Enter the Joie de Vivre Explore California Passport Sweepstakes

Time to visit San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hotels' website for some amazing Summer deals, including a $25 credit back for each stay. While you are roaming the site, be to to register for the Explore California Passport sweepstakes where 25 lucky winners will each win over $17,000 worth of Joie de Vivre hotel stays throughout California. Visit JDV hotels today. 

20% Off La Quinta Hotels Through June 30th

From the Fatwallet forums comes this 20% off discount coupon for La Quinta Hotels. According to the post, the promo is valid for hotel stays through June 30, 2009.

For example, I tried a rate search for the La Quinta in Reno, Nevada, and found the standard rate of $59.00/night dropped to $47.20 after applying the discount code. This discount even beat out AAA and AARP discounts for this property. Head on over to La Quinta, and enter promo code: ******** to take advantage of this offer.

*Update: promotion code removed at the request of LaQuinta. Please visit the fatwallet.com forum (link above) for future promotions at this chain of quality hotels

New Routes Coming to Greater Bay Area Airports This Summer

Despite a sluggish airline industry, several airlines will launch new service to and from the San Francisco Bay Area this summer. Here's what we are following so far:

Oakland to/from:

Nashville - Southwest Airlines - launches May 9

Eugene - Allegiant Airlines - launches June 8

San Francisco to/from:

Santa Ana/Orange County - Virgin America - April 30th

Santa Ana/Orange County - Southwest Airlines - May 9

Calgary - WestJet - returns June 2

Toronto, Canada - United Airlines - returns June 4

Minneapolis - United Airlines - June 4

Pasco - United Airlines - June 4

Spokane - United Airlines - June 4

Delhi, India - India Airlines - late Summer

Monterey to/from:

Los Angeles - Allegiant Airlines - May 3

San Diego - Allegiant Airlines - May 3

San Francisco to Minneapolis $148 RT, Tax Included

Sun Country Airlines will soon return to San Francisco with seasonal service between SFO and Minneapolis, MN. Tickets are currently on sale for $118+ tax round-trip, which comes to about $148 "all in." Valid for travel April 15 through June 15, 2009. Visit Travelocity to search for availability using the "flexible dates" option.

Traveling internationally this summer? 9 things to do now!

From Lydie over at the wonderful travel is more fun with kids blog comes some useful tips for those planning a summer vacation. Lydie has crafted 9 points to start considering now, in preparation for this summer's big voyage.

It is always exciting to book tickets to visit another country. My family is always looking forward to discovering new monuments, new food, new parks, new people, etc. But there are some not-so-much fun paperwork that has sometimes to be taken care of. So if you have booked your tickets, here are 9 things that you need to do right now.

Tip 1

Check the expiration date of all your passports. Some countries, like Thailand and Singapore, ask that you not only have a passport that is valid during your trip, but that you have at least 3-6 months of validity after you leave their country. If you need to renew your passport, pay extra for the expedited shipping: you do not want to be left behind!

Tip 2

Make a copy of your passports and give a copy to a family member who won’t be on the road with you. If your passports get stolen or lost, it will be easier to have them replaced if you have a copy of your information. You can also email yourself the passport numbers and date of issuance so you can easily retrieve the information, just in case.

Tip 3

Inquire for visas. Do not assume you do not need a visa even if you are visiting for a day. Check that information with the appropriate consulate. If you booked your travel through a travel agent, he or she should take care of the paperwork for you.

Tip 4

Check the immunization records of the whole family and make sure that no specific immunizations are needed. The CDC www.cdc.gov/travel has an extensive list of recommended vaccinations and shots on a country by country basis. Be sure to consult your doctor as well.

Tip 5

Call your medical insurance company to understand how you are covered abroad. Check if your credit card provides any travel health insurance. If not, you might consider buying travel medical insurance.

Tip 6

If you are planning on driving, make sure you do not need an international driving license and if you need one, apply for one. If you are renting a car abroad, be aware that you will most likely get a stick shift car, so be prepared!

Tip 7

Be aware of the difference in electrical plugs and voltage in some countries like England and Australia. You can buy plug adapters at your local hardware store or online, click here.

Tip 8

Ideally, have some cash from the country you are visiting with you in case you need to take the taxi when you arrive or buy something right away. It will make your life simpler instead of looking for an ATM or currency exchange kiosks just after landing with tired and jet-lagged kids in tow.

Tip 9

Call your credit card company to let them know that you will be traveling abroad. If they see activities on your bank account abroad, they may deny the charges and cancel your credit card if they can not confirm the purchases with you. Always bring several cards with you when traveling in case one does not work. Be aware, that if you are using your ATM card, certain countries like France only have a 4-digit PIN number system. If you are trying to withdraw some cash and you have a 5-digit PIN number, you will not be able to withdraw money. Visit your local branch to inquire about this.

Bon Voyage!

WestJet Resumes San Francisco to Calgary Flights in June

Canada-based WestJet Airlines will resume seasonal service between SFO and it's Calgary hub. According to the airline, flights will operate between June 2nd and October 29th, 2009. In addition to San Francisco, the airline operates seasonal service from Palm Springs, San Diego, and Phoenix, and year-round flights from Las Vegas and Florida. Visit WestJet for more information.

Southwest Adjusts Summer Schedules

Southwest Airlines has released their summer schedule plans, and despite trimming nearly a dozen flights nationwide, the Bay Area is largely unaffected.

From Oakland Airport: Beginning May 9, 2009, an additional flight will be added to Albuquerque for a total of 3 daily nonstops. One additional flight to Kansas City route will result in 2 daily nonstops. Southwest will bring back a daily flight to Nashville which had previously been dropped from its schedule. Finally, Oakland will loose one flight up to Reno, but will continue to offer 3 daily nonstops.

From San Jose Airport: Overall, a loss of 2 flights on already high frequency routes. Las Vegas looses one flight, down to 8 nonstops. Los Angeles also looses a flight, but still leaves a whopping 12 daily flights still intact.

No adjustments to scheduled to/from Sacramento and San Francisco Airport were listed in their Summer schedule of changes.

San Francisco to Rome $498 "all in" Summer 09'

Right from the Flyertalk forums comes this thread on flights from the U.S to Italy for less than $500 bucks from the West coast, and less than $300 from the East coast. The only way to make this hot deal work is to price it through a third-party side such as Priceline or Kayak, then choose AirOne and/or AirOne and United as the carrier. Initially it prices much higher, but after you make your selection, it reprices downward.

This takes a little work and patience, but in the end you wind up with a smokin' hot, unbeatable fare to Italy.

May 27-June 2, 2009 SFO-FCO (Rome) prices at $498 including all taxes and fees. Operated by United Airlines the entire route. This fare will not last long! Click here to book