Checking in

Ms. Budget Travel is dizzy this week. It isn't merely Presidential election vertigo or excess caffeine this time around. She's watching a somewhat amazing infant trend in travel.

Like three major religions and felafel, it started in the Mideast. The current crisis in Israel, already news-dubbed Intafada 2000 sparked a wave of trip cancellations. Please note: everyone isn't canceling. A recent Unity Mission to Israel sponsored by the Jewish National Fund and other organizations netted three hundred and fifty travelers who traveled with less than two weeks notice from October 29 to November the second.

And, Danny Flax, proprietor of Ms Budget Travel's favorite Jerusalem guest house is still entertaining visitors from all over the world despite a US State Department Travel Warning. http://www.bnb.co.il/allenby/index.htm is the web site for Allenby 2, as recently as late October; Danny mentioned that tourists from all over the world were still having a great time.

However, the skittish and the scared are canceling reservations across the globe. Tourists are staying home in droves. Not just folks who'd planned on visiting Israel, cancellations are hitting tourist locales everywhere outside the USA.

Which means that those of us who understand geography and are fairly secure in our knowledge that Paris is not next door to Tel Aviv can grab some great travel bargains. The annual off-season sales are different this year because few people are traveling. Prices aren't appreciably lower but those of us who have experienced the dreaded ten caller syndrome for a nine slot special aren't likely to be disappointed as often as in years past.

We've all been there, anxiously clutching a credit card on the worry-end of a phone call only the find that the advertised special we'd phoned for had no more room at the inn.

Not this year.

When I checked by telephone yesterday, http://www.gate1travel.com had multiple slots open for budget travel starting now and extending through the winter. Ms Budget Travel has never used this company, however, their advertised flight-room inclusive rates seemed unbelievably low. One warning --- the site is difficult to navigate --- the prices easiest to find are those for travel from New York City area airports. The chart that explains the add-ons for various cities and airlines is a tad easier to decipher than the Rosetta stone, but not much easier --- you may want to give up and call their toll free number.

Check http://www.britishairways.com/shopping for BA's London shopping special, a combined airfare-room package with shopping vouchers included. Prices go as low as $399 for three nights from Boston. You must purchase your package before November 30 for use between December 1 and February 22.

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