JetBlue Introduces Punta Cana, DR Flights With $99 Sale

JetBlue has been adding flights to all my favorite Caribbean island destinations this year (St. Lucia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, San Juan etc), and now they’ve added Punta Cana, Dominican Republic to the list.  Beginning in early May, JetBlue will start flying daily nonstop flights from New York JFK Airport, and weekly Saturday nonstop flights from Boston to Punta Cana. To celebrate this new route, JetBlue is offering introductory fares of $99 each way!!! Hurry – Tickets must be purchased by February 1st, and travel must take place between May 8 – June 12, 2010.  I can’t think of a better way to celebrate spring than buffing up your tan in anticipation of summer!

How To Fly Without Interruptions

Here’s a great tip I picked up yesterday at a Air Tahiti Nui (national airlines of Tahiti) meeting.  When you’re on an overnight flight and want to sleep undisturbed, here’s what to do….  Bring along a Post-It note or two and  write “Do Not Wake For Meals” or “Wake For Meals” on the note and stick it to the top of your seat back.  When the flight attendants come by they’ll know instantly whether you want to be disturbed or not.  The nice folks at Air Tahiti Nui provide these notes for your in their amenity pack – great idea.

Hawaii On The Cheap – 4 Easy Steps To Make It Happen

CJay is just back from Hawaii and has pulled together a primer on how to visit Hawaii on a budget – because we all know he was pinching every penny!  There’s plenty of good news to be told – a dream trip to Hawaii has never been more affordable or easier to plan than it is this year.

Getting There: A steady stream of airline sales have kept the cost of flights to Hawaii comparable to flying to a resort in Mexico or the Caribbean.   Two sites worth watching are HawaiianAir.com where you can sign up for unadvertised airfare specials by email, and the Twitter and Facebook Page of PleasantHolidays.com.  Pleasant Holidays is one of the largest tour companies packaging trips to Hawaii and by following Twitter.com/PleasantHoliday you’ll be among the first to know about their many discounts on vacation package deals.

And thanks to low cost airways  GO by Hawaii Airlines, flying inter-island is a real bargain with most flights pricing at just $58.  This makes island hopping easy and cheap!

Where To Stay:  Two words… Aqua Resorts.  This collection of 18 freshly redesigned mid-range properties have an astonishing 12 hotels priced  well under $99 per night during the winter of 2010.   CJay stayed at the Aqua Surf and Spa which has a terrific location just 2 blocks from center stage Waikiki beach.  He could walk out the door and be sipping a cold one at Duke’s in a matter of minutes.  The hotel gets high marks for their complementary continental breakfast, which was a full buffet of fruit, cereals, bagels, danish, muffins – you name it – a perfect way to fuel up for the day and saves $15-25 on breakfast prices elsewhere!  Aqua Resorts are running a winter special with 60% off standard rates in Waikiki and 50% off in Maui, Kauai and Molokai – a penny pincher’s dream come true.

If you’ll be staying on one island for a week or more, savings can be huge by staying in a condo or vacation home.  The downturn in home and condo sales means lots of owners have posted their properties for rent.   Sites like VRBO, HomeAway and Rentalo all list terrific rentals starting at only $100 a night in prime locations.

And for those who want a luxury resort experience on a budget, have a look at the offerings of Starwood Hotels’ Values In Paradise, including promotional rates at the incomparable Westin Moana Surfrider which has just completed a multi-million dollar refurbishment and is grander than ever before.

Eating and Drinking On The Cheap:  Can you say Happy Hour?!  Luckily the practice of holding happy hours is alive and well throughout Hawaii and in particular in Honolulu.   Here is THE source for finding happy hour promotions and tasty pub grub PubClub.com in Waikiki and Maui.  Even though they don’t have an official happy hour, Duke’s Barefoot Bar is the center of fun on Waikiki Beach.  The food may not wow you, but it’s hard not to have a good time – especially on weekends when live bands rock the beach.  You’ll find a Duke’s Bar on all the main Hawaiian islands.

The ABC Stores are your friend for pacing the gap between breakfast and happy hour – you’ll find one a block or two away in every direction.  Bop in to pick up a fist full of power bars, a $3 sandwich, a banana, and drink, and head off to the beach!  Or if you need something more substantial, The International Marketplace in Waikiki has a great food court with lots of local offerings.  You can also do the Food Court shuffle at the Waikiki Shopping Plaza with the largest food court  in the islands – a good place to hide out if you get a rainy spell.

Tours and Entertainment:  Right after you’ve collected your bags at the airport, help yourself to the dozens of free brochures and coupon books you’ll pass on the way out of the terminal, they are a great resource for finding interesting tours.  But you really don’t need to pay to enjoy touring in Hawaii.  It really takes no more than a pair of sneakers and a curious disposition.  There are miles of great beaches to explore – just take a stroll down the boardwalks, stopping in a hotel cafe or two along the way when you need a break from the sun.  Rent a boogie board or long board right on the beach and tackle the waves.  Take a hike up the Diamond Head trail for a view you’ll always remember.  Be dazzled by fireworks every Friday night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  And don’t miss a sail out on the gorgeous aqua waters.  Catamaran cruises (booze, whale watching, snorkeling or sunset) are all very reasonable and you can hop on board right from the beachfront.

Here are a few phenomenal lists of wonderful FREE (or very cheap) things you can do in Hawaii:
101 Free Things To Do on Oahu – About.com
Free or Cheap in Honolulu – PubClub.com
Honolulu On The Cheap
20 Places To Eat Under $20 on Maui - LA Times
Maui Cheap Fun - Maui Vacation Network

ALOHA!

