The Lollipop Road

Archive for February, 2010

• Central NJ to Central MA today – Snow, sleet, rain, sun, more sleet, heavy snow, sun then more rain. Some delays in NY/CT. #weather #
• #Cruisedeals : RCCL Liberty of the Seas 7nt 5/2 From $499pp inside. Book 3/2 only. #traveldeals #
• Weather Alert: Well, it's a mess here in the Northeast again. The wet heavy snow has caused cancellations and delays. Drifts up to 2 feet! #
• Tripadvisor 10 Quirkiest Vacation Rentals – Check out #4 if your kids love trains! http://bit.ly/bTGkad #kids #familytravel #lp #
• Great Westin/Amazon Promo – Get $100 #Amazon Gift Card for 2 Westin stays thru 5/13 – register http://bit.ly/9byVEW #traveldeals #hoteldeals #
• $69/nt — New D.C.-Area Westin incl. Breakfast & Parking from Travelzoo http://bit.ly/8Z8lsg #traveldeals #hoteldeals #
• KOA Come Camp and Care Weekend – May 14th-15th. Stay one night get the second free! http://bit.ly/bn1AbY #familytravel #camping #KOA #
• Airfare Deal: Virgin America Prime Time Fare Sale from $49OW http://bit.ly/d6RHNn #traveldeals #
• Yosemite managers ask for help deciding future of historic cabins closed after rockfall – latimes.com http://shar.es/mmUFd via @sharethis #
• Major Outbreak on Celebrity Mercury – over 400 sick. Cruising with kids? Read our article on cruise ship sanitation http://bit.ly/ahOQf1 #
• Good Read on When kids travel (fly) alone http://www.stuff.co.nz/s/vLlR #
• Shield youngsters from serious illness on winter vacations: http://bit.ly/8ZsAWO via @addthis #
• Free Breakfast Today For Everyone At IHOP – 14 Palm Beach Area Locations http://bit.ly/bKl99R via @addthis #
• #CruiseDeal : Carnival Glory 4nt Canada from NYC – From $249pp inside #
• Lufthansa Pilots Officially on Strike – Disrupting Trans-Atlantic Service. For United or USAir customers, make sure you're not on Lufthansa #
• Airfare Alert: Southwest Flys to Boston from PHL beg 6/27. One-Way from $59+ Watch for fare sales in the coming months! #
• Air Deal: BWI-ABQ $178 RT incl tax on Continental. Perfect place to explore our National Parks! #traveldeals #
• WSJ.com – Your Kids Love It. You Love It. Perfect. http://on.wsj.com/dc6tvW Great example of family bonding through travel. #
• Airlines, passengers squabble over baggage fees – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/18/AR2010021805637.html #
• We Just Love #Alaska ..check out this interesting article. http://nyti.ms/8Z4Qa5 #

We all thought that it would be a much bigger deal than it turned out to be, but it’s still a memory that will remain with us forever.  If you’re Irish, married to someone who is Irish, or just love drinking a good Guinness now and again, visiting Ireland should top your list of things to do with your kids before they’re out of college and have long forgotten about vacationing with their parents. 

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, I’m flooded with wonderful memories of a family vacation to Ireland taken many years ago, right around this time.  To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’d planned on trudging out early into the cold, damp morning to marvel at the entertainment of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  It was quite a long walk from our hotel to the parade route, but we were so looking forward to this once in a lifetime experience, I mean, it’s St. Patrick’s Day and this is Ireland.

Strange...

We’d anticipated large crowds of people vying for a good spot from which to view the spectacle.  When we arrived at the place where we thought we should be, we wondered if we had taken a wrong turn.  There were fewer than a thousand people within our sight – perhaps as a result of the inclement weather, we thought.  The crowd did grow a bit by the time the parade started, but it wasn’t until later that we’d realize that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade back home was a much bigger deal than it was in Ireland.

What the heck...?

