bamakelly

I saw a recent post on another thread about Patirick getting a great deal on a hotel room as a result of there being 2 people with the same last name in the hotel. This made me wonder what other fabulous for-a-steal type deals you all have gotten while traveling.

Getting a price break because you have a "friend in high places" aside, what's the best travel deal you have ever snagged?

I think mine would be a recent $25 flight to DC. Independence Air, already a bargain airline, was running an introductory special for an even bigger bargain: $49. Then, because I registered (free) for their iClub, I received $25 towards my first flight!

Or, it might have been the $169 room rate at the Intercontinental Barclay in NYC...a last-minute travel deal on Orbitz, when prices were already low (right after 9/11, when NYC was doing everything to help boost tourism).

I am sure many of you have found much better. So, what's yours?

rjw_lgb_ca

Many years ago I had a business trip to Toronto, and my travel agent snagged the first nonstop LAX-Toronto flight Alaska Airlines (briefly) offered. A day later, she called to tell me that, since it was a full-fare coach ticket, Alaska upgraded me to First Class. Not too shabby.

Last year, I reserved seven nights at the Cardozo Hotel in South Beach for my 40th, in an oceanfront room. The A/C died the second morning (my birthday!), and after a quick trip to the front desk, we got upgraded to the Oceanfront Suite next door for the same price as the other room. Twice the size, with a soaking tub for 2 and a wonderful view of the beach and South Pointe. Loved it!!

Maggi

A few years ago Renaissance Cruises was running a $1199 per person special for a 9 day Mediterranean cruise (including airfare from Detroit to Athens). We snapped it up at that price for an inside cabin.

Later they e-mailed us and offered us an upgrade to a balcony cabin, two extra days and a $100 each shipboard credit if we changed dates.

For $1199 each we got three nights at a five star hotel in Athens, the 5 day cruise which included Santorini, Rhodes and Kusadasi, ending up with three nights at a five star hotel in Istanbul.

The kicker was that the original date we would have been in Istanbul was August 17, 1999 the date of the horrible earthquake in the area.

Maggi

LoveItaly

The best deal in our family was when my daughter and SIL went to SF for their honeymoon. They had reservations at the Grand Hyatt for a "regular" room.
The Grand Hyatt upgraded them to their top "Honeymoon Suite" for the same price as the "regular room". That sure was a beautiful surprise for them. Consequently they always stay at the Grand Hyatt when they are in SF.

suzanne

My personal best was from 6 years ago. Round trip flights from NYC-Vegas plus 3 nights hotel on the strip for $250 per person. I also did a last minute vacation to SF a couple years ago...it was $400 per person for RT air from NY and included 3 nights at the Palace hotel - and that was on a 3-day weekend.

Statia

We have gotten some pretty good deals here and there over the years, but my favorite is in St. Maarten.

We have to go there pretty often for errands, shopping, etc., but also manage to fit in some R&R while we are there. We stay at a resort on the beach where we get a beautifully furnished, two bedroom, two bath condo with three TV's, full kitchen and dining area, full living room, ocean view patio...the works.

It usally goes for $300+ per night, but we always get a rate of $100 per night no matter how many nights we are staying. The only reason we get this rate is thru my husband's company.

Statia

BTW - I certainly WISH I got some of the airfare deals you folks get, but we pretty much get screwed on that end in this part of the world. No deals to be had....ever.

GoTravel

The Wyndham Miami Beach hotel for $38 per night for the fall of 2003 off some obscure special they were running.

Because I am a Wyndham By Request member and the hotel was empty, they bumped us up to an oceanfront suite!

Pays to travel off season, sign up for hotel, rental car, and airline points/miles, and have a flexible travel schedule.

Priceline is also a good way to go.

ElendilPickle

Our best deal was winning a trip for two to New Zealand - airfare, eight days' rental car and seven nights' hotel vouchers - by filling out an entry form I picked up at the grocery store. We extended the trip by a couple of days and had a wonderful time. It's hard to beat a free trip!

Lee Ann

Anonymous

Free doesn't count -- that incudes prizes, frequent-flyer-mile redemptions, and home exchanges.

My best deal was an online site that honored a typo and let me pay $18 for a room that was supposed to have been $189.

GoTravel

Annonymous, I had a similar thing happened.

Several years ago for the heck of it, I went on the Fairmont site to check reservations for The Plaza Hotel over Thanksgiving Weekend.

I found a rate of $00.00 per night. For the heck of it, I booked, gave my credit card and got a confirmed reservation by Fairmont for The Plaza Hotel for 4 nights totalling $00.00 including all taxes and service charges.

