Say No to Spray Tans!

Everyone seems to be so worried about the state of the economy and healthcare reform. I have more important things on my mind this fall, like how I will maintain my tan. After hours of research, I think I may have found the solution- Mexico!
Occidental Grand Xcaret is an all-inclusive Mediterranean style resort located along the Riviera Maya coast and is adjacent to the pristine eco-archaelogical Xcaret Park. The property is kid-friendly and offers 11 restaurants, a fitness center, and beach butlers.

The price from Dallas is $449 per person and includes: round-trip airfare, 6 nights at the resort, all meals, drinks, and non-motorized watersports. This deal is good for departures through December 20 and is available until it sells out. Contact Jenny Phillips at www.travelbyjen.com or call 1-800-603-3178 for further details and booking instructions.

AirTran's Fare Wars

AirTran Airways is competing with Southwest with fare reductions from DFW to cities nationwide. The sale ends September 17 and is good for travel through January 27, 2010. Try to book travel on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday for best available fares and remember that a 10-day advanced purchase is required. Oh, and let's not forget those tricky black-out dates- if you are needing to travel on 11/25, 11/28-30, or 12/18-1/4, then you are outta luck with this sale.

Check out these (each way) fares I found from DFW:

Hotlanta (that's Atlanta for you "oldies"): $89
Boston: $84
Atlantic City: $94
Branson: $99
Cancun: $79
Chicago (Midway): $107
Ft. Lauderdale: $99
Miami: $109
NYC (LaGuardia): $109
Orlando: $69
Philly: $94
Sarasota: $99
Tampa: $99
West Palm Beach: $79

If you are comparing fares between AirTran and Southwest, keep in mind a few differences between the two airlines. AirTran allows you to reserve a specific seat for $5 per person, or free 24-hours before the flight. This can be a useful option if you are flying on a full plane and don't want to be separated from your party. We all know that Southwest doesn't have an assigned seating option, but you can travel with a pet, avoid checked baggage fees, and the chaos of DFW International. AirTran currently has no checked baggage fees, but will implement the $15 first bag fee for bookings after November 12.(Boo!)
I've flown with both airlines without complaint, but flying out of Love Field is so quick and easy that I might pay a little extra for it.

Get Your Ski On Through March 2010

I don't like cold weather, but I may have to hit the slopes with these great fares from Frontier Airlines! You must book by September 15, but the prices are good for travel through March 10, 2010! Check out off-peak days for the best prices, which means avoid flying on Friday and Sunday if you can.

Don't these prices from DFW just make you wanna get out your cute ski clothes??

Albuquerque: $94 (easy drive to Angel Fire or Taos)
Aspen: $94
Colorado Springs: $94
Denver: $94
Durango: $94
Fargo: $94
Rapid City, SD: $94
Billings: $99
Boise: $99
Bozeman: $99

I Heart Southwest

Today is the start of Southwest Airlines "Click and Save Sale". Here's the need to know information:
1. You must purchase by 11:59 pm PST on September 10 (so the Dallas procrastinators have lucked out with a couple hours to spare!)
2. Travel is valid EVERY DAY of the week from September 22- December 17
3. Black out dates November 24- December 1 (of course no deals for Thanksgiving!)

With that boring stuff out of the way, take a look at some of these great deals from Dallas Love Field:

• To Albuquerque for as low as $104 one-way
• To Amarillo for as low as $49 one-way
• To Austin for as low as $49 one-way
• To Baltimore for as low as $99 one-way
• To Birmingham for as low as $84 one-way
• To Boston for as low as $114 one-way
• To Burbank for as low as $147 one-way
• To Chicago for as low as $114 one-way
• To Cleveland for as low as $147 one-way
• To Columbus for as low as $109 one-way
• To Corpus Christi for as low as $79 one-way
• To Denver for as low as $101 one-way
• To Detroit for as low as $139 one-way
• To El Paso for as low as $92 one-way
• To Ft. Lauderdale for as low as $129 one-way
• To Harlingen for as low as $96 one-way
• To Houston for as low as $49 one-way
• To Indianapolis for as low as $109 one-way
• To Jackson for as low as $81 one-way
• To Jacksonville for as low as $119 one-way
• To Kansas City for as low as $49 one-way
• To Little Rock for as low as $49 one-way
• To Los Angeles for as low as $124 one-way
• To Louisville for as low as $133 one-way
• To Lubbock for as low as $49 one-way
• To Manchester for as low as $122 one-way
• To Midland/Odessa for as low as $49 one-way
• To Milwaukee for as low as $111 one-way
• To Minneapolis/St. Paul for as low as $69 one-way
• To Nashville for as low as $121 one-way
• To New York for as low as $124 one-way
• To Norfolk for as low as $139 one-way
• To Oakland for as low as $124 one-way
• To Oklahoma City for as low as $49 one-way
• To Omaha for as low as $79 one-way
• To Ontario for as low as $147 one-way
• To Orange County for as low as $99 one-way
• To Philadelphia for as low as $124 one-way
• To Phoenix for as low as $122 one-way
• To Raleigh/Durham for as low as $124 one-way
• To Salt Lake City for as low as $134 one-way
• To San Antonio for as low as $49 one-way
• To San Diego for as low as $124 one-way
• To San Francisco for as low as $124 one-way
• To San Jose for as low as $139 one-way
• To Seattle/Tacoma for as low as $109 one-way
• To St. Louis for as low as $49 one-way
• To Tampa Bay for as low as $89 one-way
• To Tucson for as low as $139 one-way
• To Tulsa for as low as $49 one-way
• To Washington for as low as $124 one-way
• To West Palm Beach for as low as $84 one-way

Share AA Miles and Share a Bonus!

