Airline Award Travel--Student Fares--Youth Passes

Read Airline Spoilage...how to get free airline tickets for worldwide travel.

AWARD Yourself a Vacation of a Lifetime

Airlines have plenty of seats, hotels are begging to fill rooms and TWO for ONE attractions and food specials are all around. However, find yourself short on money, then use "Loyalty Awards". In the good old days all Grandma needed was a book full of S & H Green Stamps and she "bought" that "extra" for the house that she couldn't afford otherwise. Times are a little tough right now, so sharpen your skills of barter and trade, put together all those loose frequent flyer miles and credit card points. Read More

American Airlines rolls out one way Advantage mileage awards. Last minute emergency trips, incomplete plans for returns and the flexibility that travelers have been asking for over many years. Use Loyalty Points, Frequent Flyer Miles.

Gather up your points from car rentals, hotel stays and even see if Aunt Mary or Uncle Charlie don't have some loose points that may expire. You can buy points you are short, you can exchange points, and you can earn bonus points when you sign up for participating bank visa or master cards. Earn more points as you spend money. [Buy-Sell-Exchange Points Details]

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All material herein © '2007-2009 Harvey Akeson Reprint right by permission: harvey@harveyakeson.com

Frequent Flyer & Loyalty Programs for Free Perks+Gifts

READ: Fly Free Using Airline Spoilage

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Turn Airline Spoilage into a FREE Ticket

There is no better way to travel on an Airline than free.

First, let me relate my personal story to you and give you an actual example of a $1200 transportation voucher for travel on American Airlines that I earned simply giving up my seat on a full flight.

My wife and I have a timeshare in Cancun, Mexico and we travel there in January or February every year. Yes, it's the busy season in Cancun and after one year being there at "Spring Break" we try to avoid the over booked hotel and condos and hordes of wild, excited young folks. However, the fact is the busy flights are what we want to look for in order to take advantage of our plan to have the airline give us free tickets.

This last February we had purchased our two tickets using frequent flyer miles that we had earned with our American Airlines Advantage CitiBank credit card. A free ticket we had earned just paying our bills with our credit card. We are going to spend the money anyway so why not pay with a credit card that we earn free airline tickets. We purchased our tickets in the fall and made our timeshare and airline reservations several months in advance. We knew of course that this was a busy travel time, and that the flights would be full.

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Today with almost every flight full and airlines realizing cancelations are inevitable many flights are maximized or sold to capacity, maybe a little over. That is when our luck begins. Traveling at busy times, holidays, spring break, school vacations we can almost always count on flights sold with more passengers than seats.

The airlines realize people will volunteer to accept a "bump" for money and other compensation. Being bumped off a flight is not the nicest thing in the world unless you want to take advantage of the situation and accept the airline's offer. Remember it is negotiable and the airline would much rather pay someone to step aside and not have to force the issue of a overbooked fight.

They will offer on domestic flight $200-300 in the form of a voucher for future airline tickets or even a free roundtrip ticket for use at a later time, usually within one year. In addition to offering you the next available flight to your destination, they will have available for two or more hour wait vouchers for food. If it happens to be the last flight of the night and you are at a connection airport you can ask for hotel accommodations as well.

What you receive is a matter of negotiating with the gate agents, in a polite and reasonable manner. They have limits and there maybe other people who have put their names on the volunteer list also. In our situation in February we had traveled from our home in Tucson and were making an afternoon connection in Dallas Fort Worth Airport on an International Flight.

The gate agents had made an announcement that the flight we were to take from Dallas Fort Worth to Cancun for was full and the airline was looking for volunteers to give up their seats on the flight and in return would be guaranteed a seat on the next flight in about an hour and a half. The offer was $600 per passenger or in our case $1200 for any American Airline flights in the next year.

I asked my wife about us standing aside for a couple of hours, giving up the seats we had booked for free using our frequent flyer miles and taking the later flight? She said oke but make sure the next flight is one that we can get on and still get to Cancun tonight.

