Zipcar expands service to over 45 college campuses (AP)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Zipcar Inc. said Monday that it has launched its car sharing services at more than 45 college and university campuses since the beginning of the current school year.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based company said that since December, it has has begun service at 10 new universities including Valparaiso University, University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

That came after Zipcar began services at 36 additional campuses around the start of the 2011-2012 school year, the company said.

Zipcar, which was founded in 2000, offers users a twist on the typical rental-car business. Instead of going to a rental lot, members reserve a car that’s parked nearby, which they unlock with a keycard. The cars are usually rented out by the hour instead of by the day.

Zipcar, which operates over 8,900 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses, said its services are especially attractive to college students, because it helps them save money, avoid the hassles of parking and maintenance and reduce their use of fossil fuels.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120213/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_zipcar_universities

On Valentine’s day, a museum for broken hearts (AP)

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120213/ap_tr_ge/eu_travel_brief_croatia_museum_of_broken_hearts

New airline to be headquartered in Va. (AP)

NORFOLK, Va. – A new airline will be headquartered at Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport in southeastern Virginia.

Airport officials have scheduled a news conference Monday afternoon to reveal which airline it is. Officials have said the airline will initially offer service to the East Coast.

The announcement comes at a difficult time for the airline industry.

In the past decade, U.S. airlines have lost a combined $54.5 billion and failed to make money in seven of 10 years.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120213/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_airline_launch

Unexpected February Travel Deals: A CBS This Morning Report

Budget Travel, CBS News, Travel Deals, Travel Deals, TV/Videos, Videos — <!–By PeterGreenberg.com–> on February 13, 2012 9:32 am

You might think February travel revolves around Valentine’s Day, but many of those gimmicky packages don’t offer good value. Peter’s take on the old adage is love means never having to say you’re sorry…for over paying. So, instead of booking into the first special that comes with chocolate or sparkling wine, what should you be considering?

Peter Greenberg sat down with Rebecca Jarvis on CBS This Morning to go over his pick of deals for this season. From Valentine’s Day packages worth considering to President’s Weekend getaways and ski and cruise specials, Peter breaks down the best seasonal bargains.

Are you traveling this season? Tell us where you’re headed.

For more deals, check out:

• Travel Deals: Valentine’s Day Savings Around the World
• Travel Deals: Leap into Savings 
• Travel Deals: February Travel Booking Savings
• Travel Deals Section

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Article source: http://www.petergreenberg.com/2012/02/13/unexpected-february-travel-deals-a-cbs-this-morning-report/

Western airfare deals under $150

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By Clara Bosonetto

For the AJC

One-way airfare to four Western destinations have slipped far below the $200 mark — making each of these cities worthy of a getaway now or through Jan. 9, 2013.

One-way rates to Denver, Colo. are $110.80 on any available day of the week through Sept. 28 on AirTran or Delta. The bonus is that this deal has no blackout dates over Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor Day weekends.

Get to Portland, Ore., Sacramento, Calif. or Seattle, Wash. at one-way rates of $150.60 on American Airlines via Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Give at least a two-week or more advance notice of travel. Trips are allowed seven days a week, based on sale space availability. Travel must be finished on or before Jan. 9, 2013. These deals are also void of any blackout dates. Savvy budget travelers would be wise to grab these offers up now for year-end holiday trips.

None of these sale rates carry a ticket-by date. That indicates that these rates could vanish within hours.

Sale airfares are always subject to change. Every seat on every flight is not offered at the lowest rate. Since only a limited supply of seats is available, act quickly to make your purchase.

I recommend starting the search for available seats at Kayak.com vs. calling an airline directly. You can also search for the sale at travel Web sites such as Expedia or Travelocity, etc. Airlines can discontinue or pull a sale price without notice when the offer does not have a “ticket-by” date or when the offer is deemed “sold out.”

Clara Bosonetto is a retired travel consultant.

Article source: http://www.ajc.com/travel/deals/western-airfare-deals-under-1348091.html

REPEAT-Are Ottawans Romantic, or Just Cheap? Actually, We’re Both! Valentine’s …

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Feb 13, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Ah Love. On no day is it more on display than Valentine’s Day, a day
synonymous with grand gestures and expensive gifts. But what of those
love-struck students, starving artists, cash strapped Canadians or
the simply frugal? Are they to be denied true love for lack of funds?
Thankfully, no, according to the latest State of Air Travel Poll from
online travel leader FlightNetwork.com, which sought to find the best
economical Valentine’s Day outing options across Canada.

FlightNetwork.com provided participants with suggestions of where to
find the most fun for the fewest funds, but participants were also
welcome to offer up their own suggestions.

For most, it was all about saving, snuggling, and skating. From free
walks in the snow to home-cooked dinners, for Canadians, showing the
love is all about the company over the cash. Walks through parks and
skating on free outdoor rinks were the top suggestions for
celebrating Valentine’s Day on a budget.

Locally, Ottawans didn’t skate the national trend, with an
overwhelming 79.1% of respondents recommending a romantic free skate
on the Rideau Canal as the best discount date. A free tour of
Parliament Hill came in a distant second, with 8.3% indicating that
they find politics romantic.

Some locals were willing to spend a little money though, with 5.8%
selecting a $10 per person tour of the Canadian Museum of Nature as
the ideal date, and another 4.4% opting for a $9 per person visit to
the National Gallery of Canada. Only 2.4% said they would opt to
spend $25 per person to protest Valentine’s Day at the Meet Market
Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash at Gracies.

“Our business is all about enabling our customers to get where they
are going at the lowest price possible,” said Naman Budhdeo, CEO of
FlightNetwork.com. “With our Valentine’s Day poll, we’re hoping to
ease some financial pain once again by offering Canadians free advice
on great, local low cost and no cost romantic evenings.”

