Morning Links: Nile Guide iPhone app; Joshua Tree fire update; Last day for 2-for-1 British Airway Business Class fares

> A fire in Joshua Tree National Park that began Sunday was 80% contained as of Monday night. A group of 10 to 12 hikers that was trapped by the blaze on the Lost Horse Mine Trail was airlifted to safety on Sunday.

> NileGuide now has an iPhone app. The upside is even if you haven’t taken the time to upload your own trip itinerary, you can still have a look at other travelers’ itineraries and see what they are doing around your “current location.” In their La Jolla Guides, I found a few recommended restaurants and cafes I hadn’t tried. You can’t book a hotel straight from the guide’s hotel review, but you are able to call the hotel just by clicking on the link.

> Ready for Cancun? Airfare Watchdog lists round-trip fares out of LAX on United for only $337 including tax. Prices are for travel Monday-Thursday through Sept. 30, 2009.

> Cheapflights has a Summer Traveler’s Handbook on its website for download as a pdf. I thought the destination sections like Las Vegas or San Diego were more like an overview and lacking in specific travel information, but the list of new airline routes and page on how far the dollar will take you was worth a look.

> Today is the last day of the British Airways 2 for 1 Business Class sale. When I tested the deal online last week it was pretty confusing. It was hard to tell if you were getting the price for one person or two (read the caution pop up when you start searching). I recommend browsing the website for cheap dates and then calling to book. The representative was slightly more assuring. The one thing I did learn is that you can tell if you are getting the sale by looking for the “D” for discount. Also, I found fares mid June in the $6k range for two tickets between Los Angeles (LAX) and London (LHR). The representative on the phone said that a full fare ticket can often cost $14k each.

> In case you missed it — here’s Dr. Beach’s top 10 beaches in America 2009

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Fla.; Glen Hastings / Associated Press]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 9:48 am by Jen Leo and is filed under Airline travel, Business Travel, Deals, Good Morning, Islands & Beaches, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.