Now through September 30th, share 6,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® miles or more and you and your friend or family member will each earn a 15% bonus based on the number of miles shared.

Plus, during the month of September 2009, the limit of receiving 15,000 miles per AAdvantage account per calendar year has been temporarily raised to
25,000 miles.

Hotels.com Sale

Hotels.com has a sale of up to 50% off for travel now through October 19. Here are a sampling of some of the great deals: Las Vegas Hilton $50 Ambiance Villas Cancun $53 Ambassador Hotel, New Orleans $55 Scottsdale Villa Mirage $76 Washington Court Hotel D.C. $99 Villas de Santa Fe $110 Hotel Adagio, San Francisco $123 Grand Hyatt San Antonio $ 164 On the Ave Hotel, NYC $219 Check out over 2,000 properties featured in this sale in over 100 destinations. Reservations must be made directly through hotels.com by October 12.

Weekend Road Trip- Salado, Texas

If you are looking for a weekend escape from the city, Salado may be the place for you. Considered the "best art town in Texas", Salado is a two-hour drive south from Dallas down I-35. Quaint B&B's, cafes, and art galleries combined with the native landscape of Texas provides a tranquil respite for a romantic getaway or fun weekend with the girls. This unique Texas town provided the perfect backdrop for Jenna Bush's rehearsal dinner and bridal luncheon for her 2008 wedding to Henry Hager. If shopping is a must, a walking tour of Main Street reveals over 60 shops offering unusual gifts, books, antiques, home decor, and handcrafted jewelry shops.

Salado boasts many well- appointed bed and breakfast inns such as The Gazebo, The Inn at Salado, and Stonecreek Settlement. Many of these B&B's offer multi-room suites and cottages ideal for a girls getaway. The 27-hole, Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed, Mill Creek Golf Course will keep the guys busy while a trip to Serenity Spa will provide the perfect ending to a day of shopping.

Add one of these local activities to your fall calendar for a change of pace this season:

Tour de Florence Bike Ride- Sept. 12
Chocolate and Art Festival- Sept. 25-27
Jammin' on the Lawn- Oct. 3
Christmas in October- Oct. 9-10
Pizza and Wine Al Fresco- Oct. 10
Day of Cheese and Wine- Nov. 14
Christmas Stroll- Dec. 4-6; 11-13

Weekend Getaway at The Ritz Miami!

The Ritz- Carlton, Coconut Grove Miami is offering up to $400 hotel credit when you book a weekend "Reconnect Package".

• Stay in deluxe accommodations for two nights and receive a $100 credit, extend to three nights and receive a $200 credit.
• Elevate your stay to a suite for two nights and receive a $200 credit, extend to three nights and receive a $400 credit.

This offer is valid for Thursday through Sunday night stays until December 30, 2009. If you book 21-days in advance, rates begin at $149 per night!

Best Fare Alert from Kayak.com

Check out these great airfare deals from DFW found since Friday, September 4th:

Best Fare	DFW to	Travel Dates
$267+	Las Vegas, NV (LAS)	Oct 28 - 28
$189+	New York, NY (NYC)	Sep 12 - 15
$221+	Los Angeles, CA (LAX)	Oct 15 - 17
$206+	New York, NY (LGA)	Sep 12 - Dec 12
$184+	Boston, MA (BOS)	Sep 12 - 15
$185+	Chicago, IL (ORD)	Sep 12 - 14
$201+	Miami, FL (MIA)	Nov 9 - 13
$163+	Atlanta, GA (ATL)	Sep 5 - 8
$239+	San Francisco, CA (SFO)	Sep 19 - 26
$337+	Newark, NJ (EWR)	Oct 17 - 24
$199+	Washington, DC (DCA)	Oct 3 - 10
$199+	Orlando, FL (MCO)	Sep 21 - 25
$221+	Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL)	Oct 5 - 10
$222+	Philadelphia, PA (PHL)	Sep 11 - 11
$233+	Santa Ana, CA (SNA)	Oct 10 - 17
$262+	Phoenix, AZ (PHX)	Sep 20 - 20
$185+	Chicago, IL (CHI)	Sep 12 - 14
$159+	Denver, CO (DEN)	Sep 12 - 14
$219+	Baltimore, MD (BWI)	Sep 4 - 5
$239+	Seattle, WA (SEA)	Sep 19 - 26
$265+	San Diego, CA (SAN)	Oct 3 - 5
$231+	Detroit, MI (DTW)	Sep 12 - 15
$532+	Honolulu, HI (HNL)	Dec 3 - 14
$172+	Tampa, FL (TPA)	Oct 17 - 24
$359+	Columbus, OH (CMH)	Dec 29 - Jan 2

Search various destinations and travel dates at Kayak.com