Arizona: Spa treatment, food and yoga come with W Scottsdale package
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel Deals
The W Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz., is offering a three-night package with fun extras such as a spa treatment, private yoga class and sushi dinner. It’s a nice deal — provided you can stand the heat. Scottsdale’s summer temperatures zoom into triple digits, but maybe that’s not a bad trade-off for some free pampering.
The deal: I like this Destination Sensation package because it allows two people to sample some nice W touches. With a stay of at least three nights, get a lime and ginger salt glow at the Bliss Spa, do yoga at sunrise or sunset, dine at the hotel’s Sushi Roku on the first night, get a ride to Camelback Mountain for a hike and take a “foodie tour” that includes a $50 voucher for two that’s good at five restaurants in Scottsdale.
The three-night package starts at $697 plus tax, or about $232 per room per night. Use the promo code “WDESTIN” when reserving by phone or online. (When I tested this deal last week, reservation agents I reached by phone were unable to make reservations for this package. The hotel tells me they are working to fix the problem.)
When: The offer is good for stays through Sept. 11, based on availability.
Tested: I checked the hotel’s website and found availability for a “Spectacular “room (that’s their name for it) for the Fourth of July weekend (three nights starting July 1) with a king-size bed and views of the Zen garden or Camelback Mountain for $232 per night plus tax.
By comparison, the Spectacular room on the same dates without the package cost $189 a night plus tax. The $50 restaurant voucher, $130 per person glow treatment and the estimated $100 value of the sushi dinner more than make up for the $43 daily difference in the room rate.
Contact: W Scottsdale, (877) 782-0104
Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-w-scottsdale-arizona-20110526,1,123121.story
Strong loonie secures cheap world travel deals
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel Deals
Tropical getaways and international adventures may be within reach for many Canadians this summer, thanks to the strong Canadian dollar. The soaring value of the loonie means travellers can take advantage of more affordable travel deals and favourable exchange rates in places like the United States and Europe.
TD Credit Cards associate vice president, Stacie Pearson, offers her top three tips on how to secure cheap and cheerful international travel deals this summer:
1. Be flexible: Consider holidaying in countries where you’ll have better buying power like the U.S., Turkey or Brazil. Booking last minute deals, standby flights or travelling midweek will also help keep your vacation within budget. TD’s line-up of Travel Visa Cards let you book your trip through any travel agency or website you want so you can take advantage of all the last-minute deals and still use your TD points.
2. Review your rewards options: Ensure you’re getting the most out of your travel rewards program by using a credit card that gives you the freedom to redeem your points for any travel booked with a travel agency or travel provider and the flexibility to redeem your points for whatever type of travel you prefer including air, hotel, cruise, car rental, train, parking etc.
3. Take time to budget: Although Canadians are budgeting for their vacations on big ticket items like flights, they’re not doing so in detail. It’s the little costs that often get overlooked, like airport transportation, taxis around town and souvenirs.
– - –
DON’T FORGET THE INSURANCE
Whether you’re heading off an on a European adventure or just hopping in the car for a quick getaway this summer, travel medical insurance is an essential item.
“Many Canadians don’t realize that the average out-of-country in-hospital bill can cost up to $10,000 per day, and the average emergency visit is $1,000,” says Dave Minor, vice president, TD Insurance.
TD Insurance offers the following advice: Insurance features you shouldn’t budge on: One of the most important things you should look for in a policy is 24 hour a day, seven day a week assistance.
Look out for hidden clauses: Review your policy to ensure that you understand what you’re covered for.
Ask questions to find a policy that suits your needs: For example, TD Insurance offers policies for individuals, couples or families on a per trip or annual basis. More information is available online at www.tdinsurance.com.
– NEWS CANADA
Article source: http://www.canada.com/Strong+loonie+secures+cheap+world+travel+deals/4866808/story.html
The better way to browse for travel deals
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel Deals
If you’re travelling this summer and looking for deals online, you probably know that you should be searching more than one travel site. For added savings, you might want to search with more than one browser – search results can differ, and one browser can sometimes produce a dramatically better deal. Consumer Reports recently discovered this while pricing out the same itinerary on Expedia using Safari and Firefox. The research team checked the flight twice on Safari and once on Firefox. The flight price using the Firefox browser was $718 lower.
