Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Also, what is Alaska Air's policy on luggage? Don't many US airlines charge for bags or something? Personally I'd pay the extra bit of money to fly Westjet, having the TV on the flight alone would be worthwhile!

Just wanted to say I love reading this thread even if we aren't able to take advantage of any of the deals right now. Definite 5-star thread.

Good chart showing all the fees for different airlines...

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/...ge-fees-chart/

First checked bag on Alaska is free, second is $25.

[lucky1]

Originally Posted by Draug

Hey Cymden,

As I mentioned to you before, we're looking to go to Kauai (from Calgary) in April. Westjet just posted a seat sale on their Wednesday flights in April for $767 all in. Saturday flights are two expensive to consider, so we'll stick to Wednesdays (those are the only two days WJ flies to Kauai).

Am I likely to see cheaper? Have you seen cheaper in the past? Since I started looking in July, this is the cheapest so far. Ussually, the "sales" are about $900 return.

Would you book this, or hold out?

EDIT:
I just checked Expedia, and Alaska Air can do Wednesday the 7th to the 14th at $647 ... so WJ's deal isnt that hot.

What price should I hold out for? I dont mind playing the waiting game.

Is Alaska Air ok to fly? I've heard to stay away from United within the US; true?

Draug, there are occasionally some pretty good seat sales to hawaii from calgary via phoenix on US AIR. I like the flight times with them as most of the time you aren't on a red eye.....and they are a star alliance partner if you collect points.
The prices vary pretty good, but if you keep an eye on them, you can usually snag a decent price. They are a decent no frills airline, just gives you another option. A lot of people dont even realize that US AIR flies out of Calgary

I just checked april 6-14th....prices out at $630 taxes in....not to bad

[Suave]

For those looking to travel on Air Canada you can get an extra 15% off by using this code 4QNFQB41.

Valid anywhere Air Canada flies within Canada, to the Caribbean, Australia or South America. Must book by Dec.26 and fly by May 31.

[Incogneto]

cmyden,

My parents are looking for a package to Vegas from Winnipeg on the weekend of Feb 21st. Can you find anything for those dates?

T.I.A!

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by InCoGnEtO

cmyden,

My parents are looking for a package to Vegas from Winnipeg on the weekend of Feb 21st. Can you find anything for those dates?

T.I.A!

Mandalay Bay looks like the best deal right now. $477/person for Feb 18-21 (after taxes).

Here's the cheapest package deals available for comparison purposes:

Luxor: $464
Monte Carlo: $475
Flamingo: $486
NY NY: $486

Mandalay Bay seems like the best deal in my opinion because the other so-called 5* hotels on the strip are going for $550-650 on those dates. This is through WestJetVacations.

If you wanted to try and build your own package, the cheapest flights for Feb 18-21 are $355/USD through Air Canada.

A quick glance at Kayak shows the decent hotels going for $130-$140 USD/night after taxes. Building your own Mandalay Bay package for example would be $150 USD x 3, or $225/person. Add that to the flight and you have $580 USD/person, or about $615 CDN. So the WestJet package deal wins.

[Buckey]

A big thank you to cmyden for his help!

Without his advice and the info in this thread, I would have spent $100s extra on my flight to Auckland!

Ditto on the 5-star thread!

[Mad Mel]

Originally Posted by Buckey

A big thank you to cmyden for his help!

Without his advice and the info in this thread, I would have spent $100s extra on my flight to Auckland!

Ditto on the 5-star thread!

Air New Zealand from Van? Usually cheapest, and it's a great airline to boot.

[Mad Mel]

Oh yeah, with respect to cmyden's earlier post about Fairmont Hotel discounts... they have hotels all over the world - I have never really associated Fairmont with anything but Canadian hotels. Now I'm booked into the Fairmont Singapore at a smokin' rate (44% of the normal price). Thanks cmyden. It's worth checking into for anyone traveling overseas.

[Freeway]

Anyone have advice regarding tips/tricks/etc when travelling to NYC and Washington, DC in May? I'm going, but I thought I'd check with y'all for tips and whatnot.

[jjbouma]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Anyone have advice regarding tips/tricks/etc when travelling to NYC and Washington, DC in May? I'm going, but I thought I'd check with y'all for tips and whatnot.

What sort of tips/tricks are you looking for? I travel to New York every month or two for work so could probably shed some light.

[SOMBRI2]

cmyden, thanks for this! i have signed up the facebook group but never realized you have posted here at CP.

you are awesome. i want to look for deal to vegas to attend NAB 2009 show, when is the best time to look up?

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by Mad Mel

Oh yeah, with respect to cmyden's earlier post about Fairmont Hotel discounts... they have hotels all over the world - I have never really associated Fairmont with anything but Canadian hotels. Now I'm booked into the Fairmont Singapore at a smokin' rate (44% of the normal price). Thanks cmyden. It's worth checking into for anyone traveling overseas.

Definitely, I think the discounts on the international properties are actually the best deals. I saw some for the Fairmont Bermuda for $99/night, ditto for some in Mexico.

