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 JetBlue has just announced a major sale on flights with airfares ranging from $39 to $149 each way between over 56 destinations, including Mexico and the Caribbean. Fares on some of the
routes save you up to 50% off other airlines. The catch is that you need to act fast and book by Thursday, December 4. The travel window is January 7 to February 11. Here are some sample one-way fares from JFK:
Boston - $59
Washington, DC - $59
Charlotte -
$59
Raleigh/Durham - $59
Pittsburgh - $59
Jacksonville -
$79
Tampa - $89
San Francisco - $109
The Travelzoo staff test-booked this offer and found the lowest
prices on flights with Tuesday, Wednesdayand Saturday departures. January 20 is a blackout date.
 Cool gear and a great cause? Sign us up. We’re joining forces with other travel bloggers in a raffle to benefit Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate hunger and poverty around the globe. Here’s how it works: Each blogger is providing a prize to be raffled off, so head to Passports with Purpose to check out all of the loot. Select the prizes you covet the most, then click on the Passports With Purpose/First Giving link to make your donation. For each $10 donation you make, Passports with Purpose will enter you into the raffle for the prize of your choice. Note: be sure to enter your email address and the prize you want in the “Comments” field so you can be contacted if you win. Winners will be notified via email on December 30, 2008.
 If we do say so ourselves, our prize is a doozy: an Eye-Fi Explore memory card that makes your camera go wireless, automatically uploading your pictures to your computer or to one of more than 20 photosharing or social networking sites on the web (including KodakGallery, Shutterfly, Flickr and Facebook). You can upload through your home wireless network, or from more
than 10,000 wi-fi hotspots across the country—which means you can share your travel pix with family and friends in
real-time. This smart little gadget even geotags your photos with information about where the picture was taken. And did we mention that it all happens with no cords and no cables? TIME magazine named the Eye-Fi one of its “Best Inventions of 2008” and we agree. It retails for $129.99 but you could get one for a Jefferson if you win the raffle. Good luck!
 If you haven't yet discovered Hotwire's Travel Ticker as a source for great deals, check out the Hotels Under a Hundred page to get a peek at the possibilities. The page is a nice compilation of great deals on lodging priced at under $100 a night. How does a two-bedroom suite in Orlando sound, for just $86 a night? Or how about an oceanfront suite in Myrtle Beach, from $39? Or an upscale hotel in Chicago for $99 on weekends and holidays? This is a great addition to your arsenal of go-to deal-finding sites.
 Think you're a savvy traveler? Well, here's a pop quiz. Which is the best hotel deal: One that delivers (A) 50% off your second night, (B) your fourth night free, or (C) 30% off your nightly rate? Go ahead and get a pen and paper. Or a calculator. Or a fifth grader. We'll wait.
For travelers in this dismal economy, there's been a silver lining: Super hotel deals, and lots of 'em. But those deals are dreamed up by hotel marketing teams who crunch numbers and write catchy headlines for a living. And that's exactly why you need to do the math before reaching for your credit card. Sometimes you won't save quite as much as you'd think.
Take the "Better Tomorrow" promotion that's on the table until March 31, 2009, at Starwood Resorts (which includes W, Westin, St. Regis and Sheraton hotels). For every night you book, you get 50% off the next night's rate. Wow, 50% off! That sounds unbeatable, right? You can put your calculator away now. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, the very wise travel editor at the Baltimore Sun, has done the due diligence for us.
"But here's a problem that I did find when I eagerly began plotting my holiday stay at Starwood's new Resort at Singer Island in Palm Beach. (Yes, as usual, I'm headed to Florida for Christmas. Why? Because I have a mother who knows how to use a cell phone and guilt.) I found three different rates for three different specials for four nights during the same week.
Starwood's "Better Tomorrows" special would cost me $867. Their "Winter Sale" offers a 30% discount and would cost $688. They also have a "4th Night Free" special - the word "free" is so enticing - which would cost $1,067. The last two specials I checked for the very same dates. So you would have two guests staying the same nights, with one paying $400 more and both thinking they got a deal."
So the correct answer is C. A 30% discount trumps "fourth night free" (which is essentially a 25% discount) and it also beats "second night at 50% off." And in both cases, the difference can be substantial. That's not to say that the "Better Tomorrow" promo isn't a great deal. It's just that you can probably do better—maybe even with a different deal at the same hotel.
 Dragging a high chair or feeding seat along on a trip is just that—a drag. But when you think about how hands-on (and mouth-on) babies and toddlers can be in restaurant high chairs—well, suddenly you’re spending every vacation meal with your little one in your lap.
But if you and your little foodie have used and liked a sling or baby carrier, Totseat probably deserves a spot in your diaper bag. Invented by a Scottish “mum," the featherweight Totseat has a Euro sensibility both in its style and simplicity. The colorful canvas harness fits snugly over the top of a variety of chairs, using straps to adjust the fit, and offering a cummerbund to wrap around the chair-back for extra support. Folded up and back in its carrying case, the squishy Totseat (which comes in a variety of designs) is about the size of a sandwich—and the whole thing can go in the washer after an applesauce explosion.
One caveat: While the seat is recommended for babies and toddlers from 6 to 30 months, we think 24 months is about the max. When we tested Totseat out on our independent-minded 2-1/2-year old, she basically told us to Talk to the Hand. Though she could fit in it just fine, the snug support was so "last year."
Best for: 6 months to under 2 years
Retail price: $34.95. Available at trendykid.com
 Got a kid who's potty training? Got a vacation coming up? Then it's safe to say you're a wee bit stressed. We know, because we were sure as hell stressed when we were in your shoes.
Of course you should follow the same commonsense cardinal rules we all did. Time your bathroom breaks, monitor beverage intake, and always, ALWAYS, know where the closest bathroom is. Yadda yadda. The only difference between us and you? You get to thank your lucky stars because the great Mother of Invention (cue trumpets) has smiled down upon your plight.
Designed for children 12 months to 5 years old, the Pottyflip is a portable, disposable, hygienic, biodegradable, paper pop-up potty that's small enough to carry in your purse. The manufacturer says it can support a child up to 75 pounds. After Junior has done his business (applause!), you just fold the potty up, tie the interior bag, and throw the whole thing out. We're so stinking jealous that this wasn't around when our little angels were in this beloved phase.
You can order them online for $24 a dozen, plus $5.99 shipping and handling. They're pricey enough that you'll want to save them for emergencies. But, then again, it seems a small price to pay for peace of mind. Each order comes with
an assortment of 3 designs.
 Those autumn deals are a-popping over on Hotels.com. Through October 20, you can book a hotel room for less than $100 a night—and in some cases, under $50— in dozens of destinations from Anaheim to Williamsburg and from Acapulco to Toronto. The options vary from budget hotels to mid-range boutique inns to charming cottages like the one in our photo (that's Sleepy Forest Cottages, in Big Bear Lake, California, on sale for just $65 a night). If you want to splurge on a four-star hotel, it can be yours for under $150 a night.
 Travelers who want to avoid nasty airline fees should fly Southwest. That's the bottom line from an article in the November issue of Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart that takes a hard look at which airlines are nickel and diming us to death with new fees. (Warning: If you haven't flown in a while, prepare to be appalled.) Here are five key strategies to take away from the article:
- Think twice about that second suitcase.
All airlines except Southwest charge for a second checked bag.
- Ask for electronic ticketing.
Print out your electronic ticket, as the cost of choosing a paper ticket is skyrocketing—up to a whopping $75 at United.
- Bring your own food, drinks, and pillows.
Continental is the only major U.S. carrier that serves free meals on domestic flights, though some airlines offer free snacks. US Airways and Spirit charge for soft drinks, and United charges for coffee and tea. JetBlue will hit you for pillows and blankets.
- When in doubt, call the airline.
Fees can change fast and airline web sites don’t always reveal complete listings of fees, so contact the airlines directly.
- Watch out for unavoidable fees.
The biggest fee of all is fuel surcharges. Most airlines impose these fees in the higher cost of your ticket, but not all airlines do, which makes comparison shopping more important than ever.
Just how bad have things gotten? Here are just some of the unsavory practices ShopSmart uncovered:
- US Airways: Charges $25-$50 to redeem “free” trips from your frequent flyer program.
- Northwest, United, US Airways: Charge $2 or so per bag at some airports for a curbside bag check.
- American: Charges $100 for a ticket change and $15 for the first checked bag.
- Spirit: Charges for the first checked bag, booking by phone, seat confirmation, soft drinks, and snacks.
- AirTran and Spirit: Charge extra for calling to confirm a seat assignment or to request a seat location.
For more about airline fees, you can read the entire article in the November issue of ShopSmart, already out on newsstands.
 Which beach destination offers the deepest savings this fall? According to CheapTicket.com's "Off Season Deals Report," it's Fort Lauderdale—where you'll find hotels rates discounted by more than 40% compared to high-season prices. The report pinpoints where to find big discounts and small autumn crowds. Here, then, are the top 10 fall beach destinations in the US and Caribbean:
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Fort Lauderdale
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Miami
-
Puerto Rico
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Cancun, Mexico
-
Orlando
-
Riviera Maya, Mexico
-
Maui
-
San Diego
-
Jamaica
- Oahu
If you're inspired to visit one of these spots, CheapTickets.com is serving up its Fall Beach Sale, which offers travelers $100 off qualifying flight-and-hotel packages of four or more nights, booked by November 23 for travel through March 31, 2009.
 For families that value space and privacy when they travel, getting a second hotel room for the kids can be an attractive option. At select Hyatt properties through December 30, there's a special offer on the table called Time for Family, which includes a connecting room at half price for kids 12 and under. The 99 participating Hyatt properties are scattered throughout the world. These 10 are in North America.
Tip: If you book online, go through the portal for the Awaken B&B package, which snags you free breakfast for your family. Then use booking code HYFMPL to get 50% off your second room.
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