Travel Deals Are Back With Daily Getaways Again This Year
Family travel can be an expensive proposition. If you’re trying to show your family the world, analyzing travel deals is a way of life. That’s why I’m still bullish on Daily Getaways.
Daily Getaways has been around for quite a few years now. The brainchild of the US Travel Association, it’s an opportunity for people to get Groupon-style travel deals. Even though some of the truly best deals are long gone, there are still gems for family travel to be had. The first week of Daily Getaways starts April 10th.
If you’re new to Daily Getaways, there’s a daily deal each day on their website at 1:00pm EDT. The most popular deals will sell out almost immediately. Being ready a few minutes before 1pm is your best strategy if there’s a deal you definitely want.
There are 5 weeks of Daily Getaways. Here’s a quick breakdown of the first two weeks.
Daily Getaways Week 1
50% Off Alamo Car Rental Certificates: This one has been around for a while. You’re paying $25 for a $50 rental certificate, valid on pretty much any rental. The limit is 3. I believe the T&C used to say you could combine multiple certificates on one reservation. It doesn’t specifically say that, but it doesn’t say you can’t. I think you’ll be okay there. If you’re trying to score more than the limit of 3, consider using two browsers and two separate names (you and a significant other, for example).
Various MGM Las Vegas Deals: I’ll cover these in more detail next week, but I’m wishy-washy on these. If you’re a foodie, the Mirage deal is a solid one. You get a $500 dinner at 3 different restaurants as part of that package. If you can max those out, the rest is pretty much gravy.
IHG Points For Sale: I don’t spend a ton of time on the IHG program. I manage to amass a small pile of points each year, but the brands are generally not a good fit for our travel patterns. That being said, this is a somewhat reasonable price for IHG points. I’d make sure to have a specific redemption option in mind before committing to a purchase.
Busch Gardens/Sea World Tickets: This is one of only two deals I’ve taken part in. It’s generally a screaming good deal if you can take advantage of a one-day visit. Multi-day visits are generally cheaper through the Busch Gardens/Sea World websites. But, a full day at Busch Gardens is usually enough for our family.
$175 Nights at Wyndham Hotels: Wyndham changed to a model a couple of years ago where all award rooms are 15,000 points per night. This is a great value for top properties and some all-inclusive resorts, and a horrible value for the bargain properties in the system. Plan accordingly.
Daily Getaways Week 2
10,000 Best Western Rewards Points For $55: I’ve heard rumors that Best Western hotels are getting better. They were the first loyalty program I ever belonged to, 30ish years ago. Still, buyer beware here.
Omni Hotels Packages: I’ll admit, I’ve always found these intriguing. There are some good deals to be had here (a night in NYC for $235, $335 for a night at Mount Washington). The 2-night deals are reasonable for properties just a notch lower on the quality scale. The big problem here is the lack of detail on what the blackout dates are.
1-Day Front of the Line Hollywood Studios Ticket: I’ve shied away from some of the Universal deals over the years, but this one is pretty solid. This is only valid for Hollywood, California. I’ve had more than one reader comment that they bought tickets thinking they could go to either the Florida or California park. These are blacked out for July and Christmas, but otherwise can be a savings of as much as 50%.
Caesars Las Vegas Deals: I guess that heading isn’t 100% true since there’s an Atlantic City deal here as well. I’m lukewarm at best on these. The Bally’s deal is probably a good one, but I have no idea what the quality of their rooms is like.
Loews Hotel Deals: Like Omni, the Loews deals intrigue me. I feel like there could be some good deals here, but the lack of clarity on the blackout dates makes me queasy.
The Final Two Pennies
There are some diamonds in the rough over the first two weeks of Daily Getaways. I’d rank Alamo, Universal Studios and Busch Gardens as my top 3. Remember to be ready at 1pm EDT if you’re interested. I’ll do my best to send out reminders on Twitter.
The post Travel Deals Are Back With Daily Getaways Again This Year was posted first on Pizza in Motion.
IHG insults our intelligence with their meager offer. I remember the early days when these were offered. Now those were deals!!
In my opinion, there’s nothing to get excited about. Ed, remember sitting at the computer trying to buy the deal when they went live? Now those were good times.
I participated in these promos several years ago, but the offers keep getting weaker and weaker as the economy has improved. None of these “deals” seem that interesting to me.