But that may be because they went to Safari twice. According to Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart Magazine, travel sites can track your searches. First-time visitors may be offered exceptional deals, while returning customers don’t necessarily get the same treatment. To avoid this, ShopSmart advises removing cookies that track your searches. Go to your browser and pick preferences. From here, you’ll be prompted to remove all cookies.
Before confirming your flight purchase, search for promo codes. Promo codes can save you 10 to 50 per cent off of your seat price. AirFareWatchdog.com and FareCompare.com are two sites that will help you get started.
Plugging in the name of the airline and “promo code” in a search engine will also pull up potential savings. A recent search for promo codes on WestJet and Air Canada informed me of an additional 30 per cent off more than 20 flights on both airlines. Searching for promo codes should be an automatic step before checking out online, especially with big-ticket travel costs such as flights and hotels.
Angela Self is one of the founders of the Smart Cookies money group.
Article source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/smart-cookies/the-better-way-to-browse-for-travel-deals/article2040921/
Suspected muggers of tourist who died held (AP)
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel News
NAPLES, Italy – Italian police are holding two men suspected of trying to mug a Puerto Rican tourist in Naples who was knocked to the ground and died.
Police in the southern Italian city said Tuesday that they have identified two men and are holding them at the police offices. Officials refused further comment.
The victim, identified as 66-year-old Oscar Antonio Mendoza, was pushed to the ground by two muggers aboard a scooter after he resisted their attempt to grab his watch. The man had just arrived in Naples aboard a cruise ship on May 18, and was strolling with his wife near the port when he was attacked.
He died nine days after being hospitalized with severe head injuries.
Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110531/ap_tr_ge/eu_travel_brief_italy_tourist_dead
4 dead, multiple injuries in I-95 bus wreck in Va. (AP)
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel News
BOWLING GREEN, Va. – Four people were killed and many more injured when a commercial tour bus overturned early Tuesday on Interstate 95 in central Virginia, state police said.
Investigators weren’t immediately sure how many people were on the bus, which can hold 59 passengers, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. The injured were taken to hospitals in Richmond and Fredericksburg.
Geller said the bus ran off I-95 before dawn and turned onto its roof about a quarter mile south of the Carmel Church exit, about 30 miles north of Richmond.
The bus’ destination hasn’t been released. The cause of the accident hasn’t been determined.
The accident shut down the northbound lanes of I-95, which were not expected to reopen for several hours.
In March, 15 people were killed when a bus returning to New York City’s Chinatown after an overnight excursion to a Connecticut casino toppled off an elevated highway and truck a utility pole, peeling off its roof. That accident heightened attention to bus safety by Transportation Department officials and members of Congress.
Federal authorities say nearly 2,800 spot safety checks of passenger buses across the country from March 28 through April 6 resulted in about 10 percent of the vehicles or drivers being taken off the road.
Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110531/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_bus_accident_virginia
7 killed in attacks in Mexican resort of Acapulco (AP)
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel News
ACAPULCO, Mexico – Shootings and attacks in Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Acapulco left two police officers, three suspected drug cartel gunmen and two other men dead, police said Monday.
The confrontations on Sunday began when gunmen traveling in a convoy of eight vehicles opened fire on an Acapulco municipal police patrol car Sunday, killing two officers.
Federal officers responding to the reports of gunfire later located the convoy; in the ensuing gunfight, three suspects were killed.
Police in Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, said in statement said that the three dead assailants were found with assault rifles, military-style uniforms and bulletproof vests.
The mutilated body of a man was found inside the trunk of a vehicle along a federal highway, police said on Monday. Officials also reported finding the bullet-riddled body of a 20-year-old man with his feet and hands tied in a residential neighborhood. Police gave no motives or identities of the men killed.
Ramon Almonte, the Guerrero state police chief, said on Monday he will ask the federal congress to make it easier for common citizens to get permits for weapons to defend themselves.
Almonte’s brother was killed on Jan. 1 in a rural town in Guerrero by unidentified gunmen. The state has been plagued by such executions.
