Archive for the 'News, Tips & Advice' Category
Two California luxury hotels added to AAA’s 2010 Five Diamond Award list
November 6, 2009 2:45pm
Open less than a year, the Resort at Pelican Hill in Orange County like all hotels, has struggled against the tides of a beleaguered economy. But that doesn’t mean it can’t take a great compliment. The luxury coastal property is one of two California resorts that have danced into the exclusive ranks of AAA’s just-released Five Diamond Award list for 2010. [Corrected at 5:45 p.m. Nov. 6: An earlier version of this post said the Resort at Pelican Hill is south of Laguna Beach. It is north of Laguna Beach.]
California, with 20 five-diamond hotels, also added the opulent Grand del Mar in San Diego to its coffers.
The new Golden State additions join the company of some real longtimers, like the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, which has populated the list for 24 consecutive years, and the Peninsula Beverly Hills, with 17 consecutive years under its belt.
National World War II Museum rallies the troops, plus Tom Hanks, for premiere
November 6, 2009 10:14am
Everyone from war veterans to movie luminaries are rallying today, Nov. 6, in New Orleans to inaugurate the expanded National World War II Museum, which has doubled in size and added a theater with a film experience that promises to plunge visitors into the wartime world, complete with (fake) falling snowflakes, seats that shudder as munitions explode and other special effects.
Among today’s attendees is Tom Hanks, executive producer and narrator of the 35-minute movie “Beyond All Boundaries” (photo above), which will screen at the museum’s new theater. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Patricia Clarkson, Neil Patrick Harris, Brad Pitt and many others.
Today’s events were sold out, museum spokeswoman Kacey Hill said. But there was still plenty of room on Saturday, dubbed “Family Fun Day,” when a range of free activities will be offered, she added. Here’s the 411:
Expedia drops fees for booking over the phone
November 5, 2009 11:04am
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a call to Expedia. If you have missed talking to a real human when making your travel reservations because the extra fees forced you to figure out how to do it online, get ready to have your life back. Expedia today, Nov. 5, let go of all its fees for booking flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises over the phone. Yesterday, calling in travel reservations cost customers $20 per transaction; today, it’s zippo.
Here are four scenarios that will save you money if you call in your reservation with Expedia.
1. If you book your flight by calling an airline directly. You know those pesky charges that airlines tack on if you call them to book your flight? As examples, Virgin America charges $15 per guest per itinerary. Delta charges $20 per person per ticket and United charges $25 per person, per reservation. As of today, if you call Expedia to book a flight (on any of those airlines and others) there will be no extra fee for doing so.
2. If you book your flight over the phone through a a competing online travel agency (OTA). Orbitz, Travelocity and CheapTickets charge $25 to book a flight over the phone. If you are making that call to book flights for more than one person, the fees can go up and up. For two people, it’s $50 on those three other OTAs and $75 for three people. When you call in flight reservations for four people, the fee stays at $75 on Travelocity but becomes $100 on both Orbitz and CheapTickets. [Update on Nov. 5: An earlier version of this post said Priceline doesn't charge for offline flight bookings and hasn't for years. The correct information is that Priceline does not offer telephone bookings for flights.]
3. If you book a flight with some OTAs and need to change or cancel the itinerary. Travelocity, Orbitz and Priceline generally charge $30 for flight changes and cancellations. However, Orbitz has a 24-hour no fee flight cancellation policy through its My Trips feature. Priceline’s Name Your Own Price does not allow changes. CheapTickets charges $50 for flight changes and cancellations.
4. If you book a cruise for a family of four with an OTA and need to cancel it. Some online travel agencies charge for changes. Orbitz charges $75 for canceling a cruise, according to a spokeswoman and their website. [Corrected at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5: In an earlier version of this post, I noted that I called Orbitz and was told they charge $100 per cabin for cruise cancellations but that there will be no charge if you rebook for a different date on the same phone call. I was also told that again when I called later. But an Orbitz spokeswoman e-mailed to correct this information]. And of course, there’s the nonrefundable $25 booking fee. CheapTickets charges $75 per cabin for cancellations. It’s worth noting that Travelocity and Priceline do not charge a fee to change or cancel a cruise booking.