I was assured the next flight had several empty seats and we would have no problem being boarded on the very next flight and arrive about two hours later than we had planned. The gate took our tickets and said as soon as they got the flight boarded and closed out they would get our vouchers and board passing for the next flight.

Within about a half hour we were called back to the gate boarding counter given our two $600 vouchers and two boarding passes for first class....not a bad little extra perk we hadn't expected when we gave up our two coach tickets. We arrived one and half hour later than our original schedule to enjoy our week in Cancun with our $1200vouchers for future travel.
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Now what are some of the tips that you can use to "earn" your next flights free? Well I have some suggestions and I will share them with you, good luck on helping the airline with their spoilage. Airline spoilage is a plane leaving the airport with an empty seat.....once the plane leaves the gate an empty seat can never be recovered.....it is wasted.

Terms that need explaining: What is getting "bumped"?

Bumping is when an airline overbooks a flight and must "bump" or deny people with paid reservations boarding the flight. Overbooking as I outlined earlier is a common practice for airline to eliminate or limit the empty seats or spoilage on any flight. People may get caught in traffic, have an illness or some other last minute upset in their travel plans. No airline wants a flight to leave the gate with empty seats, money that will never be recovered. Airlines have taken to selling a few more seats than are actually on the aircraft.

What happens when everyone that is confirmed on the flight shows up? They offer to buy back the seats from passengers on a voluntary basis.

Now how to plan to get bumped

First and foremost buy a ticket on a flight that has the best opportunity of being overbooked or sold out. Think about the days that the tickets are the most expensive. Sunday afternoons and evenings, people have to be back at work or school on Monday. Friday afternoons when the business travelers are headed home for the weekend and folks that can want to start their long weekend early. If you are traveling between two cities what type of flight do you prefer? Nonstop of course, who wants to change planes and spend time between flights? My little story also told you before and after a holiday or major vacation time for families.

Buy your tickets with those points in mind. You can always call the night before the flight or even go online into your airline's web site and check out the seat map or ask the airline agent if the flight has extra seats available. If the flight looks full get to the airport early and check-in, get to the gate and listen for any announcement about needing volunteers. The gate agents will usually indicate they have a full flight and asking for volunteers to give up their seats for compensation. You can ask about a volunteer list from the gate agent, but don't act like a vulture waiting to hold up the bank.

One last word of caution. You can negotiate with the gate agent a little, food vouchers, overnight hotel voucher or even transportation vouchers. How the negotiation goes depends on how desperate the airline is for seats, how many people have volunteered, but just remember the airline has set guidelines for their agents in compensating passengers.
*Ask about how the next flights looks for you being able to board.
*Ask about any restrictions on free tickets or vouchers and how long you have to use them.
*Watch out for standby on another flight it could be just as full as the flight you are giving up.

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All material herein © '2007-2009 Harvey Akeson Reprint right by permission: harvey@harveyakeson.com

Great Things to See and Do--Hawaii Adventures Time to Stay Home America

Why Hawaii?

{Mark this site, additional "things to see and do" will be published
about Hawaii taking in spots and new adventures on each island.}

Price, Convenience and Exciting Beach Acitivities
Travelers have found two major changes recently that takes the pleasure out of vacations.

***Safety is being compromised in world travels, not so in Hawaii
***Dollar Exchange rates have become unfavorable overseas, not so in Hawaii

Americans and Canadians are finding family vacations and leisure travel is becoming a bigger chore. The fun trip around the world visiting foreign places with the different cultures isn't the same today. So many folks come home and either say "never again" or "was it worth it?".

Not to worry...even if you have been to Hawaii before there still is a great deal to discover and lots of fun. So many things to do, low cost budget ctivities...scenes to see!

Before we set the stage for all of the adventures that Hawaii has to offer, mark this as a must prior to leaving home. Order your passport to savings and heavy discounts...

Are you overpaying for Hawaii Activities?
There are literally thousands of web sites offering discounts on Hawaii activies. How can you be sure that you are getting a legitimate discount? Is the activity getting marked up and then down again just to make it look like you are getting a bargain?You can spend countless hours on line and on the phones and still wind up overpaying.How can you be sure these are the best deals?

