Fairfield By Marriott did it Again…Back to the Best Western

Well After the last problem at the Fairfield, you would think I would have learned. But, Nooooo, I checked in there again in Provo Utah. Everything was fine the first night as I got in to the hotel around 2:00 am. When I got back to the room after work the next day, my room was not cleaned. No Problem. I do not destroy a room when I travel my self.

Well, the second day, I come back and my key does not work. I go to the front desk and it seems I was a no show. They knew someone was in the room, but they did not know who. I could have left after two nights and only paid for one night with my No Show charge. Oh well, I am checked in now and all legal.

The point to be learned is try to get checked into a hotel room well before the night staff is asleep on their feet.

Maybe next week I will try the good ole Best Western. It has a prettier view of the Mountains, is cheaper and I seldom have any problems. Give them a try sometimes. The new ones are very nice and with many special promotions they have going on, you will save some money. See the link at the top of the page for more information.

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They Can’t Destroy My TravelPro Expandable Roll Aboard

Over my many years of business travel I have gone through a lot of luggage because of “the airline baggage handlers renewal program”. I have had all the big names and a lot of “cheap” brands I had never heard of. You definitely get what you pay for. Never has it been more true than now.

With the addition of fees for checked baggage, carry-on bags are being over stuffed. Over head bins are filling faster. It seems that the over-stuffing and checking of bags is taking its toll on more and more pieces of luggage. Read more

Continental -United merger

The merger of Continental Airlines and United Airlines through an alliance is getting closer

We have all been wondering how this will affect customer of either airline and their frequent flyer miles. Read more

Have you tried Geo-Caching?

This weekend I am planning on trying geocaching. I have been successful at finding rocks and other structure under water using a GPS. Well, this seems to be a new type of treasure hunting that has been around a while. You get the GPS coordinates af a geo cache and go look for the treasure. Usually, they contain some items and you can take one item as long as you replace it with another of equal or greater value. My girlfriend and I spend some time with our metal detectors and maybe there is some way to combine the two. More on this next week

Technorati Tags: geocaching, metaldetecting, things to do with wife or girlfriend

Ways to Save on Travel Costs You May Not have Thought of. (Part 2)

This is a continuation of an article from last week. You can access it by clicking here or by signing up for our free newsletter.

We last talked about all the untraditional ways of saving on a vacation whether for the family, a special someone or yourself. This week we really get outside the box of all your usual travel deals. Let’s just dive in and see what may appeal to you.

Many of you have heard of Youth hostels for young travelers, but did you know that there are elder hostels for people much older than the college kids. Elder hostels are often the choice of many over the age of 55. There is an abundant choice since there are more than 8,000 elderhostels in all 50 states of the US and more than 90 foreign countries. People of all classes and all walks of life travel together and experience educational tours, learn, exchange ideas and explore the world. This is all done at a much more reasonable cost than traveling alone. Of course the cost will vary depending on where you decide to travel and what services are included. These are “not for profit tours” and many of them have teachers and guides who know the countryside and culture that act as tour guides to make sure you get the most from your experience.

Read more

Hurricane Ike Evacuee Lodging

For anyone leaving town in front of Hurricane Ike I have included links to different hotel chains and reservation services. Be aware that you may be paying full rack rate this week simply because a lot of hotels can get by with it. It may seem like price gougeing(That is what I call it) , but any port in a storm. Feel free to use this page to link to any service I have listed below.

As far as price gouging goes. Here is how they get around it. A hotel posts their maximum rate on the door for each room. This rate is a maximum rate they will charge. Usually in day to day operations, they discount heavily off of this rate. At the posted rate, they may only book the room out 3-4 nights a year, but in times of high demand, it keeps them out of trouble for charging ridiculously high prices to those in great need.

The following services can help with reservations and the Best Western Chain seems fairer than most. Be Careful out there and I hope all goes well.

My Family and I are about to leave

Good Luch
Frank

Orbitz

Expedia

Hotwire

Kayak

Travelocity

Fall Sports Themed Activities with Kids

Fall Sports Themed Activities with Kids

With summer almost over, most parents are not allowing their children to spend much time on outdoor activities. Inadvertently, they are wrong in doing this. The fall is the perfect time of the year to get outdoors and enjoy some of the many available outdoor activities. Foremost of these are fall sports. One thing you can do is take your family on a vacation centered on a fall sport theme.

