sleep eight for less than $100
Because we’re always finding new ways to help you, dear readers, make your vacation dollars stretch as far as possible (forget the saltwater taffy imagery here, we’re talking about getting what you pay, and then some), we’d like to let you in on the latest lead on affordable accommodations in Orlando, the nation’s second-most popular vacation destination (after less kid-friendly Vegas).
Florida-based Eleisurelink.com just announced that it’s adding a new property, Island Club Resort and Spa, to its roster of hotels and condos. Located a leisurely half-hour drive from the major theme parks in Davenport, the new resort has units starting at $55 per night, but the kicker is the rate on its three-bedroom townhouses or “villas,” which are ideally equipped and ready-made for families: $95/night.
The tropically themed resort has a tiki-style bar and grill, massive pool (plus a wading pool for the kiddies), a full-featured spa, and tennis courts. There’s even an on-site deli. Despite all the amenities, the Island Club Resort and Spa still gets a few dissenting reviews on Tripadvisor.com. While most of the people who gave feedback liked the size (rooms are big!) and the service, some thought the property was overrated. But hey, at $95 for a decked out (utensils, pots, etc.) house that sleeps eight, you can’t complain.
Click here for a recap of other current Orlando/Disney discounts, such as Advance Purchase Savings on multi-day passes (discounts average seven percent off; four days for $192), Southwest Vacations’ $184 two-night package with airfare from Providence, and another promotion from Eleisurelink.com: round-trip airfare from NYC or Chicago, five night’s lodging, and car rental for $343.
Theme parks discover the e-frontier, and discounts are big
Have you heard? The country’s theme parks have finally gotten the memo that the Internet can actually be used to boost ticket sales. Who woulda thunk it?
USAToday reported this morning that amusement parks like Six Flag’s Adventure are now allowing visitors to print e-tickets before they arrive at the park, enabling them to bypass lines altogether. The reason cited for this about face in policy is that parks are seeking new ways to counter the overall drop in attendance since 2000. Analysts claim there are now four percent fewer fun-seekers at nation theme parks, but park owners are hoping all that will change.
This e-trend is also appealing to us because in addition to the outright savings you experience by purchasing your ticket online, there’s also added convenience. Like we said, with printed e-tix in your hot little hands, you can march straight to the entry gate, and avoid the wait. And as we mentioned earlier this week, time is money at many theme parks, especially when you consider that the national average for adult admission is $45, and places like Walt Disney World can cost as much as $55/day.
According to USAToday.com, the offers at three of the most popular parks shake-out like this:
• Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., is taking 50 percent off. Its "Print-N-Go" adult tickets are selling for $23.50 online, but purchases must be made July 25.
• Universal Orlando Resort is offering five days’ admission for $94.95, a savings of $150 over single-day passes. Purchases must be made online.
• Walt Disney World has discounted multi-day tickets for advance-purchase online. A four-day Park Hopper ticket normally prices at $219 is now selling for $202, a savings of $17. (You can also buy by phone or through a travel agent.)
We encourage you, dear readers, to enquire about e-tickets and other online discounts at your favorite theme park. Saving some serious money can make a day on the rides even more fun.
Reader Response: Great shore excursions in AK
Name: Chris Pruchnicki
Hometown: Wolcott, CT
We just returned from an Alaskan Cruise. As usual, we did not book excursions on board but waited for pier. In Juneau, we lucked out when we booked an absolutely fantastic six person whale and eagle watch for $98. The driver of the small, but enclosed boat, was a dedicated naturalist and took the six of us to wonderful spots to see humpback whales breeching, bald eagles. and sea otters. His enthusiasm was awesome, and he was a fountain of information. It was absolutely wonderful and so personal. He even surprised us by pulling up to his own wildnerness home, where his wife kayaked out to the boat with warm chocolate chip cookies for all! Find this on the pier at Sports Tours. It was the only one that was a small boat.
AirTran’s eye for an eye
We all know the major airlines are shaking in their boots over the rapidly rising popularity of flying the new “no-frills” carriers. While the nimble competition's lower fares speak loud and clear, the majors’ far-reaching frequent flyer programs have been successful in keeping the traveling public from straying completely. Until now…..
It was reported earlier this week in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram [free registration] that AirTran is using the only weapon the big airlines have left to fend off the scrappy competition and offering frequent-flier awards any where in the world, and will even purchase tickets on other airlines if it has to. But the “anywhere-in-the-world” award is hardly a cinch to secure; AirTran passengers will have to fly a whopping 50 flights over the course of a year. However, you will be able to get away with flying fewer than 50 flights if you accrue points through any of AirTran’s travel partners, like Hertz.
