Kangaroos and Kimonos - Travel Blog - Page 2 of 28

Jet Blue “Flash Fares” Offer Great Deals

July 6, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Fly with Captain Ellie on Jet Blue

Jet Blue “flash fares” offer great deals on specific dates and specific routes with Jet Blue Airways. Some sample fares include Boston to Baltimore for $30 one-way on 7/20/17 and Washington (DCA) to Nantucket, MA for $20 on 7/23/17. These are some great fares for summer travel and Nantucket is a fantastic summer destination.

Jet Blue Flash Fares

You can stay informed of these “flash fares” by following Jet Blue at @JetBlueCheeps and look for #JetBlueFlashFares. If you use IFTT (a really cool application called If This Then That), you can set up to be sent an email or text, for example, whenever there are flash sales. You do need to act very quickly as there are limited seats, and it may be minutes before the special fares are snatched up.

Jet Blue is one of my favorite airlines – we have had some great experiences with the crew. What are you waiting for? Your great fare and great experience are just a click away!

Flying Jet Blue in Cuba

Did You Know There’s a Site Where You Can Book Free Stays Around the World?

July 3, 2017 by Laurie Deppa 1 Comment

GuesttoGuest Travel Site

Did you know there’s a site where you can book free stays around the world? GuesttoGuest is a site that allows you to book free home exchanges through the use of points instead of money. It’s brilliant! I have been using so many other home exchange/rental sites and this fills some voids. I hear many people say I can’t rent my place not allowed. Well, it’s not renting with this site. I’m going to give it a try, here’s how it works:

Sign up and complete profile
Find a place
Contact hosts & organize exchange
Firm up all travel plans

Homes on GuesttoGuest

GuesttoGuest claims over 300,000 homes in 187 countries. That’s quite a portfolio for such a new site. The best part is that it’s legal for renters because your not subletting. Each place to stay is based on “Guest Points” per night. There are no fees for membership – you only pay for optional services if you want them.

They offer optional insurance, which is not only on the property but also trip cancellation insurance in case of a last minute emergency where the property owner or traveler is unable to follow through with the exchange. As a host you can demand insurance or make it optional for the guest. Check the website for more information about insurance.

The site also offers security deposits and the company takes 3.5% as a commission for facilitating the transaction. The homeowner decides how much of a deposit, if any, is required. The company then acts as an intermediary in case of any incidents. I have been doing home and hospitality exchange for years and the worst I had was a broken (cheap) vase and a hole in an outside chair cushion. I believe most people are considerate but if an accident happens you are covered.

One other thing I really like about the site is the verification process. You make a one time 25€ payment and submit a valid ID and proof of home occupancy/ownership such as electric bill. I know I really feel comfortable doing such an exchange when there is some verification process.

Get traveling

So, in summary I would say that this GuesttoGuest is a good site for travel. It allows you to travel and explore the world, while saving money and feeling comfortable about it. So what are you waiting for, pack a bag and travel!

Review of Luxx Lounge, Frankfurt Airport

June 22, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Luxx Lounge at Frankfurt Airport

This is my review of Luxx Lounge, Frankfurt Airport. We passed through Frankfurt the other day on a connection from Baltimore to Dubrovnik. I was really dreading the long layover but the departure was delayed so much, that we only had a couple of hours to spend at the lounge. I am an American Express Platinum card holder, and as such, have access to all Priority Pass Lounges including Luxx Lounge at Frankfurt Airport.

Reception at Luxx Lounge

Ellie relaxing at Luxx Lounge

The Luxx Lounge is located airside in Terminal 1 between B and C. First off, I would rather relax airside but the only other Priority Pass lounge is in a different terminal which airport staff advised against. I have been to several lounges around the world and would rate it as ok. The best part was the receptionist who helped my daughter leave a love note for her daddy, who happened to be coming through the next day. The lounge is very boring for kids but thank goodness for iPads.

