If you're going to be flying over the Christmas week, you can connect with loved ones more easily thanks to Skype. The VOIP service is offering one free hour of wi-fi at over 50 US airports between December 21 and December 27. You can use Skype WiFi to make voice and video calls to computers for free and to landlines and mobile phones using Skype credit.
You can take advantage of the offer if you've got a PC, Mac or iOS device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and a Skype account, which is free. Make sure you have the
latest version of Skype, then sign in using a wireless connection in a supported hotspot, and you're good to go.
The offer is available in more than 50 major airports, including JFK, LaGuardia and Newark in the New York City area, Boston's Logan
Aiport, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, Jackson Hole, and
Miami. For a full list, see the interactive map.
'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves. If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up: Hilton Hotels is running The December Sale, which promises savings of up to 33% at participating Hilton properties around the globe when you book by New Year's Day and stay before January 8, 2012.
Turns out that "savings of up to 33%" doesn't mean you'll always be able to chop a third off your hotel bill. When we test-booked the offer at two family-friendly properties, we found actual savings hovering closer to 20%. At the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, which boasts a location directly on the Metro Red Line, a two-bedroom suite runs $127 a night, which is a savings of 20% off the best available nightly rate of $159. Want something warmer? Take a look at the Grand Vacation Suites at Sea World. At that all-suite resort, we found December Sale nightly rates that were also 20% less than the best available rate: $119 for a one-bedroom suite and $199 for a two-bedroom suite (compared to best available rates of $149 and $249, respectively).
As always, there's plenty of fine print. The rates are non-refundable, full payment is due at the time of booking, there's a seven-day advance purchase requirement, and blackout dates may apply. Book online or call 800/HILTONS.
Racking your brain for the perfect present for a special family? Consider giving the gift of travel.
We're giving away a $500 gift certificate for Tauck Bridges, the leader in guided family travel. Tauck is known for putting together inclusive, fun family vacations for every age to enjoy together in the
United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa. Tauck Bridges family
travel adventures are all about shared enrichment and inclusive value,
meticulously planned and seamlessly orchestrated so all vacation plans
and details are handled for you so your family enjoys ease of family
travel.
To enter, visit our Facebook page. You can enter through December 17, 2011.
On your marks, get set, shop! While you're online today, take advantage of the great travel sales to land a great deal on a family vacation for 2012. Here's a round-up
of great Cyber Monday sales:
What's better in the Bahamas? Savings, for starters. Save $450 on an air-inclusive package when you visit Bahamas.com, select the resort of your choice and use the promo code CYBER450 to receive an instant savings on an air-and-hotel package. Travel must be completed by February 29, 2012.
Frontier Airlines is slashing 10% off every airfare today. Use promo code CYBER10.
Alaska Airlines is offering fares as low as $40 each way for travel December through February.
Orbitz's weekend sale is still on, offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii.
Marriott is holding a Cyber Monday sale for savings of 25% at select Florida resorts for stays through January 8, 2012.
Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday sale continues, promising up to 50% in savings at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
DirectAir is having a BOGO sale through today: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
Funjet's
weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season,
promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and
Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
In Southern California, save 35% through today at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through today and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
Today between 9am and 9pm EST, there will be a new deal every three hours at Yuupon.com,
with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to
destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an
advance schedule of the sales.
CheapCaribbean.com's Cyber Monday sale promises up to $100 per person in instant savings on trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Santa, baby, how about sticking a family vacation under the tree? We've rounded up a selection of great Black Friday travel sales that can help the big guy score a great deal.
CheapCaribbean.com is offering discounts of up to $500 per person on Caribbean packages that include airfare. Sale ends Sunday.
Orbitz is offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii. Sale runs through Monday.
Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday special lets you save 50% on vacations at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
DirectAir is having a BOGO sale for Black Friday: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
BookIt.com's Black Friday specials promise savings of up to 70% on vacations to Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Funjet's Black Friday weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season, promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
Sterling Resorts is holding its annual blowout sale, with savings of up to 60% on condos at popular beach resorts along Florida's Gulf Coast.
Heading off on a Disney vacation next year? Buy your souvenirs now at the Disney Store and save 50% on top of 20%! Use promo code THANKS.
In Southern California, save 35% through Monday at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through Monday and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
There will be a new deal every hour at Yuupon.com, with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an advance schedule of the hourly sales.
What's better than a family movie night while you're on vacation? A family movie night when the movie is absolutely free! To make a whole lot of family getaways more fun, we're giving away free DVD movie or game rentals from Redbox to 25 (count 'em, 25!) of our Facebook fans.
Step 2. Visit WeJustGotBack.com's wall and click 'share' below our Facebook update about this Redbox giveaway. Share the update on your own Facebook wall.
Step 3.Check in after 5pm EST on Monday, October 31, to see if you're one of our 25 lucky winners. [Note that giveaway period has been extended.]
This giveaway ends at 5pm EST on Monday, October 31, 2011. Winners will be chosen at random using random.org. After the contest period ends, winners will be announced on WeJustGotBack.com's Facebook wall and in an updated version of this post.
Good luck!
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Update: Congratulations to our winners!
Winners will be contacted on Facebook. Winners, please also email blog@wejustgotback.com so that we can forward your promotion code.
We’re very excited to be giving away a four-night getaway for a family of four at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, named one of Parents Magazine’s Top 50 Family-Friendly Resorts.
