Holiday shopping season is in full swing and there are some airlines participating with Cyber Monday offers and Black Friday deals that last beyond Friday.
Alaska Airlines has a Cyber Monday sale scheduled that begins at 5 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, Nov. 27 at alaskaair.com.
Emirates Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale feature two-for-one round-trip airfares for travel out of its 11 U.S. gateways: Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Washington (IAD), Orlando (MCO), New York (JFK) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
British Airways’ Black Friday fare savings offer continues through Cyber Monday.
Cathay Pacific has had fare sales, but they’ve never had a First Class fare sale.
But they’re having one today and this one is a doozy.
The airline has teamed up with GILT to offer a trip voucher that is 75 percent off the first class round-trip fare to Hong Kong from a variety of U.S. airports – including San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.
That includes taxes and surcharges – AND Gilt is throwing in a $500 Gilt shopping credit.
Small print? There’s a page full of it.
You’re buying a voucher, not making a reservation, for example. So you’ll need to get your voucher and then make a booking by December 31, 2015.
And you’ll be able to apply your voucher to a limited number of First Class seats.
But if you want to do this trip – and drink champagne, eat food prepared fresh just for you from galleys equipped with rice cookers, toasters and steam ovens and then sleep in a fully-flat bed in Cathay Pacific pajamas – and visit the first class Cathay Pacific lounges at the airports at either end – the restrictions shouldn’t be insurmountable.
The sale starts today – Wednesday, November 18. So get your calendar and your credit cards and go check it out.
That’s because on Friday, from 10 a.m. until noon, it’s customer appreciation day at the airport.
In addition to live music and tree decorating in the pre and post-security areas, you’ll find many airlines and car rental agencies hosting activities at their counters and airport ambassadors handing out candy canes and cookies. Anyone who makes a donation (of any amount) to United Way will get a chance to spin a prize wheel for some of the great gifts donated by airport merchants. Many airports shops will be having special discounts and promotions as well.
Why is the airport being so nice? Pittsburgh International Airport has trained hundreds of its employees in Resiliency Edge’s N.I.C.E. (Neutralizing Irritations Customers Experience) program, which is designed to solve customer problems. So having a customer appreciation day is, well, just nice!
To find out more about Pittsburgh Airport’s customer appreciation day and see a list of discounts and specials being offered by various shop,see the notice on the PIT website.
If there’s any chance you will be at the airport, be sure to print out the page – some extra discounts are being offered to those who show the N.I.C.E. day notice.
Convention centers, sports fields, museum wings and all sorts of public spaces bear the name of rich people and/or companies. So in 2008, when Detroit Metropolitan Airport opened up the new North Terminal, selling naming rights for the shiny new structure seemed like a good – and lucrative – idea.
But, the economy being what it was – and is – there have been no takers. So according to this article in Crain’s Detroit Business, the airport authority has decided to nix the naming rights project for now.
Times are tough for everyone. But doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Win one of these travel contests and someone else will foot most or all of the bill.
As I learned from a cross-Canada bike/train trip heading east-to- west a long time ago and a more recent plane/train trip in the other direction, there are plenty of unusual and incredibly lovely places to visit up north. Want to see for yourself? The Canadian Tourism Commission is sponsoring a Canada Now sweepstakes for US residents that has a prize a CN $5,000 travel voucher. Deadline to enter: July 31,2010. So hurry!
Know any good jokes?
The national airline of Isreal, El Al Airlines, is jumping into the social media world with a two contests, one on Facebook, the other on Twitter. From now through August 13,2010, El Al Airlines is asking its Facebook Fansto post jokes on its wall. The person who posts the funniest, non-offensive joke will win two round trip tickets from Los Angeles or New York to Israel. Deadline: August 13, 2010. Winner announced on or around August 16, 2010.
The airline will also be giving away one round ticket to Israel from Los Angeles or New York to one Twitter follower. Follow and contact @ELALUSA for details. Deadline: August 4.
And Shell Vacations Hospitality is having a Share a Pic, Win a Trip contest. Top prize includes photo supplies and accessories and a 3-night stay at any of their resorts. Deadline: August 11, 2010.
Good luck! And if you win, no need take me with you. Just bring home a souvenir.
One was about Delta reinstating service from San Antonio to Cincinnati. That’s good.
One was about the airport jumping into the world of social media with Facebook and Twitter accounts that will be used to keep travelers up-to-date on weather, flight delays, cancellations, and other airport news such as contests. The airport is already promising prizes to its 500th Facebook Fan and its 500thTwitter follower.
SAT also promises to use Facebook and Twitter to alert travelers to concessions specials and discounts, like this week’s candy sale at Natalie’s Candy Bar in Terminal 1 by Gate 10, where there are 16 different candies in 1 lb bags selling for $2.99 each. (Not that I would admit to buying a pound of candy at an airport, but I’m pretty sure that’s a good deal.)
While you’re at the airport, snacking on candy or just hanging around, be sure to check out the airport art, including Gary Sweeney’s neo-retro tourist tourist posters at the entrance to the parking garage.
They look just like vintage travel ads, but on second glance you’ll see that they’re pleasantly, wackily, off.