Given the onerous requirements, AirTran’s hard-earned “free” international ticket will hardly be a carrot for the average leisure traveler, let alone the budgeteer, but there may be a road warrior or two out there who qualifies.
Wheely good deals: B&Bs deliver gas discounts
We’ll be honest: It doesn’t take a super sleuth to clue in to the recent rash of gas promotions. The steady flow is getting stronger with all manner of travel companies tempting drivers with promotional discounts at the pump. Never mind that oil industry analysts have done a turnaround, now saying that gas prices will dip to well below $2 by as soon as next weekend. But, a discount is a discount, and well, it’s our job to help you save money and make the most of your travels, and that includes summer road trips.
One of the biggest promotions comes from Bedandbreakfast.com. Nearly 100 members of online network are participating in the organization’s cheekily named “Tanks a lot” program. Discounts from B&Bs around the country come in the form of $50 gas cards, savings on train tickets in an effort to promotion alternative modes of transportation, and money back for every mile driven. For example, the Honey Bee Inn in Horicon, WI will pay 10 cents a mile, and the The Forest Inn in Intervale, NH is offering two nights accommodation, breakfast and gourmet dinner for two, along with a $25 gas card, for $289. For a full list of participating B&Bs click here.
Of course, some deals are better than others. Given that the online network boasts some 27,000 members, 100 is a measly percentage of the total amount of B&Bs, but as we like to say, “Every little bit helps.”
Red, white and blue skies for Virgin
It’s official: There’s a trend in the skies over the US, and a veritable traffic jam of low-cost carriers is starting to form amid the clouds. Yup, just three weeks after the birth of Washington D.C.-based Independence Air, Virgin US has announced it too would be hopping on the no-frills bandwagon with a new airline geared toward the hip, budget-conscious traveler. According to the AP, there’s no official name on the birth certificate yet. For the moment, the domestic off-shoot airline is being called, simply, Virgin USA. It will join Virgin Express in Europe and Virgin Blue in Australia as the third low-cost carrier in the Virgin Group.
The airline, which has yet to receive regulatory approval, is not expected to take flight until next year, but details about its hub are already bubbling to the surface. While the corporate headquarters for the new Virgin venture will be in New York City, San Francisco (SFO specifically) will be the designated nexus for its flights. This is big news for Californians who’ve been salivating for a low-cost carrier to call its own, and it’ll bring fare relief for San Franciscans feeling the pricing pinch of their hometown airport, said to be one of the nation’s costliest.
We expect Virgin USA will soon be trampling all over Southwest Airline’s territorial toes, which could mean that with the launch of the low-cost carrier we could also see a price war over California fares. Will it beat JetBlue’s midweek cross-country fare of $99? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we’ll be sure to keep you posted as details about Virgin USA, and its prices, emerge.
Stellar savings in Hollywood (and around)
Stretch limos, sleek sushi restaurants and Malibu hideaways are de rigeur Tinsel Town, but those without personal assistants and budgeteers can enjoy the glamorous city too, and now more than ever.
Los Angeles has joined the ranks of cities around the world that are easing the cost of travel for visitors. The California city’s newly minted LA Card costs $19.95 and can be used at literally hundreds of participating businesses around the city: restaurants, nightclubs, museums, and major car rental agencies like Avis, Hertz, Budget, Enterprise—a good thing since you’ll need a car to get around the sprawling metropolis. Card holders can cash in at mid-range and high-end eateries (like Crustacean in Beverly Hills), where they’ll receive 15-20 percent off the entire bill. This delivers a tremendous value for traveling hungry families or groups.
Heaped on top are discounts at health clubs and day spas so visitors can enjoy the quintessential LA pastimes of beauty maintenance and body sculpting. Offers for retail therapy at such shopping shrines as Macy’s and the Beverly Center, where you can pick up designer duds, are also part of the deal. The LA Card even includes promotions at the city Farmer’s Market. And, given that the majority of the money you’ll spend on vacation is for accommodations, we especially like the fact that you can use the card at over 100 area hotels, including the swanky boutique Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, where rooms are significantly reduced from $350/night o $165/night. Or, you can take an average of 20 percent of rates at a myriad of other hotels, including Hyatt and Sofitel. Comfort and Holiday Inns are also part of the list.