The prize includes lodging, breakfast daily for four people; one day’s
private cabana rental; unlimited use of Champions 9, the resort’s
lighted 9-hole, par-3 golf experience; and one-day tickets to LEGOLAND
Florida for two children ages 3 to 12.
One of the nation’s premier golf and leisure retreats, the four-diamond
Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate offers walk-out golf, a
European-style spa, five restaurants, and 15 acres of recreational
activities. Voted among the top 10 best pool areas in TripAdvisor’s
Traveler’s Choice Awards, the resort features an 850-foot lazy river
with shooting water cannons and a zero-entry family pool featuring a
125-foot corkscrew waterslide and water tower. Complimentary scheduled
shuttle transportation is provided to all four Walt Disney World theme
parks. In addition, Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is an official
partner of the new LEGOLAND theme park and provides packages and
transportation to and from the park.
For a chance to win this family getaway,
just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through October 31, 2011. So come back again tomorrow!
We’re excited to be giving away a four-night getaway at the luxurious La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa,
a four-star resort set on gorgeous Lake Conroe, 50 miles north of
Houston. The prize includes suite accommodations for a family of four,
along with daily breakfast and a session for two children at Adventure
Pointe, the resort’s supervised kids’ camp.
Sophisticated but never stuffy, La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa
offers plenty of fun ways for families to beat the Texas heat. There is
an on-site aqua park complete with multiple pools, slides and a lazy
river. The 22,000-acre lake also offers many activities such as
jetskiing, kayaking, boating and fishing. You can also enjoy the
resort’s private beach and miniature golf course that is lighted so you
can enjoy a round at night.
Kids ages 5 to 11 can meet friends and play at Adventure
Pointe, the resort’s supervised children’s camp complete with its own
playground. Teenagers visiting La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa can
hang out at The Edge, featuring over-stuffed furniture, cool games such
as remote-control racing cars and a Wii.
For a chance to win this family getaway,
just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through October 14, 2011. So come back again tomorrow!
We’re thrilled to be giving away a three-night getaway for a family of four at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch.
This luxury resort, set against the majestic McDowell Mountains, offers
breathtaking vistas, intriguing Native American culture and
unparalleled pampering. The prize includes lodging; one dinner for four
in SWB, a southwest bistro; plus a day at Camp Hyatt for two children.
Your family will want to spend plenty of time at the resort’s
spectacular 2.5-acre water playground, which features 10 pools that
offer a variety of experiences for guests of all ages. Kids will love
zipping down the three-story waterslide emerging from the clock tower.
Take a swim through a Grecian-style water temple to play a game of
water volleyball or enjoy a Jacuzzi-style spa or cold plunge, with more
than 40 waterspouts raining down gently into the pools and spas.
For a chance to win this family getaway,
just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through September 30, 2011. So come back again tomorrow!
As summer turns to fall, the desert starts to heat up, in its way. Temperatures start sliding out of the triple-digit zone, and prices start creeping back up.
That's why we were tempted by a new deal in Arizona that’s packed with a lot of low-season-style value. At Tucson’s JW Marriott Starr Pass, the Family Fling & Swing promotion runs through the end of the year and includes a long list of freebies. The 575-room resort has plenty of family-magnet features: four
pools, a lazy river and water slide, an
Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, a spa and even Nickelodeon character breakfasts on
many weekends throughout the year. Starting at $149 a night, the package includes:
lodging for a family of four
$50/night resort credit
Unlimited rounds of golf for a family of four (worth at least $100/day)
Free meals for kids 12 and under, with a paying adult (worth $30/kid x 2 = $60/day)
Free appetizer or dessert at the two main restaurants (worth about $10/day)
Free high-speed Internet (worth $13/day)
Free self-parking (worth $10/day)
10% off retail purchases
Deal or no deal? This is a hot one—but even hotter if you go soon. When we checked dates from August through October, we found package rates ranging from $179 a night in August to $349 a night in October. The package rates hovered between $10 and $50 above the regular rate. Even if the price difference is enough to eat up that daily $50 in resort credit, there is still almost $100 a day of freebies that you’ll definitely use—a 31% savings right there—including $23 worth of annoying hotel fees that are just nice to avoid. And if your family likes to golf, you're getting nearly $200 of extra value of day—a more than 50% value. (The only hitches: you can’t get early-morning tee times with the offer, and kids would get to golf free anyway at the resort, as long as you teed off after 3pm.)
One more reason to travel sooner rather than later? The lazy river and waterslides will close for the winter on November 27.
The offer is good through December 30. When booking online, enter dates and then look for the Family Fling and Swing rate under the packages tab. Or, mention the deal when calling 888/236 2427.
'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves. If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up: Hilton Hotels is running 
On your marks, get set, shop! While you're online today, take advantage of the great travel sales to land a great deal on a family vacation for 2012. Here's a round-up
of great Cyber Monday sales:
Santa, baby, how about sticking a family vacation under the tree? We've rounded up a selection of great Black Friday travel sales that can help the big guy score a great deal.
What's better than a family movie night while you're on vacation? A family movie night when the movie is absolutely free! To make a whole lot of family getaways more fun, we're giving away free DVD movie or game rentals from Redbox to 25 (count 'em, 25!) of our Facebook fans.
We’re very excited to be giving away a four-night getaway for a family of four at 
We’re excited to be giving away a four-night getaway at the luxurious 
We’re thrilled to be giving away a three-night getaway for a family of four at the 
As summer turns to fall, the desert starts to heat up, in its way. Temperatures start sliding out of the triple-digit zone, and prices start creeping back up.