“When you fight someone and at least you have a ‘piece,’ the person who is attacking you might think twice,” Almonte said. “We cannot go on the way we are.”
At present, Mexico’s constitution allows citizens to have one or two low-caliber guns in their homes, but they must get a permit from the Defense Department and the process is complicated. Almonte did not give specifics on how he would make it easier.
“Having a weapon should be a right, because the bad guys are few and we, the good guys, are many, so we can’t allow ourselves to be held hostage by the few,” Almonte said.
Federal police also reported Monday that the bodies of four more attackers had been found near the scene of a gun battle that occurred last week in the western Mexico states of Jalisco.
The discovery of the four bodies brings the total number of assailants killed in the confrontation Friday to 15. Federal police had earlier reported finding the bodies of 11 victims.
Federal police raided the area Friday after one of their helicopters was fired on May 24; two officers aboard the craft were injured. Police also arrested 39 members of the La Familia drug cartel in the raids.
Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110531/ap_tr_ge/lt_travel_brief_drug_war_mexico
State: Man bilked 198 consumers out of $2.2M
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel Deals
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MORRISTOWN — Cherry Hill resident Daryl T. Turner and his wife treated themselves to a 2011 Range Rover and two other luxury cars this year, and opened a travel club business in Marlton, according to court documents.
Turner sounds like he is prospering. But the state Attorney General’s Office contends his buying power is at the expense of at least 198 consumers who allegedly were deceived by Turner into buying $2.2 million worth of vacation packages and memberships that didn’t deliver the promised dream getaways.
The state Division of Consumer Affairs, which operates under the Attorney General’s Office, has alleged that Turner is violating a settlement pact he made this past February in a Morris County courtroom to not sell or advertise vacation packages for the next five years.
A hearing has been set for June 10 before Judge Deanne Wilson in Morristown, at which the Attorney General’s Office will ask that Turner be restrained from selling, encumbering or transferring any assets, including cars and bank accounts.
The state wants Turner to disclose his individual and corporate income tax returns for the years 2008 through 2010 and wants him ordered to appear at a deposition the state will conduct.
Neither Turner nor his lawyer, Richard D. Gallucci, could be reached for comment, but a court official said that Gallucci indicated he would file an answer to the state’s motion before June 10.
The consumer affairs division in May 2009 first filed a lawsuit against Turner that alleged he was violating multiple sections of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and regulations governing advertising practices.
At that time, Turner had offices in Parsippany, Sewell, and Westhampton Township, and operated travel package businesses identified as Dreamworks Vacation Club, Dreamworks Vacations, Five Points Travel Co., Bentley Travel, Vacation Clubs LLC, Dream Vacations International Inc., Modern Destinations Unlimited, and Blue Water and Away We Go Promotions LLC.
Turner between 2007 and 2009 allegedly offered dream vacations to people who paid between $1,200 and $8,000 only to learn that promises of free gifts and incredible discounts on airfare and rooms at five-star hotels were empty, the state said.
Article source: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20110530/NJNEWS/305300009/State-Man-bilked-198-consumers-out-2-2M?odyssey=nav%7Chead
The Flights Guru announces affordable air travel deals for 2011 summer holidays
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel Deals
Our company aim to make the travelers aware of the all affordable air travel offers provided by The Flights Guru especially for 2011 summer holidays.
Online PR News – 30-May-2011 –Do you want to visit another country but are worried about the cost involved during the trip? Now, there is good news for you! You can find out the cheap international flights to almost every preferred destination of your choice. The flights guru has introduced many international packages this summer to cater to the needs of all kinds of travelers. These packages not only suit the needs of the people with heavy wallets but are also suitable for the people looking for affordable tours.
The flights guru realizes that staying within the estimated budget is the most important part of planning a trip, especially international trip. Therefore, they are making it very easy to find low fares for top flights to all the major destinations.
Save more with all inclusive packages to international destinations across the globe!
The flights guru will help you get the best and reasonable deal when you want the all-inclusive package which includes flight ticket, stay in hotel, food, transportation, medical facility when required, guide, etc. You will be able to select the facilities like flight and hotel tailored as per your specifications and still find the best package. There are many travel sites when you search for them on the internet or offline that suggest you the same airline every time. The flights guru is the most reliable one that helps you to mix match the airlines to get the best journey and the best deal. Their team can organize holidays, hotels, car hire, travel insurance, visas, traveler cheques, cruises, coach tours, rail passes, and frequent flyer point redemption according to the demands of the customers.
Plan your next trip from here
The flights guru can save many dollars on your next Orlando holiday. Many packages are there for the major destinations including North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean. These packages include fine quality hotel accommodation including benefits such as breakfast, free nights, discos, night outs, etc. You will have memorable experience when you travel under the umbrella of the flights guru.
The CEO of the company states, “We are committed to provide great trip at the cheapest price possible. Our team is experienced and dedicated to find the best air travel deal for any budget destination. We are very enthusiastic about travel.”
Article source: http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/143364-1306751993-the-flights-guru-announces-affordable-air-travel-deals-for-2011-summer-holidays.html
Memorial Day kicks off Vt’s hiking season (AP)
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel News
WATERBURY, Vt. – The Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the hiking season in Vermont.
The Green Mountain Club says its staff and volunteers have been preparing trails and shelters for the summer season.
Will Wiquist, the club’s executive director, says the trails are in generally good condition despite this spring’s rain and melting snow.
But the club warns early-season hikers to stay off trails that are too muddy to walk through and be careful on snow and ice at higher elevations.
The club says hiking is a big tourism draw for the state. The Long Trail, a hiking trail running the length of the state, attracts 200,000 people each year.
Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110530/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_vt_hiking_season
Travel Deal TV Gives Insider Access To Hottest Travel Offers
May 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Travel Deals
Travel Personality John Kirk Gives You The ‘Real Deals’ At TakeOffeh.com
TORONTO, May 30, 2011 /CNW/ – Anyone who works in the travel industry
knows the drill: at parties, summer barbecues, kids’ soccer fields or
any other social gathering, it’s always the same question – “Where`s
the best deal?”
If you don’t have a buddy in the industry, cutting through the thousands
of offers and sometimes deceptive pricing can be frustrating and
time-consuming. Here’s some good news – you now have a buddy in the
travel industry.
At TakeOffeh.com’s Travel Deal TV, industry personality John Kirk sifts through hundreds of travel offers
in search of the ‘real deal.’ Twice a week he presents the
best-of-the-best offers in an entertaining style that gives online
viewers an inside look at how the industry works, as well as access to
distressed inventory and time-limited bargains.
Kirk is the ideal man to have in your travel planning corner. As a
senior executive with some of Canada’s leading tour operators he has
sat at the big boardroom tables and knows exactly how pricing works. He
has run mult-million dollar retail travel businesses and was a pioneer
in Canadian online travel. And, as Kirk will attest, his Scottish
background lends a healthy tinge of prudent frugality to his
deal-hunting.
“I don’t like to pay a penny more than I have to…and there’s nothing I
like better than sniffing out a great offer,” says Kirk. “Is that so
wrong?”
Definitely not if you’re a Canadian in search of a value-priced getaway.
Recent Travel Deal TV offers include a week on the French Riviera with
air, hotel and daily breakfast for just $699 per person plus taxes!
It’s tough to find a transatlantic airfare that cheap, never mind with
hotel included. Another recent deal was a seven-night Mediterranean
cruise including return air from Toronto to Rome starting at an
incredible $885 per person plus taxes.
Kirk is backed by the resources and knowledge of TakeOffeh.com, Canada’s
favourite website for ‘Non-Stop Travel Intelligence.’ TakeOffeh.com is the creation of Nina Slawek and Suzanne Christie, two Canadian
travel industry veterans who transformed the way travel professionals
receive industry news at their successful B2B website OpenJaw.com.
TakeOffeh.com now brings the same brand of insider information to Canadian consumers,
unbiased and direct , along with listing of specialized trip offers
from travel providers across Canada.
Travel Deal TV airs twice per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but can be viewed
anytime at TakeOffeh.com. Tune in early and often – the deals are
always fresh, but they’re too good to last.
For further information:
Media Inquiries:
Nina Slawek
416.926.8092
nina@takeoffeh.com
Article source: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2011/30/c8809.html