The Activity and Attractions Association of Hawaii is a trade association. The members are the activity and attraction providers themselves. These members may or may not offer other discounts elsewhere but in 99.9% of the cases the best discount available will be those offered using the A3H Gold Card

Hawaii's Best Bargains...
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On Maui a must visit and a no cost fun place is in Lahaina at "Dan's Green House".

You will find a definite respite from the hub bub of tourist traps and get lost in the wonder of our little oasis. Famous since 1976 and a legend on Maui for 30 years, Dan's Green House is must for all visitors and a experience you will never forget. When you enter Dan’s Green House you enter a wonderland of fragrant tropical plants and flowers, beautiful exotic birds and wise miniature piglets greeting you with cherubic little smiles.

In addition to creating a tropical fantasy for our customers they have developed one of the most comprehensive Certified Nurseries on Maui. All the tropical Hawaiian plants such as Ginger, Hibiscus, Anthurium, Plumeria, Orchids and more can be shipped or hand carried to every State.

Dan’s Green House is known the world over as Maui's exclusive retailer of Fuku-Bonsai lava rock plants. Each plant is grown from seed out of a hand-sculptured lava rock and nurtured for up to 5 years in the nursery before being brought into the shop for it's journey to your home or office. These plants are very "easy care" and will live for many many years.

Another exceptional item you will find at Dan's Green House is the exotic hand-fed baby birds. Dan's Green House carries the sweetest, nicest, best quality baby birds in the world which can be adopted and shipped from their happy home to your happy home. You can find a cheaper bird, but you won’t find a better bird!

Dan's Green House also has the exclusive 'Singapore' Plumeria plants. This flower represents the scent of Hawaii. The 'Singapore' variety grows and flowers all year around unlike other varieties that are deciduous or dormant five months out of the year. Plumeria flowers are worn by Hawaii's exotic Hula Dancers. They can also be easily grown in your home or office and shipped anywhere in the United States.

A visit to Dan's Green House is a wonderful, happy, memorable experience that keeps folks enchanted and returning for more. We count our blessings and you will too for discovering Dan's Green House. The fun experience and be yours without cost, yet a most delightful education on Hawaii's plants and floral. Take time to tour the fun store, and experience the joy of a tropical fantasy come true. 193 Lahainaluna Road Lahaina - Maui, Hawaii

6 Ways To Get off the Beaten Path in Hawaii:

Hike along the Napali Coast on Kauai.
Discover the local art scene in downtown Oahu during the monthly “First Friday” art walk.
Take a swim in the peaceful waters of Kaupoa beach on Molokai.
Sunbathe on the golden sands of Polihua Beach on Lanai.
Dress warmly and watch the sunrise from the top of Haleakala National Park on Maui.
Hike between the lush, 2000-foot cliffs of Waipio Valley on Hawaii's Big Island.

Staying in Hawaii
Finding accommodations is easy in Hawaii. You'll find everything here from historic hotels and boutiques, to bed and breakfasts, rental condos, and luxury resorts. You'll find more than 30,000 hotel rooms on Oahu alone.

OAHU is where Honolulu, Waikiki (Tourist & Hotels), Pearl Harbor, Oahu Polynesian Cultural Center, North Shore - Big wave surfing, and a must visit is Waimea Falls Park. Oahu is home of so much of Hawaii, but just to mention one more famous landmark, Diamond Head.

Anytime of year is a good time to visit Hawaii. Summer, between April and November, is warmer and drier (average temperature is 75˚-88˚ F) while winter, between December and March, is a bit cooler (68˚-80˚ F). Trade winds keep things comfortable year-round.

Traveling in Hawaii

To really experience all that Hawaii offers, you should consider renting a car. Many visitors also enjoy taking bus tours to conveniently explore the Islands. Shuttles, taxis, and public transport are available on most islands.

