Booking Strategy

Recap: The Week's Biggest Travel Stories and Best Deals


Family at the airport terminal
Tim Winship

    Following is our regular summary of the latest travel news and best frequent traveler promotions reviewed during the past week.

    If it was a good deal—or a notably bad deal—from an airline, hotel, or car rental loyalty program, you can read all about it here, and plan your travel accordingly.



    Travel Fraud Is Down, but Not Out



    Fake travel websites created to steal consumers' financial and personal information is just one of the scams to look out for.



    Las Vegas Room Rates Hit All-Time Highs



    With its creeping resort fees, parking fees, and sky-high prices for shows, a Vegas trip is likely to mean busting the budget. There are bargains, though.



    85% of Travelers Are Satisfied with Airlines. Really?



    The trade group representing most U.S. airlines claims that 85 percent of flyers are satisfied with the overall travel experience. Do you agree?



    Booze-to-Go at the Airport. What Could Go Wrong?



    Travel and alcohol are a predictably volatile mix. So why are Missouri lawmakers on the verge of allowing travelers to take cocktails with them to their boarding gates?



    From Choice Hotels: 1 Free Night After 2 Stays



    Choice Hotels' free-night-after-two-stays promotion may be the most generous of the hotel bonuses currently on offer.



    Join JetBlue's Program, Fly, Earn 5,000 Bonus Points



    Through April 16, travelers who enroll in JetBlue's TrueBlue program and complete a JetBlue flight will earn 5,000 bonus points.



    From JetBlue: Triple Points for Long Beach Flights



    Through May 22, TrueBlue members can earn triple base points for JetBlue flights between Long Beach, California, and San Francisco, Oakland, Reno, Las Vegas, or San Jose.



    New from InterContinental Hotels: Discounts on Gas



    Members of the IHG Rewards Club can now save up to 7 cents a gallon when filling up at Shell stations around the world.



    Win a Transatlantic Crossing on the Queen Mary 2



    Enter to win the grand prize: a seven-night Transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2, between New York and Southampton, England.

    Somebody has to win this trip, right? Might as well be you.

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  • After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter