Want a lifetime of free flights? Give birth on board

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s one lucky newborn baby and mom living in Malaysia. The mother, a 31-year-old Malaysian woman, added excitement and drama to an AirAsia flight from Penang to Kuching this past Wednesday when she gave birth to her bundle of joy while the plane was still in the air.

Shortly after the baby was born, the plane landed in Kuala Lumpur. The aim was for the emergency landing to occur before the baby arrived but obviously the baby had other ideas.

Giving birth in flight, with the help of a doctor who was on board, has landed this mom a jackpot of free flights on AirAsia for life. The airline has also bestowed these riches to the newborn.

Can you believe the luck? Just two days old and already a budget traveler to envy. Think of all the nifty vacations this kid will be able to go on. AirAsia, a budget carrier, flies all over Asia and to the United Kingdom.

In a way, this is also like being granted lifelong companion fare status. If either mom or son want to travel with a friend or relative, they could offer to pay a portion of the companion’s ticket in order to share the wealth and have a steady stream of traveling pals.

Happily, mother and son are doing well, even though, the birth was 11 weeks premature.

California hotels offer third night free

by Katie Hammel on

35 California hotels run by the Joie de Vivre boutique hotel company are offering a third night free when you book and pay for two nights. To book the deal, go to the Third Night Free page on their blog or just use the promo code JOIE. Prices at the Joie de Vivre hotels range from $79 to $459 per night.

The Joie de Vivre group operates 35 hotels in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sonoma, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, Huntington Beach, Brentwood, Long Beach and Venice Beach. I checked out the Gaige House, a 23-room boutique hotel set on three acres in wine country and was able to book the deal, saving nearly $200 off the regular rate.

The offer is good for stays from November 1 to June 15, 2010 and must be booked online by May 31st.

[via Los Angeles Times]

ABC News and Hotels.com list best US cities for hotel deals

by Katie Hammel on

On most trips, your two biggest expenses will be your transportation and your accommodation. You don’t have much control over the price of your flight, but you can balance out that cost by picking a destination where you are more likely to score a deal on your hotel. ABC News has put together a list of popular tourist destinations in the US where hotel rates are falling, including Las Vegas, Tuscon, Anchorage and Chicago.

In some cites, the savings can be as much as 30%. In New York, the average has dropped from $281 to $196 – nearly $100 per night. Stay 2-3 nights and that could cover your airfare. Miami’s average is down from $176 to $140 and the cost of a typical hotel room in San Francisco has decreased from $155 to $124. Even rates in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, are down 18% from $191 to $157.

The stats came from Hotels.com’s list of average hotel room rates around the world. Chicago, with a drop of 22% came in third place (tied with Anchorage) among major cities for the most significant drop in rates. Juneau, Alaska, was in second place. New York and Las Vegas tied for the top spot with a drop of 30%. Every state in the US experienced a drop in the average nightly rate, except for North Dakota. Rates there remained stable.

The lowest prices in the country were found in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boise, Idaho; and Las Vegas.

The global average for hotel price drops was 17% with Moscow experiencing the most significant decrease of 52%.

Mileage runs, Flyertalk and obsessive compulsive flying: a film project

by Grant Martin on

Those who are remotely close to airline world have probably heard the term “mileage running” or have listened to a brief tirade about upgrades or lounge access at some point — and many of you have probably tuned it out.

For those of you genuinely curious about the industry and those who try to work the system, however, Gabriel Leigh put together a pretty good documentary for his Master’s thesis on how milking the process works, the costs, benefits and some of the personalities therein.

You might recognize a few of the interviewees — Steve Belkin is the founder of Competitours, Randy Petersen founded Flyertalk and those fingers holding the small airplane models? Brett Snyder’s, from The Cranky Flier and the The Cranky Concierge.

Irrespective of whether you subscribe to the content or not, the filmography is excellent and is worth watching alone. If you make it through the entire 20 minute video, let us know in the comments whether it strikes you as vain or savvy. I still don’t know myself.

Frequent Flyer from Gabriel Leigh.

West Fest: 40th Anniversary of Woodstock is FREE!

by Jamie Rhein on

If you missed Woodstock forty years ago, or feel that counterculture may have passed you by, the West Fest: 40th Anniversary of Woodstock festival is a place to catch up.

At Golden Gate Park in San Francisco this Sunday, Oct. 25th, counter culture is using its voice again–big time.

From 9 a.m to 6 p.m, hundreds of San Francisco-based musicians, Beat Generation poets, anti-war speakers, members of the Free Speech Movement, members of the Green Movement and others are joining forces to celebrate California’s trend-setting role in the counterculture movement.

As part of the venue, 3,000 musicians will play Jimmy Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” at the same time in an effort to break the world record for the largest guitar ensemble.

Several of the musicians are from groups that might sound familiar, i.e., Starship, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Greg Allman’s Band, and the Byrds. To be clear–this doesn’t mean these bands will appear, but people who are from these groups will be performing.

As the West Fest page of the Woodstock Story website points out, the San Francisco area is where the Free Speech Movement, Free Love Movement, Farm Workers Movement, Women’s Movement, Gay Rights Movement, and the Sexual Revolution first took hold.

Whether you’re a counterculture type or not, West Fest sounds like an event not to miss if you’re within shouting distance of San Francisco. Couldn’t you use a bit of peace, love and good cheer?

As a plus, unlike 40 years ago, the weather on Sunday in San Francisco is supposed to be sublime. How does mostly sunny and a high of 75 degrees sound?

During three days of the four-day Woodstock concert, it mostly rained.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly place to stay in San Francisco, check out The Good Hotel.