Is This Travel Discount Package Really Gigantinormous

Ah, the hype the advertising executives will come up with to get your attention. Gigantinormous. Gigantic and Enormous all rolled into one. Travelocity coined a new word just to get your attention. Aren’t they clever. They are having a Gigantinormous sale.
You save $100 instantly off your reservations when you book one of their Flight+Hotel TotalTrip packages or one of their Last Minute Deals packages. The reservations must be for two people or more and there is a three night or longer stay required.
The package must be booked by November 16, 2006 and travel must be done before January 7, 2007.
To get the $100 discount, you need to enter the promotional code GIANTSALE when checking out.
After you make your reservations for your initial travel, Travelocity will send you another promotional code good for $200 off your next qualifying Flight+Hotel TotalTrip package for two or more people with a minimum stay of five nights.
To take advantage of the $200 off offer, you must book by March 31, 2007 and the trip must be taken by July 31, 2007.

So it’s time to do a little comparison shopping. How does their Gigantinormous sale hold up against their competitor’s prices? Since I’m wondering if this is a way to save on holiday travel, I’m going to find the price for a fictional family of four (2 adults plus 2 kids – ages 5 and 8) to fly from Chicago to Philadelphia for Christmas.Travelocity’s DealPlane Reservations – American Airlines leaving Chicago O’Hare at 10:55pm on December 23rd, direct flight to Philadelphia International; American Airlines leaving Philadelphia International at 11am on December 29th, direct flight to Chicago O’HareHotel Reservations – Best Western in Center City – one room, two double bedsTravelocity’s bottom line after Gigantinormous discount $1568.01 for flight, hotel, taxes and fees.Expedia’s DealPlane Reservations – American Airlines leaving Chicago O’Hare at 12:40pm on December 23rd, direct flight to Philadelphia International; American Airlines leaving Philadelphia International at 4:15pm on December 29th, direct flight to Chicago O’Hare.Hotel Reservations – Expedia could not get me reservations at my hotel of choice Best Western in Center City – so I choose a comparable three star hotel in Center City – Club Quarters.Expedia’s bottom line – $1,760.58 for flight, hotel, taxes and fees. Almost a full $200 more than Travelocity’s price.Hotwire’s DealPlane Reservations – American Airlines leaving Chicago O’Hare at 2:15pm on December 23rd, direct flight to Philadelphia International; American Airlines leaving Philadelphia International at 8am on December 29th, direct flight to Chicago O’Hare.Hotel Reservations – Hotwire could not get me reservations at my hotel of choice Best Western in Center City – so I choose a comparable three star hotel in Center City – Doubletree InnHotwire’s bottom line – $1864.00 for flight, hotel, taxes and fees. Almost a full $200 more than Travelocity’s price. Almost a full $300 more than Travelocity’s price.Priceline’s DealPriceline’s best price with undisclosed flight details (including a possible plane transfer) and a comparable three star hotel in Center City was $1,659 for flight, hotel, taxes and fees.The winner – Travelocity by a Gigantinormous $200-$400 savings.Now, the savings are just on the initial trip booked with Travelocity. If you add the additional $200 savings on a future trip booked with Travelocity the savings may be even greater. Of course, any wise traveler would comparison shop even with the $200 discount.US Air’s Offer – Not Quite Gigantinormous, but a Savings Non-the-LessUS Airways is extending an invitation to its frequent flyers to escape from the chilly fall weather to the warmer climate of the Caribbean, Mexico or Central America. They have special fares to these destinations if you book now and travel before December 15th. There is a minimum three night stay associated with the offer.In addition, you will receive a $25 gift card for each seat booked that can be used for a later flight with US Airways or one of its affiliates. The e-mail said that this offer is only good for members of their frequent flyer program.So it seems as if this season’s deals are coming in the form of save a little now, save a little more later. The deals may be truly good for those who are planning to travel both sometime this fall and again later on in the year or early next year.

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SeaTac Hotels

The city of SeaTac, Washington offers over two-dozen hotels for travelers to choose from. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which is in SeaTac serves more than thirty-two million travelers per year, creating significant demand for guest accommodations. Hotel rates in SeaTac typically range from $40 up to over $200 per night. The hotels in SeaTac include properties from Days Inn, Rodeway Inn, Ramada Inn, Red Roof Inn, Super 8, Econo Lodge, Clarion, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Hampton Inn, Americas Best Value, Red Lion, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, and the Embassy Suites. Travelers looking for more luxurious accommodations may wish to consider the Marriott, the Radisson, or the Hilton, which all have properties in SeaTac. Most of the hotels near the airport provide guests with complimentary twenty-four hour airport shuttle services.Within four miles of the airport in the city of Tukwila, there is a Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Extended Stay America, the Doubletree Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, and Residence Inn by Marriott. Tukwila is home to Southcenter Shopping Mall, which is one of Washington State’s largest indoor shopping malls.Downtown Seattle, which is located twelve miles north of SeaTac, offers outstanding hotels such as the Four Seasons, the Fairmont Olympic, the Sheraton, W, and the Westin. Private bus service to and from the airport to Downtown Seattle hotels is typically offered for less than ten dollars. Taxi fares may run as high as $30 from Downtown Seattle to or from the airport depending on traffic. An additional option is Sound Transit’s link light rail, which recently started service between SeaTac Airport and downtown Seattle. The 15.6-mile trip is completed in thirty-six minutes. For travelers looking for additional accommodation options, downtown Bellevue is about fifteen miles northeast of SeaTac and has a Hyatt Regency, a Westin, and the Hilton. For travelers going to the south end, downtown Tacoma, which is about twenty miles south of SeaTac, has a Courtyard by Marriott, Hotel Murano, and Red Lion.

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Flights and Automated Flights

As a general rule, the best quantities are available for flights that leave Monday to Thursday and on national flights many business that can be found one Saturday. Almost travellers will invariably pay more for one Friday or flight of Sunday. The most greater part of operators of party will offer the best quantities for those that purchase fixed once in advance, normally at least 14 days. If it is possible to be a this it will also give place Saturday evening, normally to a lower rate.If you are going to a country that lies in the distant part of the world from your house, you are the most greater part it likes to take plain, if Your trip is not maritime cruise. Airplane is the fastest and the easiest way to reach Your point of destination, but sometimes not the most convenient one. If you are traveling inside Your confinements of country or Your way it conducts nearby to the country, you usually have a choice of transport that wants say-train, bus plain-or it plots equal. However, if you are to make a lot of thousand of it will mile-be very more convenient to take plain, especially if you are short in duration.Automated flightsIn to use the on-line automated systems, you don’t have to worry about anything is going been wrong. You can annual some plain ones that you have been able to do, and you can also order more tickets for the same demanded flights, the same itineraries also the same on-line hotels if you want. Using the robots most convenient migrates methods, you will find the true savings and all to a price you can afford. If you are flying alone, or if you are flying in a group, you can systematize for a lot of people to a duration, or you can manufacture them for you. When booking tickets that use robot flies more convenient, you will always know you you/he/she is finding the better possible price without according to whether it is guessed.

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