Win a Trip for 2 to Chile from the Travel Channel

Enter to win the "Best of Chile Wine Tour," including a roundtrip airfare for 2 to Santiago, Chile, 7 nights hotel accommodations, and a chance to enjoy the world of wines throughout Chile. Contest ends July 31, 2009. Enter today.

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Expires 7/20/09

The "Cooling Off" Period When Purchasing Airline Tickets

By Mike Grasso

www.inFLIGHTout.com

Sale airfares come and go within a few days, while unadvertised drops in fares usually last just a matter of hours. Take some relatively recent examples such as Los Angeles to Fiji for a few hundred bucks, and San Francisco to upstate New York for $2 bucks. One minute you see them, next minute - poof, fare be gone. You're craving a vacation and the "deal of the century" is right before your eyes, but you're not sure how your significant other & work will feel about you taking more time away. How do you break free of your ambivalence to book?

While I don't have the perfect answer to that question, but perhaps more time to think it over will help! Most airlines offer some form of a "cooling off" period. They don't officially call it that, but essentially it allows you to purchase a ticket on their website and then later decide (usually within 24 hours) to cancel and receive a full refund, giving you plenty of time to chat up the S.O and Boss. This policy can can also be helpful if, for example, after booking you realized you selected the wrong date of departure, giving you an opportunity to make the correction at no charge.

A variation to the refund scenario is a 24-hour hold policy, whereby after you build a reservation on the airline website, you can place it on hold for up to 24-hours. Airlines offer a refund or hold - not both. Below I've outlined and linked the policies of major U.S. carriers. These policies are subject to change, and may not apply to every specific scenario, but do provide a general rule to follow when booking with the different airlines.

Southwest Airlines: (no link) 24 hour cancellation policy. Beyond 24 hours, Southwest does not charge a change fee, allowing you to hold as travel credit up to a year from date of purchase.

Continental Airlines: 24-hour cancellation policy

U.S Airways: 24-hour HOLD policy

Virgin America: 24-hour cancellation policy

Delta Airlines: Cancellation until midnight the next day.

United Airlines: 24-hour cancellation policy

American Airlines: 24-hour HOLD policy.

inFLIGHTout is Tweeting more news today:

• United Airlines Frequent Flyers: Get a 20% Discount on award travel - systemwide - August 18-November 18, 2009. For example SFO-New York for 20,000 miles (instead of the usual 25,000)

• 168 Killed Wednesday morning when Caspian Airliner crashes shortly after takeoff in Iran.

Follow inFLIGHTout @ Twitter

JetBlue Re-times San Francisco - Austin Route

From the Flyertalk forums comes word JetBlue has re-timed their daily non-stop flight between San Francisco and Austin, Texas. The adjustments mean the flight to Austin will depart late in the afternoon, returning back to San Francisco early the next morning. The changes have been updated on the JetBlue website.

-Current schedule through September 8, 2009:

AUS-SFO 1850-2032

SFO-AUS 0832-1403

-Schedule beginning September 9, 2009:
AUS-SFO 0815-1005
SFO-AUS 1630-2156

Related:

Last month American Airlines announced they were pulling their 'Nerd Bird' route - San Jose-Austin effective later this August, citing operating costs exceeding actual revenues. This announcement caused Alaska Airlines to quickly get into the action and replace the American Airlines flight with one of their own, believing they can find a way to turn a profit on this route. That flight is expected to start on September 2, 2009, a week after the American flight ends.

$25 Off an AirTran Flight to Florida

Just provide your email address to AirTran and receive an electronic voucher for $25 off your next flight to Florida. Book the flight by October 31 and travel by December 18, 2009 to qualify for this discount. AirTran currently offers four daily departures from San Francisco to its Atlanta hub, connecting onward into Florida. The airline also offers seasonal service SFO-Milwaukee nonstop.

inFLIGHTout Travel Tip: Program Airline Phone Numbers

Be sure to program your cell phone the phone numbers of airlines you frequently fly.

In the event your flight has a last minute cancellation or significant delay, you can immediately call the airline for rebooking on alternate flights. Use this method while concurrently waiting to speak with an airport gate agent. If several people are impacted by the cancellation or delay, your wait to speak with a gate agent may be quite long.

Los Angeles to Buenos Aires $340 RT Including Tax

11:15 PM

You are reading the title correct! $340 roundtrip, including all taxes and fees, from LAX to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Flight is on Mexicana Airlines, connecting in Mexico City, with travel valid through the Fall 2009. This is an incredible deal that won't last long. Example dates: 11/3-11/10/2009. Click here to book.

