Airfare Deals Round-Up: Sales from Southwest, JetBlue, and American Airlines

As is usually the case, Tuesday is shaping up to be a good day to shop for airfare. New sales have popped up, and some “old” sales are still up and running.

Southwest Airlines is still running an airfare sale that features winter deals to/from cities across their route system. Whether you’re looking to hit the slopes, escape the cold, or visit friends and family, you should be able to find a deal that works for you. Look for flights to Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Orlando, and many more.

Airfare starts as low as $59+ one-way on some routes, and deals are good for travel between January 4 and March 9, 2011. Purchase your airline ticket by December 13, 2010.

Visit Southwest Airlines for more details.

JetBlue has launched a series of airfare deals for as low as $19+ one-way to/from cities around the U.S. including Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Deals are good for travel between January 4 and February 15, 2011

You have to act fast on this one. Purchase your airline ticket by 11:59 PM on December 8, 2010. A 14-day advance purchase is required.

Visit JetBlue for complete details.

Sure it’s cold, but there’s something special about New York in the winter. Head to the city to do some post Christmas shopping, hit a Broadway show, enjoy some of the finest dining in the world, or any of the other countless things that New York has to offer.

American Airlines is offering airfare deals to New York from a range of U.S. cities including Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas. Airfare starts as low as $49+ each-way on some routes.

These deals are good for travel between January 5 and February 16, 2011. Visit American Airlines for a complete list of New York airfare deals.

For the latest airfare deals on flights to destinations all over the world, check out our Where-to-Go Getaway Map.

View the original article here

Green Christmas Tips

I’m a sucker for the holidays. Bing Crosby and Dean Martin belting out Christmas tunes on the radio, festive decorations and lights on the streets, tree-shaped cookies served with hot chocolate.

But the environmentalist in me cringes at the consumerism that has become Christmas in America. If you’re not careful, the most wonderful time of the year can turn into the most wasteful. Here are 8 tips to keep your Christmas green — and stay true to the spirit of the holiday season.

Like most conventional agriculture, traditional Christmas tree farms spray their crops with toxic chemicals to keep away bugs and weeds. My local eco-conscious nursery offers a lovely alternative — sustainably grown and harvested Christmas trees.

If there’s one item that’s at every church rummage sale, estate sale, and thrift store, it’s Christmas decorations. Why buy them new when you can get them at bargain prices? Go for a vintage look or buy more recently cast-off ornaments.

Wrapping paper is the most wasteful part of Christmas morning. It might look pretty sitting under the tree, but once it’s torn off and cast aside, it goes straight to the trash can. Use newspaper as wrapping paper instead, or opt for gift bags that you can use again next year.

photo credit: amyrhoda

If you’re going to buy new holiday lights, opt for LED, which are exponentially more efficient than traditional incandescent.

If you the allure of bright red and green wrapping paper is too much for you to pass up, unwrap carefully and save it for next year. Granted, this will be a challenge if you have young kids. Perhaps a better option in that case would be to buy recycled wrapping paper.

It’s less expensive and more environmentally friendly to send holiday greetings online. If you do opt for sending holiday greetings the good, old-fashioned way, check out recycled greeting cards.

I think this is one of the hardest tips for me, as an American, to adhere to. Sure, I love the idea of buying less, but the kid in me still likes opening presents on Christmas morning. If you can’t bear to cut down on gift quantity, consider buying practical gifts that you would have bought anyway. And try to skip electronics. Technology becomes dated so quickly that the must-have iPad may be obsolete by next Christmas. If you do buy electronics, considering buying them second-hand.

Whether you like to bake cookies, knit socks, or brew beer, share your hobby as a holiday gift for neighbors, family, and friends. We’re making an exclusive holiday winter ale to give as gifts this year.

Whatever your Christmas traditions are, follow these tips to make your holiday a little greener. Happy holidays!

View the original article here

Passports with Purpose: Travel Prizes with Meaning

Passports with Purpose is a fundraiser put on by travel bloggers. In its third year, the goal is to raise $50,000 for a nonprofit called LAFTI. Funds raised will help LAFTI build a village in India for people who don’t have homes.

Entering to win one of the nearly 100 prizes is easy. You browse the list of donated prizes and choose the ones you’d like to enter to win. A $10 donation will get you one entry and you can purchase multiple entries for each prize. On December 17, the winners will be announced.

The prizes are great this year. They range from electronics and hotel stays to clothes and luggage. Here are a few highlights:

Apple iPad 16 GB Wi-Fi + 3G ($629 value)Two-night stay at any Kimpton hotel ($725 value). Two nights in any Kimpton hotel (there are over 50 of them, in 22 U.S. cities)–plus a $125 gift certificate for dinner in any Kimpton restaurantBriggs & Riley Explore 22 Upright ($290 value). From the new BRX Collection for adventure travelers, this rolling carry-on is both durable and stylish.3-night stay for 2 at Puerto Rico’s Rincon Beach Resort ($800 value). 3-night stay for 2 in Superior accommodations at the beautiful Rincon Beach Resort in Puerto Rico’s exciting western region, the Porta del Sol.Complete Set of Me No Speak Language Companions ($90 value). Me No Speak books offer an alternative method to communicate when you don’t speak the language, just point at what you want to say.

Check out the Passports with Purpose prizes and treat yourself or use your prize as a last-minute holiday gift.

View the original article here

cheap airline tips

People often ask me “What’s the best search engine to find a cheap airline ticket?”

The simple answer is that there is no one best search engine, rather, it depends on where you’re going and when you can go and your flexibility in both of these. In short, you’ll find the cheapest airline ticket when you’re flexible about your dates and about your destination. Note that I’ve including coupon codes where applicable.
Find Cheap Airline Tickets

So, what I’ve done here is compile all the best search engines for finding cheap plane tickets. They are categorized depending on what type of travel resource you’re looking for.

It’s essentially an Ultimate List of Cheap Airline Ticket Search Engines.

Below I’ve listed the category of travel search engines/websites — for instance, International Travel Search Engines or Domestic Discount Airlines — then I’ve given a brief description of when to use those sites, and then I’ve listed the best sites within that category.

For people who frequently search for cheap airline tickets, there are a few sites and tools that may even be new to you — like those in the Market Comparison section.
Browse: Home / Money / Find Cheap Airline Tickets: Cheat Sheet
Find Cheap Airline Tickets: Cheat Sheet

By Elizabeth • June 23, 2009

Updated November 2010

People often ask me “What’s the best search engine to find a cheap airline ticket?”

The simple answer is that there is no one best search engine, rather, it depends on where you’re going and when you can go and your flexibility in both of these. In short, you’ll find the cheapest airline ticket when you’re flexible about your dates and about your destination. Note that I’ve including coupon codes where applicable.

Find Cheap Airline Tickets

So, what I’ve done here is compile all the best search engines for finding cheap plane tickets. They are categorized depending on what type of travel resource you’re looking for.

It’s essentially an Ultimate List of Cheap Airline Ticket Search Engines.

Below I’ve listed the category of travel search engines/websites — for instance, International Travel Search Engines or Domestic Discount Airlines — then I’ve given a brief description of when to use those sites, and then I’ve listed the best sites within that category.

For people who frequently search for cheap airline tickets, there are a few sites and tools that may even be new to you — like those in the Market Comparison section.

Without further ado, I bring you the:
Find Cheap Airline Tickets Cheat Sheet
Market Comparisons/Buy or Wait

Before you buy a ticket, check out these sites to see average fares, price history, and if prices are rising or falling. Again, check these sites out before you start looking into airfares to get an idea of what you should expect to pay.

Farewatch (Shows average fares)
Kayak (after searching click on ’show chart of fare history’ in left hand corner)
Farecast (for tickets in the next 30 days shows if prices are rising/falling)
Aggregators

The best search engines for searching for airline tickets. You don’t book through them, rather they redirect you to the airline’s homepage. (This is what makes them different from online travel agencies.)

Kayak or Sidestep (same company now)
TripAdvisor
Farecast
FareCompare
International Searches

When you’re searching for an international ticket, I have found these search engines to be best for finding a cheap airline ticket.

Vayama
Vayama.com - ThanksGiving Deals
Mobissimo
Skyscanner
Momondo
Trabber
Trax
And Wotflight.com is a great place to look for cheap flights in Australia.
Non-Aggregators/Online Travel Agencies

These sites allow you to search for cheap tickets and buy through them. This means that you deal with that company and not the airline if something goes wrong. (I generally advocate booking directly with the airline.) The online travel agencies may charge ticketing and booking fees for booking through them.

Expedia
Expedia Holiday Bonus!
Orbitz
Travelocity
Hotwire
Priceline
CheapTickets
Discount Airlines Sites (Domestic)

If you are flying in the US, these airlines are considered discount airlines. They have fewer routes and (arguably) fewer amenities. Also, they don’t always show up in the aggregators or online travel agencies search engines. So I recommend that if they serve your city, you search their sites separately.

Southwest
Sun Country
Spirit
Jet Blue
Virgin America
Midwest
Frontier
Air Tran
Alaska Airlines
Complete Discount Airline List and International Discount Airlines

Too many to list here, but check out Wikipedia’s list of low cost airlines. It’s awesome.
Price Tracking / Alerts (for tickets not yet purchased)

If you’re watching ticket prices, these sites easily allow you to set up a notifier, and will email you if ticket prices drop. For instance, if you’re looking for a cheap flight to Seattle from LA sometime in August for under $125 — you enter that information and these services will email you when that occurs.

Kayak
Yapta
FareCompare
Price Tracking for Refunds (after purchasing ticket)

If you’ve already purchased a ticket, this site will notify you if the price drops and you deserve a refund.

Yapta
Flexible Dates within 1-3 days of a date

The best search engines for finding cheap airline tickets if you have flexible travel dates.

Kayak or Sidestep
Orbitz
Travelocity
Very Flexible Dates

If you have extremely flexible travel dates, like being able to leave anytime in the next month or 6 months, these sites will help you.

Kayak (330 days out)
FareCompare (330 days out)
Travelocity (330 days out)
Orbitz and Farecast (30 day window)
Flexible Dates Flying on Weekends

If you’re looking for a flight on an upcoming weekend, these sites are best.

Kayak
CheapTickets
Orbitz
Flexible Destinations (including last minute travel)

If you don’t care where you’re going, you just want to go somewhere cheap, these sites list destinations with cheap airline ticket prices.

Last Minute (formerly Site59)
GoToday

Kayak Buzz
Farecast
Mobissimo Activity Search
Airfare Watchdog
Airport Parking

Finding parking at airports is critical to success in finding a cheap plane ticket. Here are some sites that allow you to do that:
Holiday Extras offers low prices and great choice of Luton airport parking - both on-airport and off-aiport locations.

In my ebook, How to Find Cheap Airline Tickets, I have a printable, 1 page reference sheet with this list. If you want that and more tips on how to find Cheap Airline Tickets, buy the ebook now.

I hope you find this Cheat Sheet useful. Please consider bookmarking it with your favorite bookmarking site, so that everyone can learn how to find a cheap airline ticket.

What are your favorite travel search engines?