Tips on Finding Travel Deals

I travel quite a bit. Not a tremendous amount, like say, my FB friends Johnny Jet or Chris Elliott. And, I have not (yet) become a famous travel blogger who is hosted in all kinds of exotic destinations so I can write about them. Someday maybe, with any luck ;).

Meanwhile, I often hear from friends... "I'm going to (fill in the blank city) and I know you've been there. Where should I stay and how do I get a good deal?" If I've been there, I'm happy to give specific information. If not, here's my standard method for finding a good deal.

Airfare:
First step - I go to www.sidestep.com. What I like about Sidestep is that, unlike Orbitz or Expedia, it is not a booking engine. It is merely a price comparison. It shows you more airlines than the 2 afore mentioned and it tells you where to get the deal (i.e. on the airlines' site, or cheapoair, or orbitz, etc).

Second step - once I find a flight combo and price I like, I go to the airlines' individual sites and search there - as well as other booking sites, to see if other times or web only fares are listed. On both Sidestep and the individual sites, I search both round trip and one-way flights... since sometimes it's cheaper to book one-ways on 2 different sites than a round trip with one airline.

For instance, I prefer JetBlue to NYC, but sometimes I need to give up the TV and fly only one way with JB and the other with say, Continental. I also will fly into JFK and outta Newark, or vice versa, if it's cheaper and if the times work better for me. Not a big difference in cab fare. And, in certain markets, I find that you have to figure out who the best carriers are for your connection and shop those (for example, United and US Air are the 2 best choices for me, with regards to price and non-stops/directs, from Fort Myers to Reagan National in DC).

Side bar: I'm not a fan of flying through certain airports, Atlanta and Philly, to name two. They are huge and you've gotta be careful that the flight connection you have booked is not less than an hour in these airports. Atlanta/Delta is notorious for flight delays, cancellations and gate changes and you will find yourself runnnnnning like crazy to catch your connection. Trust me on this one, avoid connections under an hour there.

Hotels:
Travelzoo is my favorite for hotel deals and is always my starting point. I receive their weekly Top 20 Deals list and it prompts me to browse my fave cities. Sometimes I create a trip based on a deal, versus picking a date then finding a deal. I like Travelzoo because there are some independent properties and small hotel groups that I have found I can rely on for periodic Travelzoo exclusive deals. Like for instance, one of my fave hotel groups, Kimpton, will post Travelzoo deals. To date I've stayed at 4 of their properties in NYC, San Fran and DC....all with Travelzoo deals. When I had the Hawk's Cay Resort account, we did Travelzoo promotions as well. You have to check back regularly on Travelzoo, because the deals come and go and book quickly... kinda like shopping at Costco or Homegoods.

I will shop hotels.com, because they sometimes have a sale on certain hotels. BUT, I only book hotels I am familiar with or have read reviews on TripAdvisor. I think that sometimes their 3 star or 4 star hotels are more like 2's in my book. Prime example, The Paramount in NYC. Not horrible, but not great and the rooms are the size of a walk in closet.

I also like to follow Budget Travel's magazine and website for deals and recommendations. They often write about hotels you would never find on any major booking site like hotels.com. Mostly hotels with a large inventory on rooms will appear on hotels.com, esp in major markets... so check out places like budgettravelonline.com for smaller boutique reviews and deals. I have had some success with Marriott's website, and I also receive their members e-mail with last minute specials.

My best tip on hotel bookings, if you find a deal, check the cancellation policy and the rez requirements. If you can cancel up to a day or two prior and they only do a credit card hold, then by all means, book the deal and then keep shopping for a better one!

Car rentals:
I don't do these very often, but one great tip I learned this summer from a good friend... if you are booking a car for a long period of time (esp one way), try shopping it with shorter rentals. My family went on a cross country for 3 weeks this summer, and instead of renting a car from Kansas City to San Francisco for 3 weeks, we did 3 one-week rentals (Kansas City to Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole to Vegas, Vegas to San Fran) and saved over $1,000 dollars. With the same company! I kid you not!

Travel news:
I like "This Just In" by Budget Travel and receive their RSS feed.

I'm open to any great deal finding techniques you have... please share!

Mi familia

When it comes to meaningful events, I didn't think I could top the cross country trip this summer. The first weekend in August though, I took a quick weekend jaunt to my hometown in New York for an old fashioned Italian family reunion. It was the first time our extended family had come together like this in probably 20 years or more. Why now? Cathi D'Errico Schultz.

By looking at her, you'd never know my cousin Cathi was Italian. Tall and statuesque, our blonde darling was the youngest, and sweetest, of my clan. She carried with her a cheshire grin and a infectious laugh. How this vibrant 37 year old woman could pass away at such a young age, and why, is just beyond me. It will be one of the first questions I ask at the pearly gates.

At Cathi's funeral, 2nd and 3rd cousins I haven't seen since childhood vowed to have a reunion in Cathi's honor. And, did we. On August 2nd, over a hundred of us gathered on Cathi's parents front lawn, holding hands, crying and praying together as a family. It's times like these, you are proud to have the family you do. You are proud of your heritage. And you long for the old days of pasta, rowdiness and a few extra cocktails. ;)

On this day, I met my cousin's kids for the first time, and they met my daughter. Taryn got a look into my upbringing in a way she hadn't before. Almost all were there, the local NY crew, the Yonkers crew, the Connecticut crew and the Florida crew. The 2 remaining elders, my grandmother and my great aunt, watched us dance from the front porch.

