Expedia's 24-Hour Sale is On Today!

We have scored some phenomenal sales with Expedia's 24-hour sale in the past. It's hard to predict exactly which hotels will be covered but you're sure to find a good range of hotels on sale wherever you're going. We've saved anywhere from 10 to 50% of published prices, to Caribbean all-inclusives, five-star resorts, great hotels in Europe, Canada and right here in the US, so if you're planning a trip in the foreseeable future, go check it out before it ends tonight at 11:59 pst.

The Major Frequent Flyer Program Alliances and Their Partners

All major airlines have some sort of loyalty, or frequent flyer program where you can earn various levels of status and privileges based on how many miles you accumulate. In addition. Most of them have partner airlines with whom you can also earn mileage. The miles you earn, serve 2 purposes: one, they can be used for earning free reward tickets, and two, you accumulate 'Elite Miles' towards achieving Elite Status, which allows you varying levels of perks depending on which level you attain. Generally, there are 3 levels of Elite Status; silver, gold and platinum, on most. When you have Elite Status within your own airline's frequent flyer program, their partners will also acknowledge your status so your perks and benefits are portable.

In deciding which frequent flyer program to join, you should start by considering which airline best serves the areas you tend to travel to and from, and also, who their partners are. Below is a list of 3 major frequent flyer program alliances, and their partner airlines:


SKYTEAM

• Aeroflot
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Alitalia
• China Southern
• Continental (only until October 24, 2009)
• Copa Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Delta
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• Northwest

STAR ALLIANCE

• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air New Zealand
• ANA
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian
• BMI
• Continental (starting October 24, 2009)
• Egyptair
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Scandinavian Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines
• South African Airways
• Spanair
• SWISS
• TAP Portugal
• THAI
• Turkish Airlines
• United
• US Airways

ONE WORLD ALLIANCE

• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• LAN
• Malev
• Qantas
• Royal Jordanian

Eat Lunch Like a New Yorker, at Rafiqi's

If you really want to eat like a New Yorker, consider getting your lunch at Rafiqi's, a street cart vendor serving up middle eastern food from 19 different corners throughout Manhattan (see yelp for current locations). Not only is the food tasty and popular with locals, but it is arguably one of the cheapest lunch deals in Manhattan with several options under $5 (my personal favorite is the chicken & lamb combo platter for $5.50). They are usually open for business from about 11am-4pm on weekdays. Beverages are also available, but seating, of course, is not.

Photo of the Week: Manuel Antonio Beach in Costa Rica

Playa Manuel Antonio is described as one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. It is located in Manuel Antonio National Park, which is a charming combination of rainforests, beaches and coral reefs. The rainforest is home to sloths, iguanas, rare squirrel monkeys and millions of colorful little Halloween Crabs; so named for their orange and black coloring.

Manuel Antonio Beach can be found after a short walk through the rainforest, which is the lush background to its aquamarine waters and white, powdery sand. There, the sandy shore is wide and deep enough to spread out for ample privacy, and the numerous coral reefs allow for excellent snorkeling.

About an hour's drive from the main international airport in San Jose, Manuel Antonio is the logical first stop on a trip to this wonderfully diverse, and beautiful country

Travel Tunes: I'm Yours

If there is a soundtrack to visiting Hawaii, this is one song that I would put on it: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. If you haven't heard this song it is just down right infectious, and really has a Hawaiian feel to it. ("I'm Yours" Video.)


I'm Yours has, not surprisingly, also been a huge hit in Hawaii, and in our visit in May of this year, we heard it playing everywhere... on the radio, in the ABC stores, and by every street musician in Waikiki. Jason Mraz is a big fan of Hawaii and you can see the influence on the song as he filmed the video in Oahu and Kauaui and included Hawaiian back-up singers on the album version, and it even sounds great on the ukulele. The song though is technically a reggae rhythm and this is perhaps one of the strongest elements in giving it its island feel. It is also is hard not to like the Trilby hat wearing, avocado farm owning, and juggling Jason Mraz (read more in this interview). He seems to live a lifestyle that emulates the easy-going, laid-backness that permeates Hawaii.