This category of card is good for 60 days, two whole months. But, if you spend $20 more, you’ll have a card you can use for an entire year. This 12-month card is a particularly good choice for those who, whether for business or pleasure, make regular visits LaLa Land. The card is also a smart purchase for residents who like to eat out and enjoy the sights.
We’re not advocating this, but if you were to take advantage of every single discount offered you’d save around $5,000. You can order the card online here. Card owners will receive an impressive directory of spots where they can save.
One final note: We’re sorry to report that the LACard does not include discounts on plastic surgery.
Park and ride all the way to the bank
If you own a car you know what a hassle it is to park at the airport (not to mention picking up relatives at the airport, click here for more info on that). You have to set out early to stake your claim in a parking space. (Snooze you could wind up without a patch of pavement to call your own that isn't miles from the terminal.) Compounding the “race for space” are security delays, and inevitable airport construction and detours. But those issues aren't the worst of it, drive yourself to the airport and park for any length of time and you might as well bring an extra suitcase full of bills to pay the steep fees. Enter three new websites to ease your pain: LongTermParking.com, AirportParkingReservations.com and ParkSleepFly.com.
The first website, LongTermParking.com, brags that it can offer travelers with their own set of wheels up to 70 percent discount off regular on-site parking rates. Parking that once cost $30/day at LAX is all of a sudden $10.91. The company even claims its rates go as low as $9.99/day for parking at JFK in New York City (normally $33/day), $7.95 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport (regularly $23), and a measly $6.95/day at Philadelphia International (typically $20). The site has a simple interface, and you can make online reservations. Its system covers 47 airports nationwide, and also handles parking for London airports too.
AirportParkingReservations.com doesn't offer nearly as much savings as LongTermParking.com but is still worth noting. It takes reservations at over 135 lots at 65 airports nationwide, most of which are safe, secure, and open round the clock. Once a reservation is made and guaranteed, you'll be eligible for 20-40 percent savings on regular airport parking. For example, it's normally $25/day for short-term parking at the Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Florida, but when you may your reservations with AirportParkingReservations.com, you pay just $15. There's even a free shuttle service to your terminal.
The third website, ParkSleepFly.com, specializes in airport hotel Park & Fly packages, and boasts the largest selection of them online covering some 250 hotels at 70 airports. In looking into some of its offers, we discovered in the case of the Ramada Plaza JFK in New York City that the price of the hotel (for one night) and parking (for four days over the Memorial Day weekend) totaled $125, and was just $20 more than the cost of regular parking alone. The company encourages you to sleep under the 757's, arguing that you'll not only be less frenzied for any morning or early afternoon flight, but you'll also save time and money. SleepParkFly.com has promotions good for up to 14 days of parking. Travel for any serious length of time, and well, you're on your own.
Gasoline and the overall cost of travel
We’ve all experienced pocketbook-pain this spring feuling up our cars. But imagine if your vehicle was a Boeing 747? That’s been the quandary of the airlines, which have been fighting a losing battle to balance their need to stay competitive with the overwhelming cost of keeping their planes afloat. (Continental recently released a statement that “Had jet fuel prices been at Continental’s five-year average, the company’s fuel expense for the quarter would have been $102 million less.”) Fueling up is every airline’s second largest expense, after labor costs.
What does this mean for consumers? We have to guess that there’s going to be a rise in the “hidden costs of travel.” You won’t see the increase in the airfare that you will originally be quoted, but after you commit, after you put your credit card down, you’re probably have a “fuel surcharge” tacked on. While American Airlines and Continental are adding surcharges to cargo costs, we haven't seen any fuel surcharges that affect consumer travel yet in the US. However, a number of the foreign carriers—including British Airways, Qantas, Lufthansa, Virgin and SAS—have already added this charge for flights. For example, British Airways is adding an extra $8 to its round-trip tickets, but that's a price that could easily rise, along with the cost of fuel. It only seems a matter of time before leisure travelers start bearing the brunt of the airlines financial problems (hmm…we’ve been down that runway before, haven’t we?).
Getting in to your car and taking a road trip instead won’t be much cheaper than flying as gas costs hit historic high after historic high (click here to read our analysis of road trip costs).
So what’s the solution? Well, a group of angry motorists is trying to take matters into their own hands by declaring May 19 to be “Stick it up their behind” day. They’re urging Americans not to buy a drop of gas on the 19th in the hope that the one-day strike would hit the industry with a net loss of “over 4.6 billion dollars.” This, they hope, will cause the oil companies to “choke on their stockpiles.”
