Stay any weekend between September 1 – December 30, 2010, at any of their 4,500 hotels and pay with your Visa® card.

They’ll reimburse you for your checked airline bag with an IHG Visa Prepaid Card (up to $50).

Step 1: Book a weekend stay at any of their 4,500 hotels worldwide (must be U.S. resident).

Step 2: Pay for your hotel stay with your Visa card.

Step 3: click link below to see how to get rebate

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to get info and/or book – Intercontinental Hotels will reimburse you for your checked airline bag up to $5
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Today, AirTran, which also flies nonstop from Detroit to Orlando, released their flights for our travel dates. Delta, as I expected, modified their fares. The Delta flights initially cost more, but once you factored in the baggage fees ($20/bag each way on AirTran), the prices were almost identical. Which means Delta, which is where all my frequent flyer miles are, had the edge.

But there’s a problem. We’re all flying down together, but we’re not all flying back together. DW and I are coming home after a week, but son and family are staying a few extra days. So I called Delta to find out how to handle this.

The reservation agent told me there was nothing she could do. It had to be booked as two separate reservations, and the free bag perk only applies to the party that includes the cardholder. So only two out of six of us get to check our bags for free. Suddenly, the pricing is no longer competitive.

I booked our flights with AirTran. Not only was it cheaper, the flight times were better. (Our flight down leaves Detroit at 12:10, while the cheapest Delta flight doesn’t take off until 5:43.) Funny thing is, I still paid for the tickets with the Delta AmEx. I got it under a sign-up offer where I get 20K FF miles for my first purchase, and another 10K if I spend over $1000 in the first three months. So buying AirTran tickets is getting me 30K SkyMiles. Sheesh. ” (via tugbbs.com) by markbernstein

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the comments readers had about - Delta lost a sale but the customer got 30,000 miles.

Driving Every Loyal Traveller Away – the new Delta ( by Carolinian )

“Many leisure travelers with iPhones are going to Europe, not turning off their data and allowing their apps to continue downloading data,” said Ken Grunski, chief executive of Telestial, a company that provides wireless services for travelers. “U.S. travelers were already getting hammered with expensive voice calls that start at $1 per minute. I know of people that have returned home to $1,000 or more roaming bills.”

Luckily for tech-savvy travelers who want to stay in touch, there are ways to avoid spending a small fortune. Here are some options.

Getting the Right Phone

Many countries outside the United States rely on a wireless network technology called GSM. But two major American carriers — Verizon and Sprint — use different technologies in most of their standard phones. Owners of those devices will need a special cellphone when traveling to many countries.

Verizon users have a fairly convenient way to deal with this problem. If you’ve been a subscriber for six months or longer, Verizon will lend you a global phone free of charge for trips of 21 days or less; the customer pays only the two-day FedEx fee of $9.99.

AT&T and T-Mobile have GSM networks, so many of their standard phones will work overseas, although you’ll still need to sign up for an international roaming plan to keep rates down. For example, with the $5.99 a month AT&T plan, calls from many Western European countries to the United States are only 99 cents. A package of 50 roaming texts costs $10.

Another option is to buy an inexpensive travel phone from a company like Telestial  or Planet Omni. They typically cost less than $50. For example, Planet Omni’s Kit V520 ($49) offers a dual-band GSM phone, SIM card with both a United States phone number and a global phone number, and $5 in airtime. The service allows you to receive free incoming calls in France, Italy, Spain and Britain on the global number, and free voice mail in 60 countries. Costs for outgoing calls depend on the country.  Telestial’s Passport package (starting at $99) provides free incoming calls in Europe, as well as calls back to the United States for 49 cents per minute.

Data Deals

With everything from Internet radio to online maps to multitudes of apps, iPhones and smartphones can consume huge amounts of data. It might not be a big deal at home, but using all those apps on the road can add up quickly. If you plan on using a lot of data services while traveling, make sure you check with the carrier to see if it offers international data roaming plans.

For example, AT&T offers data roaming plans for the iPhone and smartphones that provide 20 megabytes of data usage within 90 countries for $24.99 per month, and up to 200 megabytes for $199.99 per month.

In addition, AT&T recommends that iPhone users go to their settings and turn off data roaming and options to fetch new data. They should also reset their usage tracker to zero so they can keep an eye on new charges, and make sure to use Wi-Fi instead of their phones’ 3G services to check e-mail messages or use the Web.

SIM Cards

Frequent travelers may want to consider another money-saving technique: replacing a phone’s American SIM card (the little electronic memory card that identifies and configures your phone) with a local (or country-specific) SIM card. In general, when you do that, all incoming calls will be free and outgoing calls (local or international) can be significantly cheaper.

Be aware that replacing the SIM card means that your phone has a different number, so you may want to let your contacts know, or set your phone to forward all calls to the new number before you go.

