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WOW

© Diane Goldberg under the original topic name

After dreary predictions of rising travel costs, this summer's bargains are a big surprise. Please note that I am not speaking in superlatives, nor am I babbling about the best deals of the millennium but if you act fast you can go farther for less than usual.

US-London Specials

British Airways, at http://www.britishairways.com or 1-800-AIRWAYS, is ready to double your pleasure. Get two tickets for the price of one. You have to buy a seven-day APEX ticket from any of the 22 US gateways for travel from June 22 to September 30. You must purchase the ticket before June 30 and pay for it within 48 hours. Your travel must involve a minimum stay of at least one Saturday night.

British Airways will give you a free ticket for the same journey that you can use between November 1, 1999, and March 31, 2000. The peak travel time from December 15,1999, through Jan 15, 2000, is excluded.

Not to be outdone, American Airlines, at http://www.aa.com or 1-800-882-8800, is offering the same deal! That's right - if you prefer to fly American or don't live in a BA gateway city you can have the same two-for-one offer by flying to London on American Airlines.

On either airline, you must book your ticket and pay for it before June 30!

What about travel in the other direction?

If you are leaving London via Heathrow airport, you can take advantage of full luggage check-in facilities at Paddington Station beginning June 23, 1999. Twenty-seven airlines, ncluding British Airways, United Airlines, and Lufthansa, will allow you to check your bags and obtain your boarding pass any time during your day of travel up to two hours before flight time.

Travelers spending a day or two in London before crossing the pond can have a luggage-free last day in the UK before hopping the Heathrow express and speeding to the airport.

Once you touch down in the USA, sun-hungry Europeans will find a new service available at New York's LaGuardia and Chicago's O'Hare International Airports beginning July 17, 1999. Comair will be providing weekend service to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For travelers wanting sun and fun, the South Carolina Grand Strand is an alternative to Disney, with more budget options than Orlando and the Florida Coast. Check out http://www.comair.com for more information.

This may be the summer to travel through the USA and stay in hotels instead of youth hostels. From July 1 through September 6, 150 Sheraton hotels are offering Sheraton Sure Saver rates. The sale rates start at only $49 per room in Mesa, Arizona. Plenty of Sheraton resorts offer a per-room rate of $59 a night. Sheraton rooms usually have two double beds, making it easy for a group of travelers to share.

The copyright of the article WOW in Traveling on a Budget is owned by Diane Goldberg under the original topic name. Permission to republish WOW in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.