We’ll be quite interested to see, on May 20, whether the strike has any visible effect.
Coast-to-coast airfares at an all-time low
Okay, okay, so this is something we've discussed before. But the seemingly unending sale on cross-country airfares within the continental United States remains a big, BIG story in travel (and a nice antidote to the bad news about traveling abroad carrying our 99-pound-weakling of a dollar in one's pocket). Nowadays, if you're paying more than $230 plus tax for a coast to coast flight you are, quite simply, a sucker.
Today, the Wall Street Journal covered the story and brought out some interesting observations. According to the WSJ, it's currently cheaper to fly from New York to Los Angeles, a 3,456 mile trip than it is to fly from New York to Boston (a 190 mile trip). In fact, a number of flights are selling below the $100 each way mark (the current standard), meaning that it's now possible to fly between Washington, DC and Los Angeles for just $183 (on Alaska Airlines and America West). The Journal found cheap seats were available even on flights booked just one week in advance.
Not only that, there's been a big jump in the number of seats available on cross-country routings. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. have estimated that the number of seats between Boston and Los Angeles will have doubled from the number available last summer. The same for flights between NYC and San Diego; Boston to San Francisco is up 63 percent.
And it's only going to get more competitive: Southwest will soon be launching more cross country service as will Atlantic Coast Airlines a "feeder" carrier for United.
All of this is taking a toll on the airlines. According to the Journal, Continental Airlines revenue from transcontinental routes has fallen 25 to 30 percent. A serious number as these routes account for 12 percent of its domestic capacity.
We expect this boon for travelers to last through the summer. To find these rates, we recommend downloading the crack search engine Sidestep. A recent article in Smart Money magazine found that Sidestep beat Orbitz, Travelocity and the other big players 56 percent of the time.
With fares like these why fly? This may be the year to ditch the family road trip (if you're going a long distance) and jetset instead.
RVs, kicking the affordable road trip up a notch
RVs aren’t just for retirees anymore. With 7.2 million RVs on the road, the growing popularity of recreational vehicles cannot be denied, even in this age of astronomically high gas prices. In most cases, they offer a refreshing alternative to traditional modes of travel. And while it may come as a surprise to some considering their low miles-per-gallon ratios, RVs can actually help you save money on vacation—maybe not on gas but on meals (you can cook your own) and accommodations. If you don’t own one of these plush road hogs, then renting is a fine way to go.
“We’re expecting this year to be the best yet for RV rentals, which allow you to get back to nature, be with your family, and see America comfortably and affordably,” says Amy Shleton, Marketing and Communications Manager for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, which cites a huge increase in RV sales over last year. Gas prices be damned.
Expect to spend between $90-$200/day, depending on where, when and what you rent, whether a motorhome, a travel trailer or a truck camper.The country’s two largest RV rental companies, Cruise America and El Monte, are sensible places to turn for decent rates. (They operate in Canada too). Neither company has any national summer sales at the moment, but each has its own regional offerings. For example, for $460 you can rent a nifty Class A motorhome with El Monte in Southern California for four nights. (Additional nights run $159.) until May 24. The company also has a whole host of one-way specials (mostly for spring and summer) that come without same drop-off or mileage penalties. El Monte is also a staunch supporter of our nation’s troupes and regularly has special discounts for military personnel and their families. So ask when calling if you fall into this category.
Cruise America’s cut a deal with KOA Kampgrounds, a respectable national chain with over 500 campgrounds across the US and Canada. It works like this: you actually rent your RV with Cruise America and then get nights free at a KOA camping (rates can range anywhere from $20/ni. to $105/ni, as is the case in the Florida Keys). Rent for three or four nights and get two nights free, up to renting fourteen nights and getting ten free. You can only book this special online on Cruise America's website using the KOA promotional code.
For more info on RVs look to our upcoming web feature on Thursday.
Philadelphia, here I come!
Good news for cheese steak aficionados: In a no-holds battle to protect its turf, US Airways has promised to undercut interloper Southwest Airlines when it begins service to Philadelphia in May, reported USA Today. According to that paper, US Airways will be announcing “permanently lower fares on some routes into and out of Philadelphia”, with routes on some short hops (such as Providence and Raleigh-Durham), dropping to as little as $29 each way.