[drewboy12]

Just figured I would add this tip: I told my sister tonight and she didnt know, so it may be new to some people.

On WestJet, you can check two bags up to 50lbs each for free... thats 100lbs total. Just make sure each bag is 50 or under and you will not be charged.

[Philly06Cup]

Has anyone been to Reno before? I'm looking to go to there from Jan 14 - 19. I love Westjet, but they unfortunately don't fly to Reno.

Is it better to just fly to Vegas, then find another flight from Vegas to Reno?

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by jjbouma

What sort of tips/tricks are you looking for? I travel to New York every month or two for work so could probably shed some light.

Flight deals, decent hotels in midtown Manhattan. I'm looking for somewhere around $110-120 per night. Plus any cool places you think I should see.

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Flight deals, decent hotels in midtown Manhattan. I'm looking for somewhere around $110-120 per night. Plus any cool places you think I should see.

I don't know if you're going to find a hotel that you'd want to sleep at in midtown for that price. Might be possible, so I don't want to say definitely either way. The last time we were there, we found hotels via priceline.com and I think they were in the $130 a night range. Problem is with Priceline, you don't know what the hotel is until you've paid for it (though you have an idea of the quality).

I think flights into Newark are generally the cheapest but then you have to find your way into the city (though it's no worse than flying into JFK or LaGuardia).

Far too many "cool places" in New York ... many, many must sees. I'd say, unless you are hell bent on the Empire State Building, that Rockefeller Center is a better idea: it's a more central location, plus you get an assigned time to go up to the observation levels, whereas at the ESB you just wait in what is sure to be a gigantic line.

Are you going with a wife/girlfriend? How long are you there for? What would be the big priority? Sporting events? Plays? Museums? Shopping?

[kermitology]

I'm hoping that I got a good deal to Mexico last night:

$1167 to Grand Bahia Principe Coba for 7 nights. That's on the Mayan coast. It's a fair bit South of Cancun and our flights suck, but the hotel looks amazing, and they cater to celiacs, which my girlfriend sort of is.

It's the number 1 rated hotel on trip advisor for Akumel

[jjbouma]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Flight deals, decent hotels in midtown Manhattan. I'm looking for somewhere around $110-120 per night. Plus any cool places you think I should see.

That might be hard to get unless you find a smoking deal. I've stayed on Lexington and 51st St which isn't a bad location and also in Long Island City (across the 59th St bridge from Manhattan) when I've wanted cheaper places to stay. Staying in Long Island City was only ~$80 USD/night and a 7 minute subway ride to Times Square.

As for things to do, there are so many that it's impossible to list them all. It depends what you're interested in, but if it's your first time there and you want to do the touristy things, I would suggest Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, Rockefeller Center instead of Empire State Building, museums (MOMA, Gugenheim, Metropolitan, Natural History etc.), MSG, NBC, Madame Tussaud's, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, catch a Broadway show, Central Park, eat eat eat, and just walk around and experience New York.

The different areas of Manhattan are cool as well, check out the financial district, Canal St. if you want some fake purses, Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo/Tribeca for some trendy places.

One other thing that might be useful is to get some sort of New York card so that a bunch of the tourist places are included. It works out quite a bit cheaper than paying individual entrance fees. Depends on what you want to do as to which card works out the best.

http://www.newyorkpass.com/
http://www.smartdestinations.com/new..._d_Nyc-p1.html
http://www.citypass.com/city/ny.html?id=TW5craVd

[surferguy]

check out hotel seven in midtown. i don't have a link for the place but a quick google search will work. I've stayed there and it was basic but fine. I found we didn't spend anytime at the hotel anyway so it was just a place to crash.

edit:
it is just off of Union Sqaure

Originally Posted by kermitology

I'm hoping that I got a good deal to Mexico last night:

$1167 to Grand Bahia Principe Coba for 7 nights. That's on the Mayan coast. It's a fair bit South of Cancun and our flights suck, but the hotel looks amazing, and they cater to celiacs, which my girlfriend sort of is.

It's the number 1 rated hotel on trip advisor for Akumel

Is that for 2 people taxes included!!!??? If it is, yah, that's sweet! When is the departure date?

I've stayed there twice and love it! The bus from the airport is pretty long (anywhere from 45 mins to an hour and a half depending on how many stops they do, but at least they have beer for a buck to keep you occupied)

The Coba section is a little far from the beach and the complex is HUGE but it gives you lots of things to do/see/places to eat. Book your a la carte dinners as soon as you get there. I would suggest the japanese and brazillian restaurants to go for sure.

If you walk south down the beach and around the corner over the rocks: there's a little secluded bay that has an abandoned hotel with a beautiful beach that noone goes to. Don't go exploring past the beach though. There are security guards with machine guns that patrol the buildings, but they don't bother you if you stay on the beach. Any other questions, throw me a PM, I'll let you know what I can!

(so jealous!, I want to go back again!)