About FlightNetwork.com (
www.flightnetwork.com )

As one of Canada’s leaders in online travel, FlightNetwork.com
delivers the lowest airfares from the top airlines by offering
consumers access to over 2 million bulk rates on cheap flight tickets
negotiated with major airlines. Its proprietary flight booking engine
offers last second booking and the exclusive ability to ‘mix and
match’ fares – the only Canadian online travel agency that allows
booking on different airlines for departure and return flights to get
the lowest fares possible. Backing up Flight Network’s award winning
online service are over 120 insightful travel specialists in the
FlightNetwork.com call centre who ensure that customers successfully
book the best travel deals.

FlightNetwork.com’s Price Drop Protection plan is a unique, free
program, exclusive to FlightNetwork.com customers on all economy
flights, vacations and hotels. The Price Drop Deal covers up to a
$100 drop on USA and international flights, and unlimited drops on
domestic flights, vacations and hotel bookings. If you book with
FlightNetwork.com, and the price drops after you book, you will get
the difference credited back.

        Contacts:
        Pointman Public Relations
        Patrick McCaully
        416-855-9427
        patrick@pointmanpr.com

www.pointmanpr.com            

SOURCE: FlightNetwork.com

        mailto:patrick@pointmanpr.com

http://www.pointmanpr.com

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/repeat-are-ottawans-romantic-or-just-cheap-actually-were-both-valentines-day-poll-offers-advice-on-best-discount-dates-across-canada-2012-02-13

Brittania rules the eaves? Ship-shape hotel adorns London rooftop

Along with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics, this year also brings a quirky landmark to London: a little boat-shaped abode that sits atop Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. It’s a room with more than one view — really great views of the Thames River, the London Eye and Big Ben — and only accommodates two.

“A Room for London” was the winning entry in an architectural competition to create a novel dwelling at the arts center. The inspiration, according to the room’s website, was the boat from the Congo voyage taken by author Joseph Conrad in 1890 that became the basis of “Heart of Darkness.”

The dwelling includes a bed and a pull-down ladder that accesses a library above the main space. Inside, it’s all wood and porthole-style windows that evoke a true boat. The room sold out almost immediately in January after reservations opened for July to December (reservations for prior dates had opened earlier). The cost of a night’s stay for those dates, the Guardian reported, was 300 British pounds, or about $473 a night. 

The boat will stay afloat only until the end of the year in its current location. Check out a photo gallery of “A Room for London.”

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-room-for-london-20120212,1,1639565.story

Florida: Marriott’s leap year deal includes two companion airfares

If you haven’t made leap year plans (and really, who has?), Marriott is hoping to lure you to one of its Florida hotels in Orlando or Miami. The incentive? Two companion airfares to anywhere in the continental U.S. with a two-night stay that includes “leap day” Feb. 29.

The deal: This offer is an extension of Marriott’s Stay Here, Fly There deal. It requires staying Feb. 28 and 29 at one of five hotels: Doral Golf Resort Spa in Miami; Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort Marina in Stuart; and JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, Orlando World Center Marriott; or SeaWorld” href=”http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcosr-renaissance-orlando-at-seaworld/” target=”_blank”Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld.

The two-night stay comes with a $100 resort credit and two free companion airline ticket vouchers for flights within the continental U.S. (You pay for one ticket and companion fare is included.) Use the code P91 when making a reservation online or by phone.

When: You must reserve by Feb. 19 and stay Feb. 28 and 29 to get this offer.

Tested: In a check online Friday, I found the deal available at JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes ($319 a night) and Doral Golf Resort ($309 a night); prices don’t include tax. The offer was sold out online at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld when I checked.

Here’s how the vouchers work: You receive a PIN code and pay one price for two tickets at www.companionbooking.com. It’s best to call the service in advance at (800) 633-3771 to make sure the airfare part of this deal will work for you. The deal doesn’t come with a lot of restrictions. You can make a reservation and cancel by Feb. 23 without charge.

Contact: Marriott Stay Here, Fly There, (800) 228-9290, or contact individual hotels.

Article source: http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-marriott-leap-year-deal-20120208,1,7212458.story

Southwest NH visual arts tour added to itineraries (AP)

CONCORD, N.H. – A new itinerary on the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development’s website showcases art in galleries and coffee shops in the southwestern part of the state.

The Monadnock Visual Arts Tour highlights “off the beaten path” places to see art, such as the Dahlgren Fine Art Studio/Gallery in Temple and the Studios at Crescent Pond in Stoddard, in addition to galleries at Keene State College, the Jaffrey Civic Center and other locations. The site also mentions upcoming events such as the Children and the Arts Festival in Peterborough and the Art Walk in Keene.

Visitors can download the itinerary on the culture itineraries page of the division’s website: http://www.visitnh.gov.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120212/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_nh_monadnock_visual_arts_tour

Crown Princess departs after norovirus outbreak (AP)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A cruise ship that returned early to port after a stomach virus outbreak has departed again after an extensive sanitization.

The Crown Princess departed Saturday from Fort Lauderdale en route to the Caribbean after a two-day cleaning. Crews sanitized all public spaces and surfaces, including carpets, door handles and railings. State rooms were also sanitized and stocked with fresh linens.

Hundreds of people became sick with a gastrointestinal illness the last two times the ship departed. The outbreak was confirmed to be caused by the norovirus, which is highly contagious.

Several other ships have also experienced recent outbreaks of the virus, including the Ruby Princess, also operated by Princess Cruise Lines, and the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Sea.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/aptrne/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20120212/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_cruise_ships_norovirus

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