Free Rick Steves’ Travel BookPosted By: PointsWizard Published in travel, EUROPE
11
Dec
“Followers of Rick Steves, whose guides to Europe are packed in many a bag of globe-trotting Americans, will like this offer.Rick is giving away free copies of his 63-page, summer 2007 personal European travel journal. It’s an inside look at where he goes, how he travels and what he’s thinking as he trots from Rome, to Spain, to Croatia, among other places. Included are memorable hotel stays, including one at a former convent in Florence. The Loggiato dei Serviti sounds Old-World wonderful. Beamed ceilings, parquet floors, heavy curtains with tasseled sashes, views over an ancient square. In winter, you can book a double for about $140, which is a very good price in these days of the doleful dollar. .” (via usatoday.com)

The Pointswizard.com Spin: get your free copy - click on headline above

Labels: air travel, EUROPE

"If you're a frequent user of Priceline like I am, you know there are bidding restrictions. These restrictions can lead to overbidding.

You may still get a pretty good deal, but not the lowest rock-bottom price that Priceline has hidden in its computer system.

You can't simply increase your bid by $1 after each rejection. If you don't want to change your dates of travel or hotel class or add an additional hotel zone, Priceline makes you wait 24 hours before you can bid again.

But there is a way to manipulate your bidding, find the cheapest price offered, get around the 24-hour rule and stay exactly in the area you want. "
[Via komotv.com/news]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
To see the rest of the article click on blue line above

Labels: air travel, DEALS, priceline

"The country's effort to move away from a dependence on foreign oil and embrace green initiatives appears to be behind a change in one of New York's purest traditions, the menu of the classic steakhouse.

The production of ethanol, which is made from corn, is one major reason classic cuts of prime beef are becoming more and more expensive, an analyst at the cattle market analysis firm Cattle-Fax, Tod Kalous, said.

"It's getting worse," the owner of Ben Benson's Steakhouse, Ben Benson, said. "The problems the ranchers are having are making it more difficult because feed is getting more expensive."

Brooklyn's Peter Luger Steakhouse now serves a rib eye. On some nights at Ben Benson's in Midtown, diners can order buffalo steak. The Old Homestead of the meatpacking district serves one of the city's best Kobe burgers.

The new menu items at some city steakhouses are a result of an increase in the price of top-notch beef and a decrease in its availability.
Corn is the primary feed for cattle that produce USDA-grade prime beef. Corn is also the main ingredient for what many believe is the fuel of the future, ethanol. The production of ethanol has not only increased the demand for corn, it has made harvests more profitable for farmers, who receive the fruits of government subsidies when it is sold to ethanol producers." [Via NYSUN.COM]

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Well, There's always Ranch1 for chicken.

Labels: air travel, food, New York, Steak

The fact is that these smaller upstart airlines like JetBlue, Air Tran, Spirit, etc have taken away business from the major airlines. They've done it by competing with new planes, better service, different entertainment, and some times better fares. Sometimes things go terribly wrong-read what happened to this JetBlue customer.

Here is a letter from one of our readers about JetBlue:

Let me start off by saying I was a huge JetBlue fan and supporter that is until the night of (Feb15-16)

This was by far the worst JetBlue experience I have ever had from start to finish.

First my JetBlue flight was canceled (3PM las-jfk Wed. Feb15- Next the flight I was put on was supposed to leave a 12:30am (FLT# 190 las-jfk) the website and phone system said it was on time.

I arrived at the Las Vegas airport at 11pm on Thurs (Feb15) to discover that I was completely mislead. It turned out FLT#190 was delayed 6 hours. I had to wait and wound up passing out on the airport floor from exhaustion. At 4:30 AM now (Feb. 16) I was put on what I was told was going to be a "JetBlue" flight and that my luggage would arrive with my flight as well.

Then I find out its a charter plane from a company called Omni which is probably one of the worst planes I have been on with non JetBlue employees as the attendants. with the luggage coming 2hours later on another plane.
I spent over $400 for one way to fly the JetBlue experience and nothing less - that's not what I got.

Because of the misinformation I lost a whole day of work and a nights sleep. The charter plane got me into JFK at 1:30PM Fri. I missed an important business meeting that I had to be at on Friday AM - losing thousands of dollars in sales.
Needless to say my loved ones were confused as the JetBlue web site said the 1240am flight was cancelled, then taking off at 6AM

Even though as a new airline They don't participate in Rule 240.(with rules about what to be done in a case like this)

No effort was made to see if a seat could of been found on another airline going back to New York City- which was the least that could of been done. Then to top it all off my luggage didn't come on another plane 2 hours later as was promised to be delivered on Friday- I got it Monday at 1PM.

Saturday AM and early PM I was on the phone for hours as JetBlue's special baggage line (866--- ----) rang 3-4 times and went to dead air and on a second phone calling 800 JetBlue and could not get through.

After having my luggage missing for the 2nd day with no clean clothes to go to a wedding celebration I tried calling JetBlue to get permission to buy clothes I needed for a wedding and toiletries and health and beauty aids. Not being able to get to talk to somebody I did what other airlines allow I had to go out to buy clothes and health and beauty aids I needed

When I finally got my baggage from the flight on Monday I find missing my black pinstripe suit from Barney's New York that cost $975

the following are the monies I asked to be paid back to me by JetBlue

$ for clothes to be used for 2 events on Saturday since luggage was missing $301.41
$ for health and beauty aids needed since luggage was missing $ 75.61
$ missing men's suit from luggage upon delivery $975.00
$ back for Wed.-Thurs flight screw ups (las-jfk) $400.00
---------------
Total $ 1.752.02

Truly Blue,
A JetBlue customer

P.S.- After many calls, certified letter, still more calls to JetBlue etc, etc - they finally gave back money for flight, clothes, and lost item in luggage, but it wasn't easy.

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Thanks to our reader JB for sending us your story

Labels: air travel, JetBlue, travel rights

Give yourself the gift of travel or treat family, friends and colleagues. With our United e-Certificates, just a few thousand miles saves up to $75 on roundtrip travel.

Choose your e-Certificate

* Redeem 1,000 miles for a $25 discount e-Certificate
* Redeem 5,000 miles for a $75 discount e-Certificate

You may redeem your miles for multiple e-Certificates. However, only one certificate may be used per ticket purchased.

The Pointswizard.com Spin: offer good thru June 1, 2007

Labels: air travel, miles, savings, United Airlines