Drinks at Luxx Lounge

The lounge is split into three main areas. The front area that is supposed to be quiet (one guy obviously didn’t read or care about the no cell phone signs). The middle area has the food and two tables for seating. The third part is in the rear with more comfy seats. There aren’t enough receptacles in the back room so we sat in the front quiet area. Another thing I disliked was that there are only two toilets – one each for men and women. It is certainly not enough for the amount of customers they have coming though. Later on I found out that if the showers are not occupied (which they were frequently), you can use any of the toilets in the shower rooms. They have two shower rooms which you need to request a key from the staff.

Snacks at Luxx Lounge

The food was ok. We arrived after breakfast and before lunch. There were a few pastries and some fresh fruit but not much else to eat. Later there were lots of frankfurters, rolls, a small crudités selection and some more fruit. Maybe they have more selection in the evening.

If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and have a drink between flights – it’s a great place.

Amtrak is Having a Northeast Regional Sale with Rates as Low as $19

June 21, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Amtrak Regional Northeast Sale

Amtrak is having a Northeast Regional sale with rates as low as $19. I really like riding Amtrak, particularly to cities like New York, where public transportation is the norm. Even in cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore there are easy ways to get around and so many interesting things to see.

Riding Amtrak from BWI to NYC

Some sample sale fares include Baltimore to Philadelphia $25 one-way and that would barely cover gas in some cars. If you are looking for a fun weekend getaway – consider taking Amtrak this summer. You must purchase tickets by 6/22/17 for travel 7/13 – 8/31/17.

Earn 5X Points with Jet Blue and Budget or Avis

June 21, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Fly Free on Jet Blue with Points from Budget and Avis

We Had a Great Experience Flying Jet Blue to Cuba

Jet Blue is making it easier to earn points with 5X points when you rent a car from Budget or Avis by 6/30/17. You can also get up to 35% off car rental rates with them as well. I love using Budget every time I go to Orlando. You can register for FastBreak and pick up your car directly in the garage while saving precious vacation time. Get your FastBreak today while saving money and gaining points for your next vacation with Jet Blue!

FLY FREE ON SOUTHWEST

June 16, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

You can fly FREE on Southwest Airlines, want to know how?

Fly FREE on Southwest

My daughter flies free with me on the Southwest Companion Pass. That means that anytime I book a flight on Southwest she pays nothing but a minor tax fee for the rest of this year and ALL of next year. The easiest way to get the 110,000 Southwest points needed to earn the Companion Pass is through Southwest credit card signup bonuses.

We LUV Southwest

Now it’s easier than ever with a very generous 60,000 point bonus on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card Plus with Chase Bank. You need to spend $2000 in three months – which is easy if you focus on using that one card for all your expenditures to hit the minimum spend. I have heard of several people who have 2 of the same card or get one for personal use and one for business. If you hit the minimum spend on both cards you will earn 120,000 Southwest Rapid Reward Points, more than enough for the Southwest Companion Pass.

Southwest Route Map

60,000 Sign Up Bonus on Southwest

Then you pick one person to fly free with you for up to two years. The best strategy is to earn the pass as early in the year as possible so you get two full years of travel. The timing is important – don’t let your bonus hit late in the year. Did you know that Southwest flies to locations like Costa Rica, Mexico and soon Hawaii? Also, there are no restrictions on your companion pass – fly whenever you like! So what are you waiting for? Get a free companion like ME!

My Daughter Flying FREE on Southwest

Review of Hilton Diagonal Mar, Barcelona, Spain

May 27, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Ellie at Hilton Diagonal Mar

Here is my review of the Hilton Diagonal Mar, Barcelona, Spain …

I am currently on a three week trip through Europe with my husband and 5-year old daughter. We decided to include a cruise out of Barcelona as part of our family vacation. We are staying with friends on the back end of the cruise but we didn’t have any accommodation on the front end. Our favorite is Airbnb but we had been staying in Airbnb’s most of the way. We have been saving many of our Hilton points and thought this would be a good time to redeem them.

Beach Barcelona Style

We checked the Hilton.com site to see which properties were available for points and there was only one – the Hilton Diagonal Mar. We were shocked at the number of points they wanted per night (373,000 points for 3 nights) as we paid half that much in London. I do know that (it was a weekend) and Barcelona is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Europe – and the world for that matter. I also know that the Diagonal Mar has a very cool pool and is blocks from the beach. It is much more of a resort property than London Tower Bridge where we stayed recently.