There was some strange stuff in that parade!  Oh well, we enjoyed it all the same!  It was a once in a lifetime experience.  Enjoy the photos and check back with us again to read more on traveling throughout Ireland.

Playing The Bagpipes

Enjoy the photos!  For more amazing photos, please visit Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.   

Disclosure

Airline extras and fees have been a hot topic lately.  As airlines continue to figure out new ways to make money, priority and advanced seating assignment fees are becoming more popular.  Although Northwest Airlines recently dropped its Coach Choice program, that move was not a sign of the program’s unpopularity or lack of revenue generation, but rather a result of their merger with Delta and Delta’s inability to maintain the program on their web platform.

Fortunately, most major domestic carriers have to this point resisted charging a fee for advance seat assignments or premium seating.  However, advance premium seating is still typically reserved only for the most frequent flyers and highest fare paying passengers.  So, perhaps the opportunity to snag a premium seat for a little extra cash might not be a bad thing, so long as you can still assign any regular seat for free at the time of reservation.

Unfortunately, however, the low-cost carriers have begun to exploit the flying public, especially families.  Most families want or need to sit together, so not obtaining seat assignments in advance might cause significant problems on the day of departure.

The biggest offender to date has been Spirit Airlines.  As you can see below, you can’t obtain seat assignments until check-in (24 hours in advance of your flight) without paying a fee.  To add insult to injury, Spirit Airlines only allows a random seat to be generated for free at check-in, without the ability to change it.  This nuance makes them the least family friendly domestic airline in this roundup.

To their credit, Southwest Airlines has taken the extra step of singling out families by guaranteeing those traveling with young children a priority boarding spot between their “A” and ”B” boarding groups.  Of course, this means that they have eliminated priority boarding for families, so I’m not sure if this is really supposed to be an “enhancement”…you decide.

Keep in mind that most fees are per segment, not each way, so if you have a connecting flight, you’ll pay that fee twice.  The chart below outlines advance seat reservation fees as well as premium seat fees for domestic airlines as of February 25, 2010.   First or Business Class upgrades may also be available for an additional fee.

So, as you can see, not all airlines are created equal when it comes to fees.  Make sure that you take into account all fees when choosing the “least expensive” fare.  Check out our roundup on checked baggage fees and stay tuned for future reviews of even more fees being imposed by the airlines!

Disclosure

This week, we’re grabbing the best of the best spring airfare deals and putting them together all in one place.  If you haven’t made plans for spring break, now is the time while there are still some deals left!  As always, these super deals disappear fast, so don’t dawdle - book now!

Cheap Domestic Airfare Deals Between Major Cities During March/April -

• New York to Pittsburgh ($99), Boston ($129), Chicago ($140), Dallas ($183), San Francisco ($211), Los Angeles ($214), Las Vegas ($221), Seattle ($234)
• Boston to Baltimore ($99), Dallas ($175), Minneapolis ($182), Denver ($199), Los Angeles ($212), Seattle ($232), San Juan ($244)
• Baltimore/Washington to Boston ($99), Charlotte ($118), Atlanta ($138), Albuquerque ($178), Phoenix ($209), San Francisco ($214), Seattle ($215), Los Angeles ($218)
• Chicago to New York ($140), Fort Meyers ($142), Tampa ($163), Orlando ($169), San Juan ($232)
• Atlanta to Baltimore ($138), Boston ($182), Dallas ($209), Albuquerque ($219), Portland ($231), Los Angeles ($238)
• Dallas to Tampa ($155), Orlando ($169), Boston ($175), New York ($183), Minneapolis ($201), Albuquerque ($206), San Francisco ($211)
• Los Angeles to Phoenix ($119), Las Vegas ($139), Denver ($159), Boston ($212), New York ($214), Balt/Wash ($218), Miami ($229), Ft Lauderdale ($239)
• Seattle to Denver ($177), Raleigh-Durham ($207), Ft Lauderdale ($214), Balt/Wash ($215), Tampa ($222), Orlando ($226), Miami ($231), Boston ($232), New York ($234)
• San Francisco to Las Vegas ($132), Denver ($159), Pittsburgh ($195), Dallas ($211), New York ($211), Orlando ($212), Balt/Wash ($214), Miami ($219), Tampa ($219)
• San Diego to Phoenix ($119), Denver ($159), Las Vegas ($161), Orlando ($237), Miami ($241)