Originally released in 2005, the song has had quite a bit of longevity. As of August, 2009, it has spent 70 weeks on the Hot 100, breaking the record for most weeks on the chart; it is the third best selling digital song of all time in the US, with more than 4.4 million paid downloads, and it has been on the top of the adult contemporary charts for more than a year.

You may have noticed that it was the background music in the trailer for "A Perfect Getaway". We saw it and not only is the song not actually in the movie, the "twist" ending is really just kind of lame. Save your money and just get the song. If you don't have it already, you can get an mp3 of the I'm Yours single at Amazon , or get the whole album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things (I also really like Lucky a duet with Colbie Caillat). You can also get the lyrics to I'm Yours here.

Best Public Beach in New York? Robert Moses State Park

Admittedly, when you think beach, New York is probably not the first place that pops into your mind. There are actually quite a few beaches within the borders of NYC, though none really qualifies as notable, and, honestly, contamination and dangerous rip tides are an ongoing concern. However, New Yorkers, who enjoy a good beach, know that they don't have to travel too far outside of the city to get to one of the best beaches in the northeast and arguably in the US.

Robert Moses State Park, is an 875-acre (3.54 km sq.) park in Babylon, NY (in southern Suffolk County). It is on the western end of Fire Island which is one of the central barrier islands off the southern coast of Long Island (view google map). There are plenty of beaches on the south shore of Long Island, e.g Jones Beach and Long Beach, but what makes Robert Moses in particular so noteworthy? Foremost, it is really a beautiful beach. OK, the water is not as picturesque as the Caribbean or Hawaii, but there are very few places on earth that can lay claim to sand that is in such a perfect state of erosion. It feels great under your feet. The shore line is not at all rocky, which is an unwanted feature of many beaches in the northeast. It is also in a very serene location. You will not see any tall buildings or homes from the beach, the vistas are amazing, and it seems very, very distant from the hustle and bustle of NYC. Because of its distance from the city, it also tends to get a little less traffic than other beaches. It is truly the perfect day escape from NYC.

The water is warmest in August, usually by the second or third week. Though not a problem this year, August is also usually a peak time for jellyfish in the area - so be careful. Note that pets and alcohol are not allowed on the beach; and the police patrol the beaches on dune buggies regularly, explicitly looking for these infractions. There are several different beaches to choose from (a.k.a. fields). We have found fields 4 & 5 to be less crowded, though field 5 is sometimes closed due to ongoing beach erosion.

When we go, we tend to make a day of it and cap it off with a nice seafood dinner. Food is also available at each of the field houses, but why eat a hot dog when you can have some of the best seafood on the eastern seaboard? There are plenty of places to choose from, but the two we have personally visited and thoroughly enjoyed are Legal Seafoods in Huntington and Peter's Clam House in Island Park. In addition to the beach, you may want to also check out the lighthouse, and if you one to squeeze in a bit of pseudo-golf the Pitch and Putt, which is actually in a wooded area and quite scenic. Also, Fire Island in general is known for it's nude beaches so be forewarned or take this as an opportunity to check them out.

For the history buffs out there, this is the oldest state park on Long Island. Originally named Fire Island State Park, it was renamed for Robert Moses and is one of 2 state parks to bear this name (the other being Robert Moses State Park - Thousand Islands). If you haven't already, definitely check out The Power Broker which chronicles the impact that Robert Moses had on New York State and the national park system in general - though I assure you that you won't be able to finish it in one sitting; it's quite a thick book.

The park is accessible by car from the Robert Moses Causeway, and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and vehicle fees vary by season ($8.00 peak, $6.00 off-peak). (Get driving directions here.) Folks aged 62 and over are eligible for free entry during weekdays (holidays excluded) with their NYS driver's license. This beach and others are also accessible via public transportation (more info here) so it is quite tourist friendly, though not many tourists seem to make the trip out. If you are in the NY area in the summer, and haven't been, you don't know what you are missing.