Roundup: Air-travel decline; Catalina scuba-diving cleanup; night on the house in Vegas

Where are you with your holiday mailing and shipping? On this day in 1957, according to the BBC, the postmaster general advised the British public to “post early,” as well as “pack carefully with strong string.” Though most skip the string these days, the tip to get a jump on things is worth heeding, especially if you’ve got parcels set to travel overseas. I’ve just discovered the U.S. Post Office’s handy online holiday shipping calendar, with deadlines listed for mail that you’d like to reach an overseas or military destination by Dec. 25.

Airlines | United Airlines experienced a 17% decrease in travel in November, its worst monthly decline since December 2001, according to Tribune wire services. Other major airlines reported significant declines in travel as well, including American Airlines, which posted a 14.5% decrease in November.

Avalon | To take advantage of a rare opportunity to dive in Avalon Harbor, while lending a hand to clean up the ocean, head over to Catalina Island in a couple of months for a popular annual event. Read “Scuba Divers Note: Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup Day Is Feb. 21” in the L.A. Times Outposts blog.

Las Vegas deal | Stay two nights at the Luxor and get your third night on the house. The deal is available for select dates between now and the end of January 2009; see the hotel’s website for details on the offer. Use promotion code “PDSTAY4″ to book it.

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo credit: Catalina Island Conservancy]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 8:33 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Airline travel, California, Catalina Island, Good Morning, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, 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.