Priceline.com’s Hotel Negotiator app for the iPhone & iPod Touch
November 4, 2009 4:54pm
Just what you’ve always wanted — William Shatner in your pocket. Priceline launched an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch last week and it has already made it to the No. 3 spot for travel apps on the iTunes store. Priceline’s “Hotel Negotiator” is a handy, free app that starts off with a Negotiator karate chop followed by a menu page, where you can shake your iPhone or iPod Touch to find recent “Name Your Own Price” hotel deals that were booked in your area and then book a deal yourself. You can also select a city from its top 50 destinations. Click “Browse” at the bottom of the screen to get hotel recommendations, see reviews, prices and book a hotel without using the “Name Your Own Price” feature.
When I tried the app under the “Name Your Own Price” feature (versus Browse), the Hotel Negotiator showed me a deal for $100 at a three-and-a-half star hotel in San Diego’s North County Coastal area. I liked that they map out exactly where the hotel would be located since part of the compromise with using Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price” deal is that you don’t find out which hotel you’ll be staying at until they’ve booked it on your credit card.
It’s particularly helpful that they tell you how much of a percentage savings you’re getting on normal rates. I also found it helpful that you can see a list of nearby deal scores because if you’re familiar with that area, you can consider driving a little bit farther to get a better deal. For example, a three-star hotel for $85 was found in North County Coastal between Oceanside and Encinitas with a savings of 39%. But I found that someone scored a $60 price for a three-and-a-half star hotel in the Del Mar - Solana Beach - Rancho Santa Fe area for a savings of 60%. That’s only a 10-30 minute driving difference.
Phoenix airport luggage thefts: Did you lose a bag? [Updated]
November 4, 2009 2:19pm
Take a look at the photo above. Recognize your bag? If so, you may be one of possibly hundreds of passengers whose luggage may have been stolen off carousels at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) in Arizona.
Police are asking travelers who think they might have been victimized to call the property crimes section at the Phoenix Police Department, (602) 495-7808.
In a news alert on their website, Phoenix police said they arrested two people on suspicion of stealing luggage from the airport’s carousels after an officer reported suspicious behavior there. When police searched the couple’s home Tuesday, Nov. 3, they found “suitcases everywhere — from floor to ceiling,” said Det. James Holmes, a department spokesman. The photo above shows some of the bags.
A nifty hotel deal for 50-and-over crowd in Central California
November 4, 2009 5:57am
OK, so you’re still 12 years away from drawing Social Security and 15 years from getting Medicare. Aren’t there any perks for turning 50? Well yes, and we’re not talking about getting an invite in the mail to join AARP or receiving snarky birthday cards with over-the-hill jokes. The over-50 set can score reduced room rates and more this winter at five inns in San Luis Obispo County in Central California.
Deal: If you or someone in your party is 50 or older, you’re eligible for the “Nifty Fifty” special at five inns run by Boutique Hotel Collection: Apple Farm Inn in San Luis Obispo, the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, Inn at Morro Bay in Morro Bay, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Beach and SeaVenture Resort in Pismo Beach.
The details of the deal differ from inn to inn. But generally, you’ll get discounts on your room, food and items from the gift shop. Room rates vary by location, and not all rooms may be included in the deal, which is subject to availability and other restrictions.
Oyster Hotel Reviews does L.A.: See thousands of photos and insider reports from L.A.’s best hotels
November 3, 2009 3:53pm
The still-new Oyster Hotel Reviews that launched earlier this year has opened up a new category of Los Angeles hotels on their website. It’s a feather in their cap that Oyster reviews hotels without taking comps or incentives, but it’s their bounty of gorgeous hotel photos and insider content that keeps me coming back to their site. As you can imagine, I was happy when they added Los Angeles to their Caribbean-heavy lineup.
Here’s a website where travelers can get an inside peek at some of Los Angeles’ most-talked-about hotels before they slap down their credit card. Users are able to search hotels by category, price, rating and special amenities like “swim up bar at pool ” or “pets allowed.” Oyster roundup lists provide a great way to ogle the insides of a hotel and get a full review, whether you’re shopping for a room right now, or daydreaming for next year.
The luxe Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Terranea Resort and Shutters on the Beach are on the list of Best Luxury Hotels in Los Angeles, and the Chateau Marmont, Hollywood Roosevelt and the Beverly Hilton are three L.A. hotels that made the short list of hotels from Hotels with Hollywood History in Los Angeles. (Apparently, Oyster has a loose definition of Los Angeles since some hotels have addresses in Greater L.A. like Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.)