The VoIP Option

Internet-based voice services (VoIP) such as Skype  or Truphone , which charge as little as 2 cents for calls to regular phones, are among the cheapest ways for international travelers to communicate. This spring, Skype announced support for the iPhone, allowing iPhone users to make or receive Skype calls over either Wi-Fi or 3G connections.

One good option for travelers wanting to use Skype or Wi-Fi while traveling is Boingo Wireless. For $7.95 per month, travelers can sign up with Boingo for unlimited Wi-Fi access in hotels, restaurants, cafes, airports and more in over 70 countries.

Last, but Not Least

Don’t forget the old-fashioned calling card. When Mr. Guarino travels, he often uses discounted international calling cards from local cafes or newsstands.

“The rates to the U.S. are about 3 cents per minute, plus the cost of the local call,” he said. “It’s a good option for making a call from a land line, especially if you have a conference call to make where you don’t want to worry about call quality. ” (via  nytimes.com) by DAVID A. KELLY

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the rest of Avoiding a Large Phone Bill When Traveling

Even more astonishing is what you might find yourself getting charged for. Did you help yourself to an overpriced snack from the mini bar in your room? Be prepared for a re-stocking fee. Tipped the bellboy for carrying your bag? When you see the porterage fee added to your bill at check out, you’ll wonder why you bothered. Read on for a list of the most unscrupulous hotel fees.

10. Internet Usage
Today’s travelers usually come with computer in tow (even if they aren’t on the road for business) and hotels know it. Which means guests are routinely charged in-room Internet access fees that border on extortion. In Europe, rates can soar upwards of $30 per day, and even in the US you’re looking at somewhere between $10 and $25 per day to surf the web and check email. Another irk? Hotels that charge that daily rate per device instead of per room, doubling the fee if you both bring a laptop.

9. Resort Fees
Things that hotel guests once took for granted as being included in room rates (think pool towels) are increasingly being listed among the amenities covered in those much maligned “resort fees.” You’re most likely to see the compulsory charge listed separately on your bill at beach and mountain resorts. So why aren’t they just wrapped into the overall room rate? It’s just one more way for hotels to charge an extra $15 to $30 per day-or more. The kicker? Even when the mandatory resort fee includes gym and Internet access, saying you don’t plan to use either won’t usually help you get out of paying.

8. Porterage Fee
When you turn your luggage over to the bellhop, it’s expected that you will slip a tip into his hand as well. Now, imagine checking out and seeing that you have been charged a porterage fee. And some hotels are tacking on the fee even if you have politely refused the bellman’s services and carried your own bags. Porterage fees are especially likely to show up on your bill if you’re part of group booking that’s been given a specially negotiated rate.

7. Valet Parking
What ever happened to the good old days of self-parking for a few dollars a day? In major cities from Miami to San Francisco valet-only parking at luxury hotels is becoming more and more the standard, costing guests anywhere from $20 to $50 per night. Valets try to soften the blow by saying it’s “in and out as much as you want.” But factor in having to tip every time your car is brought to you, and you’re looking at a serious add-on expense to your hotel stay.

6. Energy Surcharges
Be sure to read the fine print when booking hotels through consolidators and discounters, as you’re likely to spot slippery surcharges not included in the total price. Among the most irritating of all is the “energy surcharge” being employed at hotels everywhere from Arizona to the Caribbean. The fee can be a couple dollars per room, a per-day/per-person fee, or as much as ten percent of your overall bill and covers things that you would think would be covered by to room rate like running the air conditioning and turning on the lights. These fees were originally created as a way to transfer rising energy costs to hotel guests, but even as costs level out many hotels are slow to remove the extra revenue-generating bonus from your bill. ” (via  travel.aol.com) by Terry Ward

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to see the more of 10 Unscrupulous Hotel Fees

That’s because United has rigged its check-in procedure with a onslaught of three pitches to load up more extra costs…

If I had pressed the wrong buttons on a recent cross-county flight I took, I would have accidentally paid another $523.68. How did I know they were the wrong buttons? Simple: They were colored and placed to look like the correct buttons…

As computer-savvy, Western-world citizens, we’re used to pressing the highlight, right-hand button in order to proceed smoothly through sign-in sequences. But businesses have caught wise to our bias, and now, Web sites are trying to funnel us into the higher-cost option this way, with a wee little “No, thanks” link in feeble print somewhere off in a lonely left-hand corner of the page where only the intrepid will find it.

Ironically for an airline that still sends passengers on transoceanic flights without seatback TVs, United Airlines is mastering the dark side of the electronic age. Its baggage handling mishaps grew poisonous word-of-mouth via viral video, and now the airline is pioneering artful onscreen misdirection in airline check-in kiosks.

That handsome gold button at the bottom right-hand of the screen, where the “proceed” or “OK” button usually is on your home computer? It sets you up to spend another wad of cash.