Berlin Apartment Rental For Vacationers

Oliver, one of our ‘Wicked Good’ readers shares this tip for a great apartment rental in Berlin:  “I’ve been recently in Berlin in an excellent apartment. The price-quality relation was unbeatable (65€ per night for 2, for 100 square meters). It is located in one of the most interesting parts of the town, the former centre of the GDR. You’ll find plenty of information at their webpage: http://www.fewo-berlin.biz”

Thanks Oliver for sharing your Wicked Good apartment find!

Discounted Short-Term Apartment Rentals In Paris

You may never suspect it, but a New York apartment rental company has the best travel rental deals  for Paris, London and South of France.  Meet NYHabitat.com a wonderful site for finding furnished apartment rentals whether it be for 2 days,  two months or a full year.  And now they have launched a new travel deals website  http://www.nyhabitat.com/paris-apartment/vacation/travel-deals-1.html which features terrific discounted apartment specials in Paris. It will be vitally important to save this link, as the site address cannot be found on the homepage or Paris pages of the current NYHabitat website.  (Hopefully that will change sometime soon.)  We gave the site a quick scan and found several very tempting apartments in the Marais-Les Halles district for under 100 euros per night through the end of March.  They will also featuring one rental special each day via their Twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/newyorkhabitat).  This is a great site to keep an eye on if you’ll be planning a future trip to France!

The Next Big Thing In Boating – Seabreacher

I love this thing!  Forget about swimming with dolphins – be the dolphin!!!  Every now and then someone thinks completely out of the box and comes up with an invention so logical yet revolutionary that the entire population thinks…. wow, why didn’t anyone think of this before?!

Meet Seabreacher,  a submersible recreational watercraft designed to emulate the ocean prowess of  a dolphin. This seacraft executes underwater flight at up to 20 miles per hour, as well as diving, rolling, porpoising, and other ‘aquabatic tricks’ at up to 40 miles per hour.   Not only is this concept groundbreaking, but I think we’re seeing new words to describe it’s talents – porpoising?.  The driver and passenger are kept safe and dry inside a glass cockpit as the vessels scoots across, above and below the water.

With a price tag starting at $48,000, this water toy isn’t for the average family boater.  But corporations who brand a custom Seabreacher attract a lot of buzz on the shoreline and at boat shows.  Recently an Aquabatic Racing League has formed to organize special racing events for Seabreacher pilots to demonstrate their skills.

It will probably take a few years, but I predict as the prices come down the popularity for this sea toy will explode.  Instead of jet skis, I can foresee everyone “porpoising” through the waves!  As soon as we find the Seabreach being offered as a tourist activity (thrill ride in the passenger seat), we’ll let you know where to find them.

Valentine Deals To Set Your Heart A Flutter

Valentine’s Day Getaway Deals – Whenever February 14th falls on a weekend it’s time to plan a romantic Valentine’s Day escape.  In 2010 Valentine’s Day also coincides with President’s Day, meaning everyone gets a long holiday weekend!  There will never be a better time to plan a romantic interlude with the one you love.  Here’s a rundown of some of the best Valentine’s Day sales and promotions we’ve received.

Bermuda’s Fairmont Princess Hotel Invites You For An International Love Festival This romantic getaway includes Gold Floor accommodations for 3 nights and tickets to multiple gala events.  The festivities begin with a “Best of the Best”  dinner and jazz concert at the grand opening of the new Tucker’s Point Club, followed the next day by  a couples golf tournament and an intimate dinner at Port’s O’Call on Front Street with VIP tickets to R&B favorite Babyface.  Sunday brings brunch at the Masterworks Museum of Art and Botanical Gardens and dinner and private show by R&B star Chuck Jackson.  All this and more for $1,600 per couple.

Have A Venetian Valentine Soiree At The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston On February 14th spend an enchanted evening in the dramatic Venetian courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum where you’ll celebrate art, music, poetry and divine cuisine.  Read more

McDonalds Leaps On The Free WiFi Bandwagon

The coffee wars are in full swing in America with McDonalds upping the ante to attract customers away from high priced coffee emporiums.  First it was the switch to premium coffee blends  (Newman’s Own Organics) and now McDonalds is offering free WiFi in all of their locations in the United States.  This is clearly another shot across the Starbuck’s bow with McDonalds betting you’ll feel just as comfortable working on your laptop inside a McDonalds while  shipping a cup of $1.00 premium coffee or a McCafe´ specialty coffee for slightly more.  McDonalds may be the road travelers new best friend!

Squeeze In A Mini Tour In A Mini Cooper

London Sightseeing Tours with a fun twist. The cheeky crew at smallcarBIGCITY in London invite you (up to 3 passengers) to pop into a retro Mini Cooper and take a nostalgic tour of London – nostalgic if you partied in the 60′s  that is!  Your tour guide/driver will be outfitted in 60′s garb that will go along perfectly with the 60′s music playing on the sound system.  But your tour will not just be of Abbey Road, as this tour company offers a wide variety of touring options.  My favorite?  It has to be the Italian Job where three Mini’s race through the city of London from the Financial District, over the Thames, to the West End where you’re delivered in time for cocktails and dinner – a blue jumpsuit and white helmet ensemble required of course!  If you’ve been to London before and are looking for a new and exciting was to see the city, give the Mini’s a spin.

Even The Olympics Is Discounting This Year!

Cartan Tours,  the official tour company of the Olympic Games, has just announced last minute discounts on trips to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games beginning in February.  The discounts range in dates from February 11 – 26 which includes opening day on February 12th.  The games will take place both in the city of Vancouver and in the famed ski resort of Whistler, just to the north.  Both of these destinations are incredibly beautiful and immensely entertaining at any time of year, and during the Olympics their northern lights will surely be shining bright.  Read more

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