Fares include all taxes and fees.  Availability varies by date and airline.  Utilize a website with calendaring tools such as ITA or FareCompare to find the best fares.

Disclosure

The majority of airlines impose some sort of travel restriction or requirement on women who are pregnant.  Traveling during pregnancy should be planned carefully and you should always consult your physician in advance to make sure that it is safe for you and your unborn to travel.  Your physician can also explain what to do in the event of an emergency while away from home.  A little advance planning and preparation will give you great peace of mind.

In order to protect your safety as well as their liability, many airlines require women who are more than 36 weeks pregnant to provide a physician’s clearance to travel.  However, the restrictions vary widely amongst airlines, so we’ve included a chart below that will help you sort through the maze of requirements imposed by domestic airlines.  Note that although some airlines have no restrictions, you should always consult your physician if traveling in the final stages of pregnancy.

Of course, airline personnel and crew always have the final authority when determining if an individual is fit for travel.  So, even though you obtain a medical certificate, you may still be denied boarding if you are determined to be unfit for travel due to health or safety reasons.  Traveling while pregnant is generally safe so long as you’re prepared.  Look for more upcoming articles on this topic, including tips for making your trip more comfortable and cruise line restrictions on pregnant travelers.

Disclosure

I know there many of you out there who are pregnant and wondering what to do about taking that long planned vacation before your little bundle of joy arrives.  After all, this is a time for celebration, seemingly endless research (if you’re anything like us) with hopefully a wee bit of rest thrown in before your world is turned upside down in the nicest way possible.  There is definitely a lot of information to digest and many twists and turns to navigate throughout this very special time, but what about taking that darn vacation? 

Many people will warn you about going anywhere farther than your backyard, but modern medicine and communications has made traveling a whole lot safer and easier now.  But what if you’re sick?  This is a valid question and for most of us, not a big issue if we just plan ahead.  Typically, the first 3 months can be challenging for most mothers-to-be.  Between morning sickness, frequent urination, food aversions, and mid-afternoon exhaustion, you may wish you were on another planet, never mind an exotic Caribbean island. 

Taking your vacation after this “initiation” period should alleviate many of your pregnancy symptoms that may cause you to secretly plot to eliminate your travel companion (your husband) who convinced you to go on vacation in the first place!  And not straying too far from home during the last 6 weeks of your pregnancy is advisable as well.  For many of us, carrying baby around for 8 months takes its toll on our backs, and you never know when baby is ready to make their debut into this world.  There are also strict airline, as well as cruise ship pregnancy timeliness you must adhere to as well.  These guidelines are for you and your baby’s safety as well as their protection from any lawsuits should any early arrivals occur. 

Note the McDonald's Salad!

Now, of course this doesn’t mean that if you follow the above guidelines your travels will not be without challenges.  I have never seen a vacation that goes 100% as planned anyway, have you?  When I was pregnant with my first son, my husband and I traveled to Japan for 2 weeks.  I was almost 4 months along and was fortunate to never really suffer morning sickness during early pregnancy, so what could possibly go wrong, we thought.  If you ever go to Japan, as you might have guessed their food is stunningly different from what you might find in the United States.  In fact, fried food is the norm and fresh fruits and vegetables (you know, the high fiber foods) are rather difficult to find.  When you have to rely on a salad from McDonald’s for your vegetable selection, you know you’re in trouble.  Hmmm, what do you think happens to a pregnant woman devoid of fiber?  So, during our 2 week whirlwind tour of Japan, I paid a visit to a pharmacy to see what remedy I could find to alleviate my little problem. 