One easy to plan activity is a camping trip where the kids can get out and go swimming. Many people do not think of swimming as a fall activity. In many parts of the country, swimming is very much a fall activity and many schools host fall swim meets. You can also camp near a lake or beach. Of course, before you leave you will want to check on the climate in that area. There are areas where during the day, it is quite warm, but at night the temperature gets a bit chilly. You can choose a campsite that is near hotels or you could also rent a motor home or a heated cabin. Make sure to bring appropriate clothing and a warm sleeping bag.

Fall is a good time to spend time on the water. This can be a quick weekend getaway since the kinds are in school on the weekdays. In the water, you can canoe, Jet Ski or rent a paddle boat. Since fall is considered an off season the rates are much lower in vacation areas and there are fewer people. Everything will be less crowded and so you will be able to more fully enjoy the fall activities while the fall leaves are changing. The location is very important because in some areas of the country, you can also go kayaking or rafting. This is a good time to do these activities even with your kids around.

If you are a nature lover, it is always fun to go on a hike with your family. During fall, when the leaves are starting to turn color and fall the air is crisp and cool you will have a much more enjoyable time. Once again, always check the weather before leaving out because you’re taking the kids with you and there are not always as tolerant to the changes in temperature. The temperature may be perfect but I would still advise you to take extra warm clothing just in case the temperature gets really cold and remember to dress in layers. When hiking, make sure that you bring a lot of snacks and water because family members will get thirsty and hungry. That way, you can have all the fun during hiking.

In addition to hiking, you could also visit a farm to do some pumpkin picking. Many farms also have a corn maze. This is where they plant a field of corn and then cut out a maze in the corn field. Always bring along a cooler as there is usually an opportunity to buy some goodies such as fruit, cider, fresh cheese and butter.

Even if you’re main plans are for a fall sports themed vacation, you can enjoy a lot of other fun activities with your kids when you decide to go for a vacation. This is a perfect time to bond with your children and they and you will also get well needed exercise. If you plan your vacation right now since the kids are in school, you can have the vacation this coming weekend. Don’t make your kids stay kids inside the house this fall; let them get out and experience the wonders of the outdoors and all the fun outdoor activities

Technorati Tags: fall getaways, fall vacation, sports themed vacations, vacationing with kids

Is Your Laptop a Weapon?

I was on a flight  on thursday night and as I have done for many years on over 120-150 flights each year, I took my laptop computer out of my bag and placed it in the pocket of the seat back in front of me.  This was on a Continental Flight operated by Chataqua Airlines.

The flight attendent came by and made me store my computer either under the seat in front of me or in the overhead, which I did. This seemed unusual to me. The next time she came by, I asked her about it and she said that is an FAA rule because a laptop can be used as a weapon.  Ohhhhhhhhh-K

I looked around me and everyone started taking their laptops out of their seat back pockets and storing them under their seat.

I have no point to make other than to alert fellow travelers that at least one particular flight attendent has interpreted the rules in that way. If it happens to you, don’t fight it, just do as you are told as the penalty for interfering with a flight crew is very expensive.

Technorati Tags: travel tips, laptop computers

Ways to Save on Travel Costs You May Not have Thought of (Part 1)

How many of you always fly or drive to a familiar travel destination each year at vacation time, then, you stay in a tourist hotel or motel, you eat in the tourist restaurants, café’s and dives. Visit all the tourist destinations and do all the tourist activities. When you get home you need to rest because you feel like every other tourist. This is OK; many people do this every year.

This year, let’s try something totally different. Let’s get away from all the touristy crowd and try to experience something a lot less traditional. There are many places to explore and numerous adventures to be experienced if we have that spirit to search and learn. And, most of these adventures are much more affordable and a lot less expensive than our usual trip.

One way is to do a home exchange with another family in the area you want to experience. This works really well if you live in an area that others might want to visit. . I live in Texas out on a farm and many people all over the world have heard of Texas and want to visit. The next thing to do is get on the internet look in newspapers and travel magazines for people that want to do this. Many times all of the particulars can be worked out over the phone or through email. Many time no money even changes hands. If you are unable to come to terms, you can always offer to rent the property. This will surely be cheaper than staying in a hotel or motel. One word of warning though. Always shop diligently and ask for pictures and references

Bed & Breakfasts are other wonderful places to stay. The ones in Europe are especially quaint. One of the good things is they are reasonable priced and a big plus is, you get to enjoy a home cooked breakfast to start each day. Prices do vary and you may have to share a bath with another room or the whole floor. You may have to pay a deposit to hold your room. Many people will only travel this way because they get to totally immerse themselves in another culture.

There are other ways to save money and experience things that may be new to you. Bookmark this site and check back for Part 2 of this article

Technorati Tags: travel, travel savings, bed & Breakfasts, home exchange

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