We got the generational photos... the first generation (Nan and Aunt Madeline), the second generation (my mom and her first cousins), the 3rd generation (us, the "kids") and the 4th (the kids' kids). Cousin Johnny and the lovely Renee sang to us in the rain. The cameras were a-snapping... especially the "fall" (you know what I mean). There was lots of laughter and lots of tears... it was an unforgettable day.

We vowed to keep in touch, and since have plastered Facebook with dozens of flattering, and not so flattering, photos. This family will never be the same since we lost Cathi - both in a seriously bad way, but also in a very, very good way. Thanks, Cuz.

Lovely Ladies In DC

My "Philly in a Day" trip was followed immediately with a drive to Old Town Alexandria, where I had more business to conduct. Another opportunity to explore a town I've never been to, and to hook up with another Chi Omega Sorority sister or two. So, my handy assistant and I (my daughter Taryn) traveled with Walter and Claire Klages, the research team for our mutual client, Northern Virginia's, Loudoun County. I am so glad the Focus Group for that night was in Old Town Alexandria, because it was a charming old walking city a stone's throw from DC. It also gave me another VA town to compare Loudoun's quaint towns and villages to. The Morrison House, another Kimpton hotel, was delightful... and again I had a better room than Walter (wink wink). The only surprise was the fact that VA doesn't allow alcohol to be given away, so the free wine hour in the lobby that is Kimpton's signature, was not permitted. :(

This girl is not dull, so the day after my work assignment, I stayed for an extra day to rendezvous with my dear friend Patty Fitzsimmons. She is a beauty of a lady, always has been - and it was so great to see her after 20 years. How do we let time escape us like that? I will never forget the beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace she sang at my wedding.

Patty played tour guide (see a pattern? if not, refer back to Philly in a Day post) for us, and whisked us off to DC, where we met sorority sister Chris Pellerin and her adorable daughter Emily at the Old Ebbit Grill. Chris is an influential lobbyist, with offices basically across the street from the White House. I was so thankful she took a few hours out of her work day to lunch with us and show us her office digs. Between these two DC experts, we were able to get a great overview of the city, and a few inside stories as well.

Unfortunately, our one day visit did not afford us time to go into some of the famous landmarks, like the Washington Monument and the Capitol, but believe me, we will plan another visit to this impressive city. It is really hard to describe how awesome it is to see all these monumental buildings side-by-side - from the Treasury, to the National Library, to the Pentagon. Just wow.

We went for a walk through the grand Willard Hotel, where Reverend Martin Luther King Jr wrote his speech "I Have a Dream", and Julia Ward Howe penned the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." We imbibed in a delicious Mojito at the hotel's illustrious Round Robin Bar, where Confederate spies were said to conspire against the Union.

I'm going to have to say, little Emily stole the show that day for me with this little interaction between she and my daughter in front of the White House:

Taryn: "You see that house there, Emily. Do you know whose house it is?"

Emily: "No, whose?"

Taryn: "President Obama's."

Emily looks perplexed.

Taryn: "He lives in there."

Emily: "No he doesn't."

Taryn: "He does, that's his house."

Emily: "Nuh uh, he lives inside the TV."

Philly in a Day

Shortly after our cross country trip (3 days in fact), I once again boarded a plane. With 3 focus groups planned in 3 cities over 3 days, there was no rest for the weary. I took my daughter along, who turned out to be our official assistant during the business trip. It also was a great way to expose her to a couple cities we haven't yet been to.

After our first FG in Jersey, we took the couple hour drive to Philly for FG #2. Since these research events take place in the evenings, I had an opportunity for a quick visit with my college roomie Jennifer Waite Hawes. She graciously toured Taryn and I through historic downtown Philly.

In case you ever wondered what you can see in 3 hours in Philly, it goes like this...

We parked under the new National Constitution Center, which houses the U.S. Constitution and 160,000 sq ft of exhibits surrounding the historical 4 page document. We did not enter the museum, but I heard there is a hall of life-size bronze figures of the constitution's signers. Next, we wandered through the adjacent Independence Visitors Center and received some tips on a quick tour of Old City.

We strolled on down to the Liberty Bell. Even though it measures 14' in diameter, for some reason I expected it to be bigger. Regardless, it is housed in a lovely new building that is light and airy with great photos and historical documents displayed throughout. It also happens to be free to enter the exhibit, which can be a quick pass through or you can linger a little longer.

On the far end of Independence Mall stands Independence Hall, the infamous location where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the U.S. Constitution was penned. Manned by National Park Rangers, we wandered the grounds and found our way to Ben Franklin's former home site and print shop. Here, I purchased a printed scroll for the husband-and-wife business friends I was traveling with. It said, "Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut after."

There is so much more to see in Philly that we didn't have time for, but I was able to get a sense of the spirit of our Nation's founders in this original American city.

Jen was such a good sport whisking us around Philly on a toasty summer day, and we toasted to old times and good friends at a sidewalk cafe. The special of the house, a fruity vodka cocktail, was a refreshing end to a lovely afternoon. Thanks, Jen!