| | help | ================================================= Clark Howard's Travel e-Scapes - 9 May
Clara Bosonetto Maerz, Editor ================================================= Travel tips, tidbits & trivia: - One of the 'Out Island' or 'Family Island' in the Bahama chain is the island of Eleuthera. This relatively undiscovered spot is now available for you to discover on the Internet at Eleuthera. You'll find out how to get there (a one-hour flight from Florida) and what the island looks like and what beaches, restaurants and activities await visitors. Starwood Properties has started a development in the south of the island on Cotton Bay and recently Sports Illustrated shot their famous, 'swim suit' issue in the famous cay, off the north coast of Eleuthera, Harbour Island, on Pink Sand Beach. Incidentally, Prince Charles honeymooned with Princess Diana in Windermere, a cay off the east coast of Eleuthera, and this island, to this day, remains an hidden enclave for British royalty.
- Delta Air Lines plans to launch a daily, non-stop flight from Atlanta to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, starting December 15. If the route is government approved, it will make Delta's fourth Dominican Republic destination along with Santo Domingo, Punta Cana and Santiago. Introductory rates have not yet been published. The lowest round-trip rate, valid during low season (departures from Sept. 3-Nov. 14), is $536. Stay tuned here for future bargains.
- SideStep is running a beta test for a cool new feature which lets you search for sports, theater and concert tickets, tours and attractions, and dining in the city you plan to visit - and buy tickets before leaving home. Just click onto the 'Activities' button at the Home page for your local search.
- Book and pre-pay a two-night stay at Hotels and you're eligible to receive a rebate of up to $30 for gas. The promo is valid on stays through July 10. Book rooms through May 29. After your eligible stay, mail a print-out coupon with an original gas receipt (up to $30 from the city where your hotel is located) and the rebate will be credited to your credit card in from four to six weeks after receipt. Coupons must be postmarked by July 17 and received by July 24.
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HOT international & domestic bargains!
Act fast on these HOT deals! Airfare rates in this section could expire at any second!
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $158 Freeport
- A 14-day advance purchase required
- Valid Tues., Wed., Sat.
- Add $10 per direction for Mon.-Thurs., Fri. trips
- No minimum stay
- No expiration of travel
- Blackouts: May 26, 29; June 29, 30; July 1, 2, 7-9; Sept. 4
- Valid on Delta
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $208 Cancun
- No advance purchase required
- Travel any available day
- Stay 3-60 days
- Complete travel by June 21
- Valid on Northwest
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $219 Manchester, England!
- A 7-day advance purchase required
- Travel any available day
- Depart by July 31
- Stay a Sat. night to 30 days
- Valid on American
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $370 Portland, Oregon
- A 7-day advance purchase required
- Valid any available day
- No minimum stay required
- Complete travel by June 13
- Blackouts: May 25, 26, 29, 30; June 2, 4, 5, 7-12
- Valid on USAirways
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $880 Athens, Greece
- Advance purchase not required
- Add $10 per direction for Fri.-Sun. travel
- Stay a Sat. night to 3 months
- Depart by June 15 or Sept. 1-30
- Valid on Olympic Airways
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More great domestic & international deals
Rates in this section have a ticket-by date, but act fast as airlines do not guarantee rates or offer sale prices on every flight!
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $298 Ponce, Puerto Rico
- A 21-day advance purchase required
- Valid any available day
- Start travel on or after June 1
- Complete trips by August 1
- Blackouts: June 30; July 9
- Purchase by May 20
- Valid on Delta
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $448 London or Manchester
- Add $30 per direction for Thurs.-Sun. travel days
- Depart Aug. 31-Oct. 25 or Dec. 20-24
- Stay a Sat. night to one year
- Purchase by May 18
- Valid on British Airways
Round-trip from Atlanta:
- $460 Caracas
- $620 Santiago
- $635 Buenos Aires
- A 3-day advance purchase required
- Add $15 per direction for Fri.-Sun. travel days
- Stay 2-30 days
- Complete travel by June 15
- Purchase by May 12
- Valid on American
Round-trip from Los Angeles:
- $808 LAX to Sydney
- $906 LAX to Brisbane, Caines, Melbourne
- No advance purchase required
- Travel any available day
- Stay any five nights
- No max stay limit
- Depart by June 6 or July 18-Sept. 21
- Purchase by June 5
- Add $455 for ATL originations
- Valid on Qantas
Round-trip from Los Angeles:
- $880 LAX to Perth
- No advance purchase required
- Travel any available day
- No minimum stay required
- 30-day max stay limit
- Depart by May 30 or Aug. 21-Nov. 30
- Purchase by May 25
- Valid on Malaysia Air
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When in San Francisco...:
Did you know that there are a series of bronze medallions and arrows embedded in the sidewalks of San Francisco designating the historic sites along the Barbary Coast? A nearly 4-mile path weaves its way through Downtown, Union Square, Chinatown, Portsmouth Square, Jackson Square Historic District, Old Barbary Coast, Beat San Francisco, North Beach, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco Martime Historical National Park, Ghirardelli Square and Nob Hill.
And now, an audio guide will bring the sounds of history alive with period music, sound effects, and historic reenactments. You'll hear the rumble of the 1906 earthquake and the roar of the fire. Listen as Sam Brannan kicks of the Gold Rush in 1848, hear a tong war battle in Chinatown, and listen to a Beat poet startle the nation.
Two Barbary tours are downloadable and each are about three to four hours to complete (audio length is about 75 minutes). The cost for each is $14, or $25 for both tours. Each of the two Barbary Coast Trail Audio Tours are about 75 MB, and each takes approximately five minutes to download for users with a DSL connection to the Internet. It's easy to download the tours and maps onto your computer, then copy the tours onto your iPod or MP3 player and print out the map. Now you're ready to tour the Barbary Coast Trail at your own speed and at your own time.
The Southern tour includes 22 historic stops in Union Square, Maiden Lane, Chinatown, Portsmouth Square, Montgomery Street, and Jackson Square Historic District. And the Northern half tour visits 17 sites in Beat San Francisco, North Beach, Washington Square, Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, The Embarcadero, Fishermans Wharf, Hyde Street Pier, San Franciso Maritime National Historical Park, Ghirardelli Square, and Nob Hill.
Do you prefer offbeat travel spots? Then you'll love Randy's blog on Quirky San Francisco and how and why you should avoid most cheesy tourist attractions (Pier 39? "Barf") when visiting San Francisco.
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And, the winner is...
Over 390,000 frequent travelers worldwide cast ballots to determine the winners of the 18th Annual Freddie Awards held on April 27. The awards represent excellence in frequent travel programs in eight different categories: Program of the Year, Best Award, Best Bonus Promotion, Best Web Site, Best Elite-Level Program, Best Member Communications, Best Award Redemption and Best Customer Service. The Best Affinity Credit Card was also chosen. Voters were permitted to vote for programs in one of three global regions: Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia/Pacific.
Here are the highlights of the awards ceremony:
- Southwest's Rapid Rewards claimed Program-of-the-Year in the Americas, and first place for Best Bonus, Best Web Site, and Best Award Redemption categories
- Club Rewards from Diners Club was named top affinity credit card and top credit card in the Americas, its ninth consecutive year
- Best hotel programs for the Americas went to IHG Priority Club Rewards (collectively the InterContinental hotel group); Marriott Rewards in the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Starwood in Asia/Pacific
Review all the top honors here.
The Freddie Awards are named after the late Sir Freddie Laker, who attracted fame (and a knighthood in the United Kingdom) for pioneering low-cost air travel across the Atlantic in the 1970's.
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Travel quote:
We're not being given the whole story. The shortcomings are being glossed over. We need to get real and examine these things. All we're getting is shiny promises and platitudes. / Lucienne de Naie, chapter leader of the Hawaii Sierra Club, in reaction to the lack of plans to research traffic effects on each of the Hawaiian islands and on worries that a Hawaiian Superferry project has not created plans to prevent humpback whales from being struck by the big boats. Other concerns include how these passenger ferries could potentially spread invasive species throughout the islands, such as biting ants.
The four-story catamaran is expected to carry up to 900 passengers and 250 cars at one-way prices of $42 per person and $55 per vehicle. The ferry is set to run at 40-mph with a trip from Honolulu to Maui taking about three hours vs. less than 45 minutes by commercial aircraft. The shortest trip, from Honolulu to Maui, would be just over 100 miles and the longest voyage, Honolulu-Hawaii at about just over 160 miles. Construction on the first ferry is three-quarters completed in Mobile, Alabama.
And environmentalists aren't the only ones possibly blocking a July 1, 2007 launch. Lawmakers, farmers and lawyers are standing in the way and could block the launch of the passenger/car ferry. A number of lawmakers are threatening to withhold $10 million in harbor improvements because they say the Superferry hasn't adequately addressed some residents' concerns. A lawsuit on appeal to the Hawaii Supreme Court seeks a lengthy environmental review process before the ferry can proceed with its plans.
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Clark Howard's Travel e-Scapes Team reminds you that the information in this newsletter is researched on the same day that you receive it. It can happen that by the time you read your copy a particular airfare may already have expired, especially the "HOT" deals listed. Airlines can publish and then 'pull', or discontinue sales without warning. Timing is everything!
If you have interest in an airfare deal listed in the "HOT" section, buy tickets immediately. You get a bit more breathing room to buy tickets that indicate a "purchase tickets by" date, although available sale space is always limited to a few seats per aircraft. Buy tickets at the offering airline or at your favorite travel Web site. Taxes and fees are NOT included in prices quoted in this newsletter, unless noted.
Get more of Clark's best travel deals Mondays through Fridays here.
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