Our Room at the Diagonal Mar

Nice soaking tub with a view

We decided to go ahead and use points. – it was either that or pay €300-400 per night. So here we are on the last night and there are no regrets. There were a few fumbles at check-in but the staff has really gone out of their way to make everything great. We got a room on the 10th floor – a decent size room with a shower and a bath (my daughter was really happy as all of the Airbnb’s only had showers). The room was very quiet and the beds were very comfortable.

Poolside at Purobeach

Purobeach Poolside at Dark

The pool is located on the very hip Purobeach lounge area on the 2nd floor. There are very nice sun beds, lots of chairs and umbrellas and two pools – the main one deep enough for laps and a baby pool as well. There is poolside food and drink service and we were pleasantly greeted with complimentary fruit and bottled water. We had a delicious lunch – a fantastic grilled goat cheese salad and a decent sized burger for my daughter. It was a bit pricey but feeling hungry and tired, it was worth it.

Cool Purobeach Lounge Area

Grab a Bite or Enjoy a Drink

Purobeach Massage Cabana

Also in the lounge area is a bar, a very comfy area for dining and relaxing in comfort. There is also a massage cabana, although I wouldn’t want a massage to club music, which is played throughout the area so bring your headset if you’re not a fan.

Gym at Diagonal Mar

We worked out each morning in the decent-sized gym. It’s filled with hand weights, several cardio machines, several weight machines and it’s open 24 hours. There is also a sauna in each restroom, but disappointingly, they were both being repaired.

Indigo Restaurant at Diagonal Mar

Fun During Breakfast on the Patio at Indigo

Each morning we ate at the breakfast buffet in the 1st floor restaurant Indigo. They have a comprehensive breakfast buffet with both American and European options. There is also a nice terrace on which you can enjoy your meal.

Making Friends at the Executive Lounge Diagonal Mar

One of our Super Staff Senor Rosso

Hors d’Oeuvres at Executive Lounge

We were fortunate in that we had access to the 15th floor for the Executive Lounge. The lounge has complimentary continental breakfast and hors d’oeuvres with open bar from 6-8pm. It is open to gold (if you have the right room I understand) and diamond members. The lounge was one of the greatest parts of our stay. We met some really great people and enjoyed having a relaxing drink and light meal with a beautiful view.

The first night we arrived at 8pm (we were told it was open til 10) and found that they were putting all the food away. I was quite upset at the misinformation at check-in and the staff went out of their way to get us some food. Every night they had a different selection of tapas type foods and a decent selection of salads, fruits, etc. It was just the perfect light dinner.

LLevant Beach Near Hilton Diagonal Mar

Bambu Club at LLevant Beach

The others are fast asleep now after a long day at the beach. Oh yes – Llevant beach is just a couple of blocks away. There is everything you need – public restrooms, some showers, restaurants and even a few play areas scattered down the beach. The water was cold but the sun was warm and — who cares we’re in Spain!

View of Diagonal Mar Shopping Center

Playground at Diagonal Mar Shopping Center

One of the favorite things for my daughter was the proximity to the Diagonal Mar Shopping Center. It has one of the coolest playgrounds I have seen in the world! Every night we went there and if the beach hadn’t worn her out, the playground put the finishing touch.

Good night, or as they say “buenas noches”, from the Hilton Diagonal Mar Hotel in Barcelona. Our stay was just what the doctor ordered. If you need a little R&R, this might be just what you are looking for too!

My Family got FREE Hotel Stays in London & Spain!

May 26, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Hilton London Tower Bridge

My family got free hotels stays in London and Spain on our 3-week trip through Europe. As many of you know I am all about FREE! All three of us flew here free (just paid taxes), and we also got two different hotel stays free! We spent 3 nights in London and we didn’t pay a dime in lodging. Now we are having an amazing, FREE 3-night stay in Barcelona!