Called girlfriend, she got the same rate and also booked it online.

That July when I went to check the reservation, the rate had gone up to $800 per night. Even though I could have pushed it, for that much money I canceled the reservation.

Big difference in $3200 vs. a couple of hundred or so.

repete

Best thing I paid for was a $499 LAX-Auckland flight that I combined with a bump coupon from BWI-LAX. The only condition was you had to leave or arrive on the first anniversary of 9/11.

It was fine, but concourses at BWI were empty and TVs were all blaring Taps and Amazing Grace from the 1-year services. Because of the then-strong dollar, my campervan in NZ ended up costing about $25 US per day.

Years ago -- the late '80s -- I had a lot of Northwestern miles and caught a World Perks promo on a ``continental'' vs. ``contiguous'' U.S. gaffe. I used the FF ticket to fly from ANC-MCO, and got a bump on the way. It was first class from MSP to MCO, plus a bump coupon. I got bumped on the bump -- so the ticket lived on -- all from AK to the Lower 48.

On one of them, they re-booked me on a flight that went from MSP to ANC via SLC. My original flight went through SEA -- and it turns out that fog shut down the Seattle airport for nearly two days. I file this under ``It's better to be lucky than good.''

mikemo

The frequent two'fers for USAA members on the Clipper Cruise Line's small ships from Intrav.
M

Pumpy

My 2 best:
1. $50 Round Trip -Non Stop between KC
& NY City (Vanguard airlines which
is no longer in business)
2. $400 total for two to Vegas.
Included was all the following:
Air(non-stop), 4 nts
hotel, rental car (entire stay), and
show tickets

bamakelly

Pumpy and Suzanne: HOW did you get those great vegas deals??!! BOth deals are incredible.

I love hearing these stories--the typo deal is esp. good. I get such a kick out of hearing everyone's good fortune!

ElendilPickle

>>Free doesn't count -- that incudes prizes, frequent-flyer-mile redemptions, and home exchanges.<<

It certainly does count; my dh and I had a wonderful vacation last year that we never would have been able to afford on our own.

Lee Ann

tracys2cents

When Southwest Airlines first came to California, they offered $38 roundtrip to Las Vegas. In addition, the introductory special was fly once, get a ticket for another roundtrip anywhere that Southwest flew. So for $38 I went to Vegas, then a couple of months later took a free trip to Baltimore.

Two friends of mine took $38 trips to Vegas, then sold their free tickets for $250 each, making a $212.00 PROFIT. (Actually it's illegal to sell Southwest freebies. So they GAVE AWAY their freebies and sold the envelopes for $250 apiece)

lcuy

A few years back, we were going to London from LAX to London with a plane change in NYC. Two of tickets were paid for by a company we were going to visit, and since they were full economy fare, I was able to use companion tickets for our kids to come along.the other two were companion tickets.

We got bumped, twice! in in LAX in the morning and collected $3200 in travel credits.

When we got to NYC they gave us a room for the night cause that flight was delayed, and the hotel upgraded us to a huge suite.

The next day, United upgraded all four of us to first (not business!) class, which meant we got a limo to an airport hotel near Heathrow for the morning, then a limo ride into London when our real hotel was ready for checkin.

Flying home was nearly as lucrative, but instead of a 3 plane trip, we got rerouted on a direct Amsterdam-LAX flight and got upgraded to business class!

itsv

About 3 years ago, my family wanted to go to Cancun/Playa Del Carmen for vacation so I called Allegro resorts and booked an all-inclusive vacation for 4. They asked if I had an entertainment card which i did so the kids were free (due to it being end of June) and my husband and I were 50% off for a grand total of $87 per day total for us. I was nervous about the trip due to the price, but web sites indicated the place was great. When we went to check in they said they were overbooked, before I could complain, they moved us into their 5 star resort next door, "The Royal Hideaway" which normally goes for $500 a night for 2. So for our $87 a day (for all 4 of us) we got 3 fantastic meals, 24 hour room service free, all activities, entertainment, liquior, a personal attendant etc free, a beautiful oceanview room. My kids say it will go down as my greatest travel bargain ever. My favorite part of the hotel was the daily call asking where I wanted my towel placed each day. I would get to the beach and have my spot reserved complete with umbrella, drinks etc.

ccolor

A long time ago we had a round trip flight on Southwest from Columbus, Ohio to Ft. Lauderdale for 50.00, then (at that time) the new Hilton opened up in Key West and we had ocean-front rooms for 125.00 a night.