Saturday Travel Shot: Washington DC

Tags: nation's capital, Travel, Washington DC

Three Great Airlines Offer Three Great Sales

Airlines kick off 2010 with major sales.

If you are looking to plan that 2010 getaway, now might be a good time to check airfare. Virgin America, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue have all announced some pretty good sales this week.

Virgin America is offering discounted seats if you book by January 11 and fly between January 7 – March 10. There are even a few select seats available through June 20. A three day advance purchase is required. Some one-way fares include:

• San Francisco to Las Vegas – $39

• Seattle to San Francisco – $59

• Boston or Washington DC to Los Angeles or San Francisco – $99

• New York or Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles or San Francisco – $109

• For more information and fares, check out Virgin America’s website.

Southwest Airlines is offering “3 Days of Deals” with some pretty decent deals.  Hurry because you only have until  this Thursday January 7, 2010 at 11:59 pm Pacific Time to grab a seat on sale. Travel is good through May 14, 2010 and a 14-day advance purchase is required. A few one-way fares that caught my attention include:

• Chicago to Long Island – $80

• New York to Baltimore - $59

• Denver to San Diego – $92

• Milwaukee to Ft. Lauderdale – $101

• For more information and fares, check out Southwest’s website.

Finally, if you are looking to “shake up the new year” and jet for less, check out JetBlue’s first sale of the new year. What is great about this sale is that you can either purchase tickets or use your TrueBlue points. You must book by January 13, 2010, travel by March 24, 2010 and blackout dates do apply. Some of the one-way fares that stood out include:

• New York to New Orleans – $84/$89

• Austin to Orlando - $79/$89

• Fort Lauderdale to Nassau - $29

• Boston to Chicago - $67/$79

• For more information and fares, check out Jetblue’s website.

Tags: boston, chicago, fort lauderdale, jetblue, Las Vegas, los angeles, new orleans, new york, San Diego, san francisco, southwest airlines, virgin america, Washington DC

Airtran, Virgin, & Southwest Offer Scary Good Sales

There have been all sorts of spooky airline deals coming in this week leading up to Halloween. Three airlines in particular have given passengers plenty of reasons to hop a plane and fly like a bat out of hell across the country.

AirTran: The low-cost carrier wants you to skip raking the leaves and get packing. With fares starting as low as $39 one-way, you will have enough cash leftover to pay the neighbor’s kids to finish cleaning the lawn.

You must book by November 10, 2009 and travel is valid through February 10, 2010. Some sample one-way fares include:

• Chicago (Midway)-Cancun: $84 (plus tax)

• Memphis-Atlanta: $69 (plus tax)

• Washington (Dulles)-Tampa: $69 (plus tax)

For more information, additional routes, and prices check out AirTran.com.

Virgin America: Fly across the country for only $62? That is “BOO-tiful” my frightened friends. This sale is so “spooktacular” that it is only good for travel this coming Halloween weekend.

Tickets must be purchased by 11:59pm on October 29 with travel occurring on either Friday October 30 or Saturday October 31. Some sample one-way fares include:

• San Francisco-Las Vegas: $31 (plus tax)

• Seattle-Orange County: $31 (plus tax)

• New York, Boston or Washington (Dulles)-San Francisco or Los Angeles: $62 (plus tax)

For more information, additional routes, and prices check out VirginAmerica.com.

Southwest Airlines: The “LUV” airline is at it again with another great sale. This time some seats are priced lower than many airline’s checked bag fees. Talk about a touchdown. Nothing scary about this deal…so boooooooooo-k now.

Tickets must be purchased by October 29 at 11:59 Pacific Standard Time. Travel is good between December 2-16 and January 5-February 10, 2010. Some sample one-way fares include:

• Los Angeles-LasVegas:$25 (plus taxes)

• Chicago (Midway)-Nashville: $50 (plus taxes)

• New York (LaGuardia)-Orlando: $75 (plus taxes)

For more information, additional routes, and prices check out Southwest.com.

I have officially filled this year’s quota of awful Halloween themed word play with this article.

Tags: airtran, atlanta, boston, cancun, chicago, halloween, Las Vegas, los angeles, memphis, new york, Orange County, san francisco, seattle, southwest airlines, tampa, virgin america, Washington DC

Guest Nomad: Five London Day Trips

This week’s “Guest Nomad” is Stephanie Yoder. Stephanie runs a travel blog called Twenty-Something Travel, which is dedicated to assisting new or young travelers with the skills, resources and opportunities available to them for travel abroad. When not traveling the world she lives in Washington DC.

This week's "Guest Nomad" Stephanie Yoder.

Escape From the City: Five London Day Trips

I love London don’t get me wrong. It’s an exciting and vast city with a seemingly endless supply of things to do. However, many visitors seem content to merely visit the capital city and end up missing out on all of the other beautiful and varied cultural sites the country has to offer. This is a shame; when there are so many interesting places just a couple hours away. Here are five other destinations worth visiting that can be seen in just a day trip from central London.

Greenwich

If you want to get technical, Greenwich is really a part of Greater London: that huge amorphous suburban blob. Even so it’s far different from central London and is a nice day or afternoon excursion. You can take public transport to Greenwich but the more exciting tactic is to take a boat cruise down the Thames, under Tower Bridge and past Canary Wharf. Once in Greenwich you can visit the National Maritime Museum, the Greenwich market or tuck into a traditional eel pie. The highlight here however is the Royal Observatory, home of Greenwich Mean Time. Be sure to get a photograph of yourself standing on the Prime Meridian line with a foot in each hemisphere!

Hampton Court

Only half an hour by train from London is one of the most impressive palaces in all of England. Built during the reign of King Henry VIII and used by the Royal Family up until the 18th century, the home is an elaborate showcase of Tudor and Baroque architecture.  Highlights include the Fountain Court designed by Christopher Wren, a functioning astrological clock and the world’s first Real Tennis court. The palace is haunted by the ghosts of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, Henry’s second and fifth wives, both who spent time here before going to the chopping block. The grounds are also exceptionally beautiful and there is an elaborate hedge maze to get lost in.

Brighton

If the weather is nice why not take a jaunt down to the Sussex seaside? An hour south of London via train, Brighton has been an escape from the city for hundreds of years. You can stroll down the Brighton Pier or relax on the colorful beach. With several universities, Brighton is a bright spot of culture and nightlife. Be sure to check out the bizarre Royal Pavilion, an Eastern themed Victorian pleasure palace.

Oxford

The oldest university in the English-speaking world (it’s existed in some form since 1096), Oxford is rich in academic, architectural and literary history. Sign up for a guided tour in order to visit some of the beautiful colleges and to learn about the vast history of the town and University. Oxford is also a major site for bibliophiles; from it’s medieval Bodleian library to the modest Eagle and Child pub, where CS Lewis and JR Tolkien used to have a pint and share their stories with one another. Lewis Carroll also taught at Oxford and Christchurch College stood in for Hogwarts in scenes from the Harry Potter movies.

Bath

A bit further out of London (roughly 90 minutes by train) is the ancient city of Bath. The Romans founded Bath as a sacred healing spa in the first century AD, and built a temple over the hot springs. This impressive structure is still intact today and can be toured. Bath underwent a renaissance in the 18th century when it was redesigned as a vacation spot for the English elite. The entire city is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. In addition to touring the baths and admiring the Georgian architecture, visitors can spend time at one of the several spas still in operation, or take a walk and enjoy the scenery that inspired local author Jane Austen.

Tags: bath, brighton, england, greenwich, hampton court, London, oxford, Washington DC

Book A Hotel Room And Eat Ice Cream In New Pajamas For A Good Cause

How does a new pair of PJs and bowl of ice cream in bed sound right about now? Yeah I agree…pretty damn good. The good people at Affinia Hotels have come up with one of the more memorable hotel packages I have come across in quite sometime. They are calling it the “Comforthon” and it is actually not just a cheesy marketing scheme, but also a way to raise money for a great organization.

When you book a “Comfort Package” at any Affinia Hotel in New York, Chicago, or Washington DC, you will receive one pair of Lands’ Ends cotton pajamas customized with an Affinia logo, two single serving containers of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, in-room breakfast for two or breakfast in bed and a late check-out. Also during “Comforthon,” each Affinia property will be offering comfort enhancing activities for guests. For example Affinia Manhattan will be serving warm cookies upon check-in and Affinia Chicago will provide special comfort foods on their “Candy Bar” menu.

For those of you that are already packing their bags to partake in “Comforthon” at one of the many Affinia locations in the Big Apple, Windy City, or the nation’s capitol, be sure to bring an extra pair of pajamas to give away. Because starting October 1st, Affinia Hotels will kick off a year-long Pajama Drive, where you can drop off your donations that will then be given to former homeless men and women that have housing thanks to a great organization called Common Ground.

Started in 1990, Common Ground is the international leader in the development of solutions to homelessness. Truly a great cause that deserves all the help it can get in these tough economic times. Even if you can not make it to an Affinia, please check out their website and donate online. In addition, Affinia Hotels will donate $10 to Common Ground for each booked package.

The prices for the package vary in each city, with New York starting at $279 per night, Chicago at $189 per night, and Washington DC at $159 per night. The package is available from October 1-March 31, 2010. For more information and to book your “Comfort Package,” check out Affinia.com.

Tags: affinia hotels, chicago, new york, Washington DC