Inter-Island Ferry Service – Hawaii Superferry
Hawaii Superferry offers daily service for you and your rental car between Honolulu, Oahu and Kahului, Maui. Click on the link below for route and schedule information, port locations, and travel tips:
Hawaii Superferry

If you are flying with Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu to a Neighbor Island, you will depart from the Inter-Island Terminal, immediately adjacent and connected to the Main Terminal. If you are flying with Island Air or Pacific Wings from Honolulu to the Neighbor Islands, you will depart from the Commuter Terminal, a one-story building separated from the adjacent Inter-Island Terminal Building by a surface parking lot.

To get to the Inter-Island or Commuter Terminal at Honolulu International Airport:
• The free Wiki-Wiki (Hawaiian for fast, speedy) Shuttle at the Honolulu International Airport provides transportation to and from the departure gates and the Main Terminal and between terminal buildings. Look for signs directing you to the Wiki-Wiki Shuttle.

• It’s a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Main Terminal to the Inter-Island Terminal. There will be signs directing you to INTER-ISLAND FLIGHTS, HAWAIIAN.

• The Commuter Terminal is a 2- to 5-minute walk beyond the Inter-Island Terminal.

Maui, named after the demigod that drew the Hawaiian Islands up from the ocean, is the Valley Isle. Legend says that Maui captured the Sun and secured the promise of long days for the enjoyment of the people and visitors of these islands. Today it is said the Sun resides in the beautiful mountains of Haleakala known as the "House of the Sun". Maui is the second largest island in the Hawaiian chain providing miles and miles of diverse cultures, climates, and landscapes. From the black, white, red, and gold sand beaches to the pastoral village of Heavenly Hana to the soaring sea cliffs and seven sacred pools, Maui has something for everyone. It is no wonder that this sun-drenched island has been voted the "Best Hawaiian Island".

{At the airports and all around the major tourist areas you will find guide books and coupon books, don't overlook gathering them up for the latest things to see and do.}


A great taste of Maui and a welcome to the islands can be found at Boss Frog's. There you can pickup a Maui Hawaii Travel Guide, your source for all your Hawaii vacation sports equipment needs!
They currently have 7 stores on Maui, 2 on Kauai, and 1 on the Big Island of Hawaii open and ready to serve you. Remember, the more information you obtain the more fun you will have while you are here.
Boss Frog is famous throughout the islands for 20 years of outstanding service and rental of beach equipment. The Maui Hawaii Travel Guide offers up all the info you might expect to find in a traditional book format travel guide, except even better!
Pickup one of their interactive Maui Snorkel Maps for information on Maui's best Snorkeling beaches. Check out the rental of their snorkel equipment and see if they are still offering a FREE ocean snorkeling trip. You will find no better deal anywhere in the world!

Another famous activity on Maui is the Sunrise on Haleakala. It is magnificent, with panoramic views and spectacular colors, it is an experience you will never forget. You can drive up the mountain or start with van pick up from your hotel or condo.

A real adventure is a bicycle trip down Haleakala. You will be transported to the summit of Haleakala, and will be outfitted with all the gear you need for this 38 mile downhill biking adventure. Don't let the 38 miles scare you though, on this trip, all you will be pedaling will be 400 yards! Bring your camera, since there will be plenty of stops to marvel at the views around you, as well as stops at historical churches, flower gardens, and even a stop for a no host brunch. This is one of the most popular Maui activities after perhaps only a ocean snokeling trip.
Maui Ocean Center, the Hawaiian Aquarium, is a great activity during any vacation to Maui, whether a family vacation, a romantic honeymoon, a relaxing retreat or an adventurous tour. Maui Ocean Center complements many of Maui’s most popular activities, including snorkel trips and whale watches. The aquarium is about a half an hour or less from most condos and hotels on Maui; located about 20 minutes from Kihei and 30 minutes from Lahaina.

Once again you can be sure of your getting the best deal if you purchase your
A3H Gold Card before you leave the mainland.
You will save many times over with your card.

All material herein © '2007-2009 Harvey Akeson Reprint right by permission: harvey@harveyakeson.com

Best Bargains--Take Advantage While Rates are DOWN!

Click here Read HAWAII Great Things to DO and SEE
Plan your Hawaii Vacation - Use the Gold Card

SAVE Money...MORE FUN--Activity PlannerInstant access to the largest selection of the best Hawaii tours and activities, Hawaii tourist attractions, sightseeing tours, and unique Hawaiian adventures.

There are so many wonderful things to do in Hawaii.
Are you overpaying for Hawaii Activities? There are literally thousands of web sites offering discounts on Hawaii activies. How can you be sure that you are getting a legitimate discount? Is the activity getting marked up and then down again just to make it look like you are getting a bargain? You can spend countless hours on line and on the phones and still wind up overpaying.

How can you be sure these are the best deals?
The Activity and Attractions Association of Hawaii is a trade association. The members are the activity and attraction providers themselves. These members may or may not offer other discounts elsewhere but in 99.9% of the cases the best discount available will be those offered using the Gold Card.

Don't leave home without the A3H Gold Card!

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Tips on shopping for Air Fares...Forget Price Wars

Airlines have cut back on flights so that discount seats are no longer chasing each other. Less seats to fill even with the various cutbacks in travel are leaving travelers deep shopping for the lowest fares.

A few general rules when planning for your trips.

Fares are based on *dates, *times, and *seat availability. The airlines are fixing fares to maximize revenue to build profits. So a few easy tips:

Dates..advance purchases, 7-14-21 days before your travels or as early as you can safely buy your tickets. Changes can cost you a lot of money. Usually Sundays and Fridays are the most expensive days. Business Travelers trying to get home for the weekend and early vacation starts are happening on Friday. Sunday the vacations are usually ending with school and work starting up again on Monday.

So which days usually look the best for cheaper fares? Saturday, in fact the least number of flights are scheduled for Saturday. The most available seats are available mid-week and Saturdays. Try Wednesday and Saturday travel for the lowest fares.

Times..Early morning or late night departures are usually the cheapest. Check on overnight trips from the West Coast to the East Coast. Forget about low fares Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoons and evenings. Roundtrips are usually better bargains than one-way tickets.

Compare Airports such as flying into Ontario (ONT) or Los Angeles (LAX) rather than into Palm Springs (PSP). Burbank (BUR) is another good choice in the LA area. In the New York area, LaGuardia (LGA), Kennedy (JFK), Newark (EWR), Islip (ISP), White Plains, ( HPN...Westchester County)are reasonable alternatives. Miami (MIA), Ft Lauderdale (FLL), and West Palm Beach (PBI) are options especially if you intend to rent a car.

When looking at fares read the fine print! Are you looking at one-way fares based on a roundtrip, are you including the taxes and other fees? What about bag fees? Most airlines are now $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second. Forty additional dollars if you check two bags. (READ the Restrictions!)

If you have to change or cancel your ticket, what is the penalty? Warning..some tickets are non refundable, non changeable, do not allow standbys, or earning frequent flyer points, in other words, use them or lose them! Watch out if you buy a ticket with a change of planes or airlines. Do the two carriers have baggage agreements and transfer your bags to the next plane? Some airlines have cheap rates point to point but you must claim your bags and recheck them if that is not your final destination. (Make sure you have enough time between connections.)

Check for special fares for emergency air travel, bereavement, military and senior fares.

Student Fares Student Discount Cards from $22 Students--Teachers--Check this out for best domestic and worldwide airline discounts.

Some Airlines (American Airlines) have special weekend fares. You can't start your travel until after 7pm Friday and all day Saturday returning Monday or Tuesday. These fares are usually posted the Tuesday the prior week of travel.

READ: Fly Free Using Airline Spoilage

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All material herein © '2007-2009 "Harvey Akeson Tucson Calling" Reprint right by permission: harvey@harveyakeson.com

STA Travel's 2009 World Traveler Interns--Student & Youth

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STA Travel is the world's largest student and youth travel company. We guarantee the lowest prices on student flights and work with airline partners across the globe to get the best deals on domestic and international travel for students, non-students under 26, and teachers.

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