Don’t worry, not all hotels in the L.A. section have big price tags. There are also Best Value Hotels and Kid-Friendly Hotels.
25 best travel gadgets of 2009 from Time.com
November 3, 2009 10:21am
It’s not too early to start your holiday shopping. And we don’t mean limiting that purchasing power to plane tickets. Time.com’s technology editor, Peter Ha, has listed “the best travel gadgets of 2009.” Have a look. If you are an uber-geek, you’ve probably heard of some of these tech toys before (such as the Slingbox, MacBook, iPod touch and Live Luggage Hybrid PA). But it doesn’t matter because there are enough gadgets on the list that we’re confident you’ll find a few that are downright drool-worthy.
If Santa, or even my husband, is reading this post, I’d like the Optoma PK101 Pico Pocket Projector so I can be the most tech-savvy parent at the party, whipping out photos and videos of my 11-month-old daughter. I also liked the Energizer Xpal SP2000, a solar-powered device that can recharge your charge cell and smart phones, iPods, digital cameras and other small electronic devices. Great for long hikes and camping.
Tech gadgets can get expensive, so I appreciate the fact that Ha extended his list to some free and cheap items. Of all the travel-related apps there are out there, Ha recommends the Yelp App and the Zipcar App (both free). If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, don’t miss the Kingston MobileLiteG2 ($11), a memory card reader with a USB connector so that you don’t have to bring your USB camera cable when traveling. Just snap in your memory card and insert into a computer to e-mail photos. The Eye-Fi Pro (also on the list but priced at $149.99) allows you to skip the memory card part of the process altogether and enables you to transfer photos and videos between camera and computer via Wi-Fi.
—Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
Photo: Screen shot of Time.com home page. Credit: Time.com
Travel + Leisure online airport guide to restaurants, shops and bars
November 2, 2009 3:18pm
It’s a common dilemma when passing through an airport: What should I eat? Where’s the bar? Are there any good gift stores, because I forgot to get my kids/spouse/mother something on my trip. If you’re racing through the airport with 20 minutes before boarding or stuck on a layover for four hours — Travel + Leisure’s Airport Navigator has the answers to those questions and more for 20 different airports around the globe. It’s not just a list of fast-food options or bookstores that are easy to find — the guide lets you know if it’s a swanky restaurant like El Madrono in Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD), or the much admired Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in Hong Kong (HKG).
Unfortunately, there aren’t any airports covered within the U.S., but the editors are not done adding to the list (the guide launched this past Aug. 22).
20 Airport Navigator sites covered so far: EUROPE — Schipol (AMS in Amsterdam), Munich International (MUC in Germany), Atatürk (IST in Istanbul, Turkey), Charles de Gaulle (XDT in Paris), Heathrow (LHR in London), Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino (FCO in Rome), Barajas International (MAD in Madrid); ASIA: Capital International (PEK in Beijing), Changi Airport (SIN in Singapore), Hong Kong International (HKG), Narita International (NRT in Tokyo); US + Canada: Toronto Pearson International (YYZ), Vancouver International (YVR); LATIN AMERICA: Ministro Pistirini International (Ezeiza) (EZE in Buenos Aires), Guarulhos International (GRU in Sao Paulo, Brazil), Mexico City International (MEX); AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST: Cairo International (CAI), OR Tambo International (JNB), Dubai International (DXB); AUSTRALIA: Sydney Airport (SYD)
Thanksgiving travel: Cheapest dates and destinations
November 1, 2009 1:44pm
Those who have ever stepped foot in an airport the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving know that flights departing during that very popular time don’t usually come cheap. In fact, by being a little flexible with your dates for Thanksgiving-week travel, you can save as much as $180 in airfare, according to Travelocity folk who researched flight bookings from Nov. 22 to Dec. 1.
It’s no surprise that the most expensive flight itineraries include departures on Sunday, Nov. 22, or on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The priciest return dates, because of holiday surcharges enacted by airlines, are Sunday, Nov. 29, and Monday, Nov. 30, according to Travelocity’s report.
The cheapest days to depart are Nov. 23 and 26. The least expensive day to return, if you can swing it, is Tuesday, Dec. 1. See the Travelocity chart for a comparison of average fares.
What about hotels? The same report cites a decrease in accommodations costs this year, with hotel rates 16% lower than they were last year. Read the rest of this entry »