In another crowd-pleasing move, US Airways is ditching the “Saturday night stay” requirement on these new sale fares (called “GoFares” by the carrier).
It’s a bold move for the bankrupt carrier which has been trying to claw its way back to solvency for nearly three years now. We have to wonder whether the goal of defeating Southwest with discounts will ultimately defeat US Airways. Only time will tell…By the way, I’m in the market to sell my US Airways miles. Any takers?
Ferris wheelin' and dealin'
This summer 322 million people will visit a theme park and 99 percent of them are paying too much to do so. But there are certainly ways to save money on admissions costs (even if you won't be able to persuade your kid that she has no real need for that toddler-sized stuffed animal once you get inside).
It's odd to think you could benefit from bringing your “passport” to a US amusement park. No, we're not talking about the government-issued kind but rather season passes that can save vacationers a lot of money. Not only are “passport” holders often given special discounts on food, beverages and souvenirs, sometimes these season passes cost little more than price of one visit.
The Anheuser-Busch family of amusement parks (there are eight in total, from the various Busch Gardens to the various Sea Worlds to Sesame Place, Water Country USA and Adventure Island) has put forth a somewhat confusing stew of different promotions. There are “summer sizzler” passes, “silver passports,” “fun cards,” even rain guarantees (if your visit is ruined by rain, you can come back to the park for free within seven days of your first stormy visit). In broad strokes all are good deals for folks who plan on multiple visits; just how good the deal is varies by park:
- Those who know they’ll be visiting just one park for just one day should visit the website of that particular park as almost all Anheuser Busch parks are offering a ten percent discount for those who buy their tickets online and at least seven days in advance.
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA’s “Summer Sizzler” buys unlimited admission to either park for $64.95 (a fair price considering that one day’s admission to the Gardens is a whopping $46.95 for people over the age of five; the waterpark is the better on-day deal at $34.95). Unlimited admission to both parks for the season is $134.95.
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has an equivalent pass called the “Fun Card” for $59.95; we’ll be generous and assume that the price is higher here since Florida’s season is year round. And the initial entrance fees are certainly higher in Florida at $53.95 for a one day visit
- Sesame Place in Pennsylvania has the least attractive offer: a “Cookie Monster” season pass for $89.99. Considering that the price for a single day here bumps between $16.66 and $19.44, visitors are going to have to move in with Ernie and Bert to make this one really pay off.
- In a battle against Disney, Sea World Orlando has teamed up with Universal Studios for a multi-park pass, giving visitors four days worth of admissions to the above two, plus Wet n’ Wild Water Park and Islands of Adventure. The four days can be used anytime within a 14 consecutive day period; the cost is $179.95 which compares well with the four day price for visiting these parks separately.
In Southern California, your best bet may be to avoid the theme park booking systems altogether and go for the Southern California City Pass. It covers not only such smaller (but still topnotch) attractions as Knotts Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Sea World, but the Big Kahuna of the region, Disneyland. The cost for a pass bundling three days at Disney (including California Adventure) with these other attractions is $172 for adults, $129 for children under ten.
And for all you junk food addicts out there: Pepsi, Coke and Burger King all seem to have teamed up with various theme parks with discount programs (scarf a burger, save on the roller coaster, lose the burger on the way down).
One final note on theme park admissions: many parks give additional discounts for State residents (for example, Universal Studios is currently giving two season passes for the price of one to Florida residents), so be sure to inquire when you’re making your purchase.
$99 cross country airfare — yawn — becomes the norm
Travel is back, or so say all of the pundits who write about these kinds of things. Planes are full, applications for passports are setting records, and a lot more people are coming to the travel section of this site (hooray!). But you’d never know it to look at the losses that the major airlines are continuing to suffer. Yesterday, Delta announced a first quarter loss of $387 million dollars; according to the New York Times, “some industry analysts say first quarter losses could reach $1 billion or more.” Yikes. Better start using up those miles.
Everyone blames labor costs, but it’s clear to us that there are many more important forces at work. First off, you have an industry which, traditionally, tried to make most of its money off only a small percentage of its passengers. Business travelers were the key to profits, or so thought all the rocket-scientist airline execs, squeezing seats ever closer together in coach so that those leather sheaved business- and first-class chairs could recline the length of three good cigars. For these amenities, biz travelers were charged up the wazoo, but so what, they could write it off, right? Folks who travel for work are going to pay whatever we tell them to pay, or so thought the Airline Execs. And they based their entire business plan on this faulty model, on the untenable proposition that you’re going to make more money on ten percent (or so) of your customers than you will on the other 90 percent who fill (or don’t fill) your seats.