Fortunately for me, the pharmacist was a woman because what transpired during the next 20 minutes was nothing short of storybook fodder.  I played a game of charades called “name that ailment” with a captive audience of 3, the pharmacist, her assistant and another woman who may or may not have worked there!  Once they finally understood my situation, the pharmacist quickly pulled a remedy off the store shelves.  Hmmm, is this okay for a pregnant woman to take?  So the game began again, only this time, the pharmacist realizing that I was pregnant, quickly snatched my salvation out of my hands.  With sadness I said “thank you” to my new friends, hung my head low and staggered out into the busy streets empty handed.  The assistant clearly made out much better, with an unbelievable dinnertime story to tell her family and friends, as was obvious from her non stop laughter during our little impromptu game show.

Yummy - Miso & Rice...Again

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the miso with rice served for breakfast every morning.  My husband and I couldn’t keep it down after the third day. I guess it’s just not our thing (I did more vomiting in Japan than the first 3 months of pregnancy).  A giant thank you to the British Pub is Kyoto – you saved our lives! 

When I was 5 months pregnant with our second son, we went on a 3 week RV trip through the Midwest, Canada and Alaska.  The trip was great with the only pregnancy mishap being my accidentally sitting on the seat belt buckle and tearing a large hole in the leg of my maternity pants!  I quickly sewed them and we were on our merry way.  I don’t think we can blame the large rock flying out from the dump truck in front of us and cracking our windshield on pregnancy.  Nor can we blame the bridge that scraped the side of our RV as we precariously crawled over it during the road construction.  And I don’t know what to say about the drawer that flew out of the kitchen in the RV as we went around a mild curve at 20 mph, screws and springs flying everywhere!  Yes, mishaps happen, even when you’re not pregnant; the stories just aren’t as funny. 

Check back tomorrow as we review some of the specific airline restrictions regarding travel during pregnancy. 

Disclosure

• New Harry Potter Vacation Packages at Universal Orlando 4nts from $829 for family of 4. http://bit.ly/c2qtPo #traveldeals #
• Great article on @takingthekids on Spring Break. http://bit.ly/d0A77K #
• Looking for a luxury family vacation? Try The Resort at Paws Up Montana. 50% off Spring rates. http://www.pawsup.com #luxurytravel #familytravel #
• #CruiseDeals : #RoyalCaribbean Navigator of the Seas 5nt 2/27 inside from $299 – book 2/23 only. #traveldeals #
• RT @USATODAY Top five bargain destinations for spring 2010 http://usat.me?37566574 Gatlinburg is a good kid-friendly pick! #
• Tips: How to Constructively Complain About Hotel Service. http://bit.ly/bU0bGA #travel #
• Free Hallmark Kids Collection card thru 3/14/10. http://bit.ly/bLq8sX #
• $79 — Trendy Palm Springs Hotel (Reg. $229) http://bit.ly/cEI6WL (from @Travelzoo) #
• Tips: 20 Travel Tips for 2010 http://bit.ly/chTA9P #
• Article: Checking baggage can cost more than an airline ticket: http://bit.ly/b4GkNO via @addthis #
• Article: Family Travel Five – Interesting ideas for family activities. http://bit.ly/9q7FsD #
• Interesting blog post on Wyndham Sugar Bay for families. http://bit.ly/d5hC7b #

There’s nothing more dangerous than a toddler swinging a golf club, but still, it’s so much fun!  We discovered early on that plastic golf clubs and golf balls that we can tote around with us in a suitcase were a worthwhile investment (the handles unscrew for easy storage).  Of course, I’m not sure how that protects us from our four year old who has since graduated to the “real” thing.  Fore!  That means duck and cover for the unofficiated.