One screen sold “Premier Line” access for $49. Another wanted $78 to sell me frequent flier miles. And a third dangled a business-class upgrade for $396.68. Grand total for extra charges I had to sidestep: $523.68. That amount varies by the length of the flight.” (via .walletpop.com) by Jason Cochran

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more about Beware United Airlines’ tricksy check-in kiosks or you’ll pay hundreds more

“Continental Airlines will begin charging coach customers extra if they want a seat with more leg room…

Prices will vary depending on the length of a flight and popularity of the route. A spokeswoman said extra room on a Houston-New York flight might cost $59. International fliers would pay more than that…

Starting March 17, coach customers will be able to pay the charge at check-in to get an exit-row seat with at least 7 inches more legroom than the other rows..

Top-level members of Continental’s frequent-flier program — those who rack up at least 25,000 miles a year — and their traveling companions will still be able to claim the exit row without extra charge…

.Some other airlines already charge extra for exit-row seats. United, for example, sells “economy plus” seats in coach, with up to five extra inches of legroom…

On its Web site, United says the upgrade costs $49 on Denver-to-Seattle flights and $109 going from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

JetBlue also charges more for legroom. Some carriers charge extra for aisle or bulkhead seats. On US Airways, window or aisle seats can cost $5 to $30 extra. ” (via seattletimes.nwsource.com  ) by DAVID KOENIG

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more – Continental to charge more for seats with extra leg room

Thanks to Jason B. for the tip

• Stay for one or more nights…

• Park your vehicle for the duration of your trip…

• Package details vary at each Hotel…

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for Early Flight? Park, Stay and Go With Holiday Inn

But, Crowne Plaza, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Fairmont*, Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt*, Ian Schrager, Intercontinental, Lowes, Marriott, Rennaisance, Ritz-Carleton, Shereton, Sofitel, St. Regis, W Hotels, Westin and Wyndham* all charge around $10 or more per day for access. (* free service for members of their frequent stayer programs)

Conrad by Hilton and Kimpton were the only two upscale hotel brands to offer free high-speed Internet to guests at all of their locations and without restrictions. At the other end of the spectrum, Red Roof Inn, inexplicably, has a deal with T-Mobile that adds $10 a day for web connections unless clients have their own T-Mobile account. ” (via consumertraveler.com ) by CHARLIE LEOCHA

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the rest of How long will hotels keep charging for Internet connections?

click here for our post from Dec. 2008 on this topic

Wouldn’t we all like to know? Luckily, FlyerTalk founder Randy Petersen, the world’s leading expert on frequent-flier programs, has the answers and has graciously shared them with us. Here are Randy’s top tips for travelers who want to use their miles for free tickets:

1. Pick up the phone. Call the airline mileage-award-redemption desk. The award-booking tools on airline web sites often don’t display all the award seats that are actually available. Phoning the desk will cost you a few dollars, but that’s a small price to pay if you find a helpful reservations agent who will think creatively, look into alternate routes and partner airlines, and find that available seat you’re looking for.

2. Try to predict which flights will have award seats available. Generally speaking, the emptier a flight, the lower the airfare will be and the more award seats it will have. So look to see which flights during your travel window are priced lowest, since they will be most likely to have award seats. Try using Bing’s Farecast technology for this. If you search for a flight and the “predictor” says “wait” to buy it because the price may drop, then award availability is a possibility.  ”When fares are predicted to go down,” says Randy, “then award seat availability can be predicted to rise.”

3. Know which days of the week offer the most award seats. It varies by destination. For flights to Hawaii, for instance, award seats are most likely to be available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. For flights to Florida, they are most likely to be available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

4. Consider flying into one airport and back from another. A number of programs now offer one-way awards, allowing you to fly into one airport and return from another, which can be very helpful if your destination has more than one airport. Say you want to fly to New York City.  ”Just because Tuesday into JFK isn’t available doesn’t mean that Wednesday into Newark isn’t either,” says Randy. Say you want to fly to Los Angeles. You could fly into LAX and back from Ontario or Orange County airports.

5. Look for award seats six months ahead. After years of research, Randy and his team have figured out that six months before your travel date is the time when you’ll find the greatest award-seat availability. If you plan to travel during the peak summer months, the best time to look for award seats is December. ” ( via concierge.com ) by Wendy Perrin

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more about Get the flights you want with the miles you have.

Mexicana Airlines is going back to the golden age of free baggage policies…

–>Anyone who flies with Mexicana can check two bags for free…

Price sale ends Oct. 31… / 2 free bags is an ongoing promotion

–>Attention California travelers...

Fly with Mexicana between now and Dec 10, 2009 and check three bags for free..

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for Mexicana Airlines. Check 2 Bags for free. international flights starting at $196