Free Food at Executive Lounge

View from Executive Lounge London Tower Bridge

Family Time at Executive Lounge London Tower Bridge

My husband travels sometimes on business and he is very loyal to the Hilton brand. In doing so, he has built up a decent amount of points and Diamond level status (the highest) with them as well. It really has been very good for our travels. Every time we stay in a Hilton we get free breakfast and depending on the hotel, free “dinner” at the executive lounge. During this current trip we were able to stay at the Hilton London Tower Bridge completely free and with free breakfast and “dinner”. In the executive lounges they offer heavy hors d’oeuvres which is more than enough for a decent meal. They also offer open bar FREE as well.

Executive Lounge at Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona

We are currently staying at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona which also has the same free breakfast and heavy hors d’oeuvres in the Executive Lounge. This evening we had a lovely time on the 15th floor open air Executive Lounge with another couple from Germany. The Lounge gives us the chance to mingle with people from all over the world and have some good FREE food. What more can you ask for?

Relaxing Poolside at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona

So if you haven’t been reading my blog posts – you should! My family and I flew for free here to Europe, we are staying FREE part of the way and also getting some FREE meals. Are you paying attention?

My Family got FREE Flights to 3 Countries in Europe

May 26, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Arrival at London Heathrow with my Family

My family got FREE flights (we just paid taxes) to 3 countries in Europe. We have been working on building our points for a special family trip and I got the three of us here on points. How did we do it?

Flying FREE with United

First, I compared how many points we had with each credit card company – Chase, Amex, etc. Then I compared each airline loyalty program to see where we had the most points. I found that I had at least 60,000 United Airlines points mostly from using United Shopping (one of my favorites). I almost never buy anything in person and try to wait for the big bonuses like 10-15 points/dollar.

Then I asked my husband to see where he had the most points and it was Chase. My husband has a couple of Chase cards and because I am an authorized user we basically have a joint account. That means we can transfer any points to airline loyalty programs for either one of us. Bingo!

United Mileage Plus Statement

I actually called Chase myself and they recognized me as a cardholder (even though it’s actually his account) and I requested to transfer 120,000 points to MY United Airlines Mileage Plus account. Within a couple of days it was there – 180,000 miles, enough for 3 round trip tickets to Europe. The best part is that United allows a FREE stopover so I called an agent and asked where we could stop for free on the way to Lisbon. My stopover choice was London. I like using an agent because I can ask for various scenarios to see which are allowed, much more easily than doing it myself. It’s just a personal choice.

My United Statement Showing Mileage Redemption

Next I informed the agent that I wanted an open jaw ticket which is also allowed on United award travel! That means you can fly into one city and out of another. So I booked Dulles (IAD) – Heathrow (LHR) – Lisbon (LIS) – Barcelona (BCN) – Dulles (IAD) on one award ticket for 180,000 United Points and $264.38 in taxes. Not bad!

Mileage Plus Shopping BONUS – The Best Time to Shop

We are currently finishing up the last part of our trip and I just received 10,200 points with a purchase on United Mileage Plus Shopping. I needed some shoes and I got 15x points plus 500 bonus points. I am well on my way to another free trip somewhere – are you?

$749 for Airfare from Eastcoast U.S. & 9 Nights in China

May 7, 2017 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Ellie & I had a great time in China

No you aren’t seeing things – Travelzoo is offering an amazing deal of $749 for Airfare from Eastcoast U.S. & 9 Nights in China. I recently returned from Asia and this is a really good deal! Airfare alone to China is typically more than $1000. This deal can be even cheaper if you travel from the West Coast – for as little as $599 all inclusive.

The package includes 5 cities in China and stays in 4-star hotels. It’s a really great package that includes many meals, tours, airfare and accommodations. The only things aren’t included are the tour guide & driver fees of $100 and visa fees of about $200. So for $1000 or less you can see many of the popular sights in China – what are you waiting for?????

Things to note – this cost is for double occupancy and there is a single supplement charge of $500. Also, part of the tour is stopping in local businesses and shops but you aren’t obligated to buy anything.

China has some great shopping malls