Miniature golf is a great evening activity, especially when your traveling with the kids.  After 9 holes they’ve burned off enough energy to help them (and you) get a good nights’ sleep.  It’s also a fun family activity.  A little competition and a lot of laughs always make putting around the mini-green worth the effort (and the bruise from that stray ball).

We’ve visited courses around the continent.  From South Dakota to Montana, deep into the Yukon and up to Alaska, they’re everywhere, even in the middle of nowhere.  The sometimes grand and often simple miniature golf courses have provided hours of entertainment.  Bring extra balls (and an ice pack), because you just never know where they’ll end up!

Even when there isn’t a course, we make our own out of rocks, branches and other fun outdoor obstacles.  A plastic cup and nature’s buffers make for a unique impromptu course.  There are even golf courses on cruise ships!  Truth be told, sometimes they’re better than the one’s on land, but have you ever tried hitting a ball straight when the ship is rocking with the waves?  Well, at least it’s a ready excuse for missing that hole in four.

Next time you take a trip, take along a couple of clubs, a few balls and a sense of adventure.  Vacationing with family is about building togetherness and creating memories.  Mini-golf certainly does that – I still have a dent in my head from our last round.

Enjoy the photos!  For more amazing photos, please visit Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.   

Disclosure

It’s deal day again and we’re back to what seems to be our most popular topic – Family Cruise Deals!  Pricing is based upon 2 adults and 2 children (one under 2) in the same cabin, including all taxes and fees. 

To book any of these sailings, contact your local travel agent or visit Royal Caribbean, NCL, Celebrity or Carnival online.  Remember to ask about past passenger, senior or resident discounts or bonuses for these sailings to get an even better deal!  Bon Voyage!

Disclosure

The ability of service providers to make our job easier as a parent is no doubt of significant importance to all of us.  It amazes me that in a market with 10% unemployment, record foreclosures and businesses struggling financially, quality customer service has hit an all time low.  It hasn’t been confined to any particular industry, but rather seems to reflect a more general decline in the dedication and commitment to customers.

Receiving excellent customer service can make a lasting impression on us and further solidify our commitment to a particular brand or service.  Finding that level of service is challenging as of late, so we’re starting a regular feature that will focus on companies or organizations that consistently provide excellent customer service, especially to families.

Employees that go out of their way to make a family vacation experience memorable or help us in a way that may seem insignificant to them, but makes all the difference to us, deserve recognition.  We encourage families to report and reward excellent service as it reinforces positive behavior and those companies will continue to support the efforts of those employees.

Although our intent is to stay focused on the positive, we also realize that in order to help improve the level of service provided by companies and their employees, we need to provide constructive feedback when they are missing the mark.  Even when we get answers that we may not agree with, being acknowledged and feeling that our feedback is being considered provides us with acknowledgment that a company understands the importance of its customers.

In this post, I’d like to acknowledge someone who was a shining light for her company.  Her job as Vice President of Loyalty Programs at Northwest Airlines no doubt kept her busy.  However, despite her busy schedule and undoubtedly a large volume of e-mail that she received, she consistently made an effort to respond to each and every frequent flyer who wrote to her.  I had the pleasure of corresponding with her and although I didn’t always agree with her, she always provided thoughtful, personalized responses.  I applaud Beth Shultis for her incredible dedication and commitment to customers.  Unfortunately, Beth passed away several years ago, but I still remember her and have remained loyal to the brand she represented, in part because of her.

Unfortunately, post-merger dedication to frequent flyers has been lacking from the folks at Delta.  I encourage the individuals running the Skymiles program to spend some time talking to the people who had the pleasure of working with Beth.  The airline industry is a tough business and creating customer loyalty is key to survival.  Beth Shultis knew exactly how to do that and Delta management could learn a great deal from the leadership example that she set.

If you have suggestions for people or companies that we can profile, please e-mail me.  This is your chance to get involved.

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