Then came the so-called “upstarts”—Southwest, JetBlue, ATA, and the like—and they got rid of the class system altogether. JetBlue went a step further and said we’re going to make ALL the seats comfortable (to read just how darn comfortable they are, click here) and surprise, surprise, they all started making profits. Even better, they lowered costs on many itineraries across the industry. And no matter how hard they try, the major airlines can’t take the reins when it comes to setting prices. Despite soaring fuel costs, despite mounting losses, every time this year that the majors tried to raise their rates (and it’s happened a good three times already), the upstarts held on tight to their lower prices, and the Big Guys caved. Prices remained nice and low.
This has been most noticeable in cross-country routes, which are, according to Ben Metzbaugh of USA Today, “likely cheaper today than at any other time in U.S. history” (when taking inflation into account). In fact, the $99 cross country flight has become the norm rather than the exception, with certain long hauls going for even less. What do we mean? Well take a look. For travel this spring, here’s some advertised rates from a number of carriers (listed one-way):
- From $79 between Boston and Denver (on JetBlue)
- From $89 between Washington, DC and Los Angeles (America West)
- From $89 between Long Beach (for LA) and Fort Lauderdale (JetBlue)
- From $99 between New York City and Las Vegas, Long Beach, Oakland, Ontario, San Diego, Seattle, San Jose, Salt Lake City or Sacramento (JetBlue)
- From $99 between New York and San Diego or Long Beach (American Airlines)
And those are just a few. We can’t print too many numbers or we get a little dizzy. But you get the picture. While many of these are tied to sales (Frontier Airlines has one that ends today, JetBlue ends at the end of May, etc), we’ll note that these “sale” prices just keep coming back month after month. It will be interesting to see whether they hold for the high summer season, but for now, we’re just swimming in cheapo transcontinental flights—and loving it!
Toronto “passes” savings on to visitors
Sure, it’s got a generic name, but CityPass offers super savings. In case you’ve been out of the tourist loop, CityPass delivers 50 percent off participating attractions in a number of cities, and in many cases they’re the biggies, like the Guggenheim or Intrepid museums in NYC. The program’s been around awhile in the Big Apple and now even covers such non-city destinations as Southern California (Disneyland, anyone?).
On Apr. 1, Toronto was added to the growing list of savings-centric cities, and is the first Canadian town on board with giving tourists a formal discount in the form of a CityPass.
Toronto is starting slowly with just six attractions: Art Gallery of Ontario, CN Tower, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Zoo, and the Ontario Science Center. Adult tickets run $35 (USD), however their value is actually double that. Kids are $21 (USD).
One really cool aspect of the CityPass is that it allows holders to cut to the front of the line, thereby adding extra value by saving visitors not just money but time. The trick with CityPass, and why it’s not so great for locals and a better choice for visiting friends or relatives (or tourists in general), is it’s only valid nine days from the first time you use it. To date, the CityPass Program is available in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Hollywood, San Francisco, Southern California, and now Toronto. For more info on the Canadian city visit the Tourism Toronto website.
Fare treatment
Finding a good airfare deal can be tough. Pull-your-hair out tough, but search engines can help. We’ve found a good one, and it actually does what it claims to do – finds the cheapest airfares on the market. Founded in the UK, the birthplace of ticket consolidators, has been helping farthing-pinching Brits to quickly scan the offerings of both the main travel sites and their more obscure cousins since 1996. The Yank version of the site just debuted, and on our test drives it left , , and in the dust. Why? Because it’s not beholden to the major airlines (ahem), and is not itself a booking engine.
Cheapflights scours the web for the best fares, including offers from newly minted low-cost carriers, as well as airline consolidators (i.e. companies that buy tickets in bulk at a discount and then resell them to the public). On a recent search of airfares from the Big Apple to Atlanta, the best we could find by conventional means was $201 on Delta. Cheapflights shaved a nice $35 off the price with a $166 flight on US Airways.
What else makes Cheapflights leader of the pack? Well, unlike similar applications like SideStep (which is a superb engine too, by the way), web-based Cheapflights.com works on both PCs and Macs. Its flight and fare listings appear to be the most comprehensive on the Internet. The gravy is that there are no busy adds or sneaky reservations systems behind the virtual curtain; search results are simple listings with carriers’ 800 numbers. Try it, you'll like it. We promise.