This weeks Deal Dispatch brings you more airline sales to all over the world, a 100% bonus on buying HiltonHonors points and an eBags sale that includes one of the best travel bags I have ever owned!
Flights: I have previously reported on low, low fares with Wow Airlines, based in Iceland from the East Coast of the US to Europe (here). It’s not a just a one-time loss-leader, but what looks like ongoing low prices, so you should put save their site to your “deal folder” and check back. Currently, you can fly from Boston or Washington D.C. to Amsterdam, London, Paris, Berlin and other cities for under $300 one-way! Look for flights here!
It looks like the time of capacity reduction and rising fares from the three big US carriers is coming to an end. I’ve read about the planned increases of their capacity and it looks like it is showing up in lower fares – thank god! While United Airlines is not one of my favorite airlines for economy travel (due to the old planes, lack of in-seat entertainment and poor service), their fares are hard to beat right now! You can score low fares to Cancun or Cabo San Lucas from New York or Baltimore (under $300 all in), Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo (from $503 all in) or to Singapore (from $866 all in). These fares are comparable to other South America or Asia fares I’ve seen over the last few weeks, so if you are planning a trip to these destinations, this might be a good time to buy! Your best bet to find them is through the ITA Matrix Search by Google! Good luck!
Hotels: You have read here before, how to use hotel rewards programs to save money on hotel stays. If you don’t stay enough to earn the points for your dream vacation and don’t want a credit card to help earning the points, you can also buy points to top off your account prior to making a reservation. In most cases, that is not a good idea because the points are so expensive, but currently Hilton Honors is selling their points with a 100% bonus, giving you a price point of 0.5 cents/point. You can purchase up to 160,000 points for $800. I value the HHonors points at 0.4 cents/point, so this sale is as close as I have seen it and it can make sense to buy them, if you have a stay in mind where the point valuation is higher than this! You can use the excellent HotelHustle tool (here) to find hotels with a favorable valuation and purchase the points here! Proceed with caution and good luck!
Other Stuff: One of the best luggages I have ever bought (and recommended to many friends over the years), is the eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible. It’s a lot better than its name, a well built backpack with great organization! Currently, it’s available in the “Summer Vacation” sale with a discount of 20% (use code SUN). At $72 with free shipping, it’s a great deal (even in “green envy” color)! You can buy this and a lot of other good bags here!