United Breaks Guitars: Band Takes UA Baggage Complaint to YouTube

Some might call it a taste of sweet revenge, but for musician Dave Carroll, it was a creative way of expressing his disappointment with United Airlines baggage handling, after they smashed his guitar and refused to pick up the $1200 tab to fix it.

Carroll and his band, based in Halifax, NS, were changing planes at Chicago's-O'Hare airport March 31, 2008, when the heard a passenger exclaim, "My God, they're throwing guitars out there," Carroll said. After spending nine months of unsuccessfully reasoning with United Airlines, including with representatives from the United States and India, he finally decided to write a few songs to describe his experience.

Meanwhile, United officials who have seen the video are asking Carroll for permission to use it internally to help change its culture.

Priority Club: Stay 8 Nights, Score 2 MLB Tickets

Here's a grand slam deal for baseball friends. Stay a total of 8 nights at any of the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Expresses worldwide, and earn a 2 Major League baseball tickets. Stays between now and September 30, 2009, will count toward the promotion. Register before your first stay. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express are party of the Priority Club Rewards hotel incentive program.

Kids Ride Free on Weekends With Capitol Corridor

Kids ride free on Amtrak's Capitol Corridor train on weekends now through November 1, 2009. Limit is one kid, age 2-15, for each full-fare adult ticket purchased.

If you've never experienced a ride on the Capitol Corridor I highly recommend it. A variety of seating options, including tables for families are available. Trains are clean and well-kept, include amenities such as onboard food and beverage service, and offer a scenic and stress-free alternative to the busy freeways.

Click here for more information on this offer and read some of the recommended sights to check out, all easily accessible from the Capitol Corridor.

Southwest $30/$60/$90 Sale on Now

As we posted early this morning @ Twitter:
Seats are filling up quickly during a 48-hour sale from Southwest Airlines. Get yourself a seat for as little as $30 one way for flights of 400 miles or less, $60 for flights up to 750 miles, and $90 for any other destination greater than 750 miles. Purchase now through midnight July 8th, for travel September 9 - November 18, 2009. Discount not available for Friday or Sunday travel.
Visit www.southwest.com to book.

Plus, in markets where other airlines such as United, American and Virgin America compete with Southwest, you can find matching sale fares.

Alaska Airlines Launches Promotion for Upcoming Hawai'i Routes

As we mentioned back in May, Alaska Airlines plans to fly nonstop from Oakland to Maui and Kona beginning November 9, 2009. To celebrate the launch, the airline is offering introductory fares from $169 each way. Take an additional 10% off these sale fares by registering for their Bay to Paradise promotion. This promotion will earn you a discount code for up to 40% off Winter fares to Hawai'i when you complete four flights from anywhere in the Bay Area (SF, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Sacramento).

United Airlines Adding San Francisco - Kansas City Service

From the airline route updates blog & GDS timetable comes word United Airlines will launch a daily nonstop flight between San Francisco and Kansas City (MCI). The new service is scheduled to begin October 25th, utilizing a CRJ700 regional jet.

The flight departs SFO at 4:07PM arriving Kansas City at 9:31PM. The return flight departs at 8:51AM, arriving back in SFO at 10:45AM. Tickets for the nonstop are now available for purchase at united.com.

Currently, only Midwest Airlines serves the SFO-Kansas City market nonstop, also with one daily flight.

Frontier Airlines Giving Away Miles To Celebrate Its Birthday

In celebration of its 15th birthday on July 5th, Frontier Airlines is giving away 1,500 bonus miles to EarlyReturns members for qualifying Fall 2009 flights. Members of the airlines' frequent flyer program can earn the bonus miles for each roundtrip flight booked between July 1 and August 31, 2009 and flown between October 1 and December 15, 2009. Registration is not required. If you are not currently a Frontier EarlyReturns member, sign up and earn an additional 1,500 bonus miles. Click here for more info.

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Independence Day!

Have a safe, enjoyable 4th of July weekend.

"Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else." — Lawrence Block

Parody & Son Video on the Guantanamo Bay Tourism Board

From Parody & Son:
Sure, President Obama is closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. But that hardly means the end for Gitmo!! In fact, I’ve just completed a short video for the Guantanamo Bay Tourism Board encouraging travelers to visit Guantanamo and experience the warm Cuban sun, cool Caribbean breezes and that infamous CIA hospitality. You’ll love Guantanamo so much, you’ll never leave!!!
-Bruce and Ross Hopman (a.k.a. Parody & Son).