Vacation Rental Agencies Can Deal Out Bargains

If you watched the Super Bowl you probably saw the HomeAway ad for its vacation rental service.

HomeAway, which owns vrbo.com, charges the owners of vacation homes, condominiums and apartments to list their properties. Travelers can search the database for a property and rent directly from the owners.

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American Airlines: Give Us $8 Or Freeze

Some days it’s hard to say which airline I hate most, but today I’m going with American Airlines.

American is going to start charging $8 for a blanket and pillow, as the Dallas Morning News reports. You get to keep the blanket and pillow. Woo-hoo. Because clearly the problem is not that airliners are cold and uncomfortable. It’s that we don’t own enough cheap bedding.

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Bargains — Relatively Speaking — On Luxury Cruises

The Miami Herald has a story this morning about the luxury cruise line Silversea, its newest ship and its new focus on “value.” That is to say, the pressures of supply and demand have forced luxury cruise lines to discount prices.

So it’s now possible, if you shop carefully, to get a week-long luxury cruise for around $2,000 a person. For this you get a truly all-inclusive experience, with drinks and tips, on a small ship with luxury accommodations and extremely attentive service. (No hairy chest or belly flop contests .)

This is still out of my league, but if you have the cash and the urge to splurge, now would be a good time to do it. Relatively speaking.

Airfare Deals For Seattle

Now might be a good time to book a trip to the Pacific Northwest. It seems that airfares to Seattle are down all over.

Round trips between Boston and Seattle can be had for as low as $207, all taxes and fees included. From Bradley it’s $238.

These fares are available on several major airlines from several different cities through May 26. Seats are limited, of course. Availability looks best on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Seattle can be a pricey city, but I’m seeing some deals for hotels, particularly around the airport. Priceline bidders are reporting successful offers for upscale hotels around the airport as low as $40 and in the city from $75 to $100. Travelzoo also has a nice $119 weekend deal at the upscale boutique Hotel Andra, about half off the regular rate.

Hotels Reward Guests Who Do Without Housekeeping

Would you accept a $5 daily credit to do without housekeeping services during your next hotel stay?

Starwood Hotels reports that 8.5 percent of its guests choose to forego housekeeping in exchange for a $5 credit to hotel restaurants or 500 points in the loyalty program for each night, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Hotels are promoting this option as ecologically friendly because towels and linens don’t get washed and vacuum cleaners don’t get used. It’s also economically friendly – for the hotel — because housekeepers don’t get paid. The article cites an estimate that it costs a luxury hotel $22 a day to clean a  room.

So I’m not particularly inclined to take the bait on this one. I think I’d rather have the room cleaned and keep the housekeepers employed.

I also can’t help wondering how long it will be before this option becomes a perk and hotels start charging a cleaning fee.

Those Cheap Fares To Europe? Meh.

British Airways is advertising fares as low as $219 between New York and London. Exciting? Only slightly.

That’s a one-way fare, and here’s the fine print:  Government taxes and fees of approximately $165 plus a $2.50 September 11th Security fee are extra. 

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Spirit Airlines Outdoes Itself

Spirit Airlines, apparently eager to stand out for something other than crappy customer service, has apparently decided to distinguish itself with crude, sophomoric sexual jests.

Its latest ad campaign is worse even than the much-maligned MILF campaign. It’s just too pointless and stupid to repeat here but go ahead and have a look if you’re curious. It’s not even funny.

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Worldwide Hostel Ratings Released

Hostelworld.com has released its list of the world’s best hostels, based on guest surveys.

The so-called HOSCARS (HOStelworld Customer Annual Ratings) are top-heavy with European hostels — five of the top 10 are in Portugal — but also include ratings by continent. In North America, the top-rated hostels are: the ACBB Hostel Niagara in Niagara Falls, Canada; USA Hostels in San Diego; and Clarence Castle in Toronto.

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On Travel Clubs And Fees

Travel troubleshooter Chris Elliott explores the question of whether Spirit Airlines’ $9 Fare Club is worth the $39.95 annual fee. You’ll want to read  what he wrote if you’re thinking of joining it — or any travel club that charges a fee.