Free Museum Day - September 24

If visiting a national park isn't feasible on Saturday, consider visiting a museum near you.

September 24 is Free Museum Day at nearly 1,400 museums across the United States. There is a catch. You need to submit a request for tickets (you can request two per email address) and ticket will be emailed to you same day. To search for museums, go here. To request tickets, go here.

National Public Lands Day - September 24

National Public Lands Day is September 24, 2011, and National Public Parks around the country will be waiving entrance fees in its honor.

September is a wonderful time to visit national parks. The summer crowds are diminished, the heat has subsided, and you might see some amazing fall colors. Saving yourself a little money is just a bonus.

For a list of parks waiving fees, go here.

Three Questions to Ask Before You Book that Amazing Deal

I'm a huge fan of Groupon (and hoping they start making a profit soon).  And I was very happy when Groupon and Expedia joined forces to offer amazing pre-paid travel deals. And then I started getting other pre-paid deals from a lot of other sources: Living Social, Bloomspot, even TravelZoo jumped on the bandwagon.

Some of those deals are better than others and some of the sites are better than others. But in looking for a good deal, there are a few questions to ask:

1. Have I read the fine print? Some deals aren't what they appear. A recent Bloomspot offer looked amazing until I read the fine print that had many black-out dates, a $100 booking fee, and a $50/day resort fee. It wasn't much of a deal.
2. Will I be paying for things I don't want? Is it still cheaper than what I would pay for what I do want/need? A lot of deals are great for what they include-a wine-tasting tour, a spa treatment, a free round of golf, kids eat free. But if you don't drink, don't want a spa treatment or play golf and don't have kids, examine the cost before you leap. The included items might be the thing that make it a deal.
3. When can I use it? Will I have a chance to use it before the expiration? Will I be able to use it when I need to? I recently booked a deal for a vacation we were planning on taking anyway. I called the hotel to be sure those dates were open and told them I was checking before I purchased a Groupon. They were willing to hold my dates until I had made my purchase. Read the blackout dates carefully and book immediately for a holiday weekend or summer travel time.

Deal sites can be fun! They work well for the savvy, detail-oriented traveler. But if you can never remember to take your coupons to the store with you, think twice. Because people who never use the deal are the reason they are able to make it so great for the rest of us.

September 11

I flew from Washington Dulles to Dallas, Texas, on September 10. And came downstairs to the lobby of my hotel to get breakfast the morning of September 11 with no thought but the work I had to do that day.

A lobby full of strangers stared at the small television monitor and my world changed.

I completed my week-long business in Texas, and took my scheduled flight back home the following Monday, one of the first flights to depart after nearly a week of grounded flights. I flew American Airlines back to Washington Dulles on the quietest flight I've ever experienced. As we landed, passengers broke out in spontaneous clapping, in relief and thankfulness to a flight crew that had experienced the loss of colleagues less than a week before.

The days and months ahead would bring several trips to the Pentagon site where my naval chaplain uncle was presiding over the chaplains who were working with the victims of the attack there. A trip to New York where the most indescribable smell met me as I came out of the Brooklyn Bridge subway station. At best it was the smell of burning metal, but it was more than that. A sober New York City and a bomb scare outside my hotel were the many things that marked the post-9/11 world.

September 11 changed air travel forever. It changed the United States and the world. What do you remember?

Ten Most Complained About Airlines

One of my clients objected to the only non-stop flight to her destination this week. Why? The airline that flies that route has lost her luggage. She went with a one-stop flight on an airline she thinks more of. The airline she objected to tops the list of the "Ten Most Complained About Airlines" and brings up an important point:

Pay more for a better airline.
Which hardly seems like a budget travel recommendation.
But the more travel I book, the more I realize that extra value should be placed upon a travel company that has good policies. My mental checklist includes:
1) Do you have to pay more for water? (U.S. Airways charged me $1 for a plastic cup of water. Not cool.)
2) Do I have to pay to select seats? (I paid $10 to put a client in an aisle or a window seat on Sun Country Airlines recently. I won't even consider AirTran for the same reason.)
3) If the price drops, will I get my money back (or credit)? Jet Blue and Alaska Airlines come through on this one for me.
4) If I need to cancel a flight, what is the policy? Most airlines (United, Alaska, Delta, etc...) will give you 24 hours after booking to cancel or change a flight with no penalty. American has no grace period.
5) Change fees? Southwest comes out big here, the only airline that lets you change without a fee.

Customer service matters. For the average person who doesn't book a lot of flights, lists that say who gets the complaints are important.

Sometimes bottom dollar is just not worth it.

Recession Blues: Lodging

Just like flying and renting vehicles, hotel rates are going up. But unlike airfare, where prices have gone up and less is included (food, beverages, baggage), hotels are doing a better job of offering amenities that can save you money.

More and more budget chains are offering free wireless internet and a complimentary breakfast. And the savvy leisure traveler can take advantage of special deals from Groupon and other pre-purchase sites that include amenities like free spa treatments and dining credits.

When you book matters too. In Manhattan, rates for bookings 61-90 days out are up 18% over a year ago. But for last minute travelers who book 0-6 days out, rates are up only 2% over a year ago. If you can handle the suspense, you can get a great last minute deal from sites like Priceline and Hotwire or Hotel Tonight.

So while lodging isn't getting cheaper, it isn't all bad news. You can still get a great deal if you are flexible and patient. 


Sources: Expedia's Average Hotel Rate Climbing Fastest This Year, USA Today.
HRG: Global Corp. Hotel Rates on the Rise, Business Travel News

Breaking the Hotwire Code: How to Make Blind-Booking Not So Blind

Love a good getaway? But a little scared to blind-book a hotel?

Try cracking the Hotwire code by using Bid Goggles. Bid Goggles has you enter the Hotwire amenities and other info and then gives you an idea of what the hotel will be. I tried it for a Labor Day getaway to Vancouver, BC and it gave me two possible hotels. Then I took a minute to determine if these hotels charged for parking and were in a good area for the sites I want to see.

There are other sites out there that will do the same thing. Better Bidding is one; Hotwire Revealed is another. Better Bidding is so complicated I didn't even bother. Hotwire Revealed doesn't include Canada, but is a good place to firm up the info you've received from Bid Goggles. (A second opinion is always a good idea.) Try it. And